Curious ATC Comment: "The lawyers like to hear it"

[LeslieDEN]

I heard something funny on United's channel 9 today and hope Capt. Hutch and other smarties here might post some expert speculation.

We were taxiing toward the runway at LAS. Maybe we were stopped, I don't remember. I was listening to channel 9 and heard the controller ask an American Airlines plane if it had "the Ted plane in sight." My ears perked up because I was on a Ted plane and I wondered if he was talking about us.

The AA pilot said, "We have him in sight." Slight pause, then: "The Ted plane." And then he smirked! I was thinking, "Did he just smirk at our Ted plane?"

The controller replied, "I know, but the lawyers like to hear it."

Now what could that mean? I thought about it and figured maybe with all the recent runway incursions there's some new recommendation or rule that pilots on the ground specify the plane they have in sight even after the controller has already said it? Or maybe the pilot thought it should've been obvious that he had the plane in sight without having to be asked.

Then again, maybe the AA pilot was just laughing at Ted. Lord knows those of us who have to fly Ted do. :lol: But that wouldn't explain the controller's comment about lawyers.

[spiffyone]

I have absolutely no qualifications...except for being someone who is in a profession where we, unfortunately, have to think all the time about what the lawyers will say.

My guess is they've been told it's not good enough to just say, "Yes, I see him," without specifying who they see - even if it's obvious from the prior communication.

The same way I try to avoid saying "it" or "him" when I am doing something like getting consent for a procedure - even if I think it is clear from the sentence before what the object was. Only a guess though.

Hey...how can you tell someone is smirking if you can't see them? I always though a smirk was just a facial expression.

[Captain Hutch]

Hi LeslieDEN,
You bring up a good point. First, I have not heard of any new rules related to runway incursions. If there have been any rule changes, my company will let me know immediately. While flying, a controller will point out some other aircraft by saying something like, “…you have traffic in your 10 o’clock position, 5 miles, 2000 feet below you, a United 737.” We will say, “Roger, we have the traffic in sight”.
On the ground it would be a similar situation, and if we say “…roger, we have him in sight,” after a similar situation as you have stated, and then that would be sufficient.” Only in cases where there might be some ambiguity would it be necessary to be more specific about what exact traffic the controller is talking about. I suppose the controller was just stating that it would help to be more specific in case of a situation where the tapes would be played to clarify some situation at a later date, but it is not required.
Hutch :)

[aerobat]

:confused::tongue::) Yeah, me, too, wondering about the auditory smirk!

[LeslieDEN]

Thanks, Capt. Hutch. Makes sense. "Pull the tapes!"

I apologize for my misuse of the word "smirked." A more accurate description would've been "snorted derisively with vocalization." Dang, when I asked for smarties, I didn't mean THAT smart.

[Rebecca]

:lol:I actually sat here last night trying to MAKE an auditory smirk to see if Leslie could accurately say that. Don't think I was successful.

It's always a challenge to cull down communication to the essentials while not leaving out something important.

And why are planes "him," as in, "We have him in sight?" So many ship terms travelled over to aviation that I would think you'd say "We have 'er in sight." ;)

[spiffyone]

Yes, if they were really worried about the ACLU lawyers, they would be saying, "I have him or her in sight."

:sigh: For a minute there, I thought I had the wrong definition of 'smirk' for the past 37 years. :lol:

[WillFlyToDisney]

:lol:I actually sat here last night trying to MAKE an auditory smirk to see if Leslie could accurately say that. Don't think I was successful.



Why do I hear THE phrase not to be spoken in my head now??? :angel:

[LeslieDEN]

My use of the word was wrong, but you can smirk audibly, according to merriamwebster.com. One of its definitions of "smirk" is "to say or express with a smirk."

"Thank goodness my airline never came up with an idiotic concept like Ted," he smirked.

[WillFlyToDisney]

My use of the word was wrong, but you can smirk audibly, according to merriamwebster.com. One of its definitions of "smirk" is "to say or express with a smirk."

"Thank goodness my airline never came up with an idiotic concept like Ted," he smirked.

Oh yeah because "Ted" is so much worse then having your subsidiary AE nicknamed "Super Chicken" by other airlines... :rotflmao:

[LeslieDEN]

Oh yeah because "Ted" is so much worse then having your subsidiary AE nicknamed "Super Chicken" by other airlines... :rotflmao:
That's funny! I hadn't heard that before. I just googled some images, and the thing on the AE tail does look like Super Chicken! But Ted has a yellow tulip on his tail, so who's the more manly airline? (Sorry, ACLU.)

BTW, what's the phrase not to be spoken???

[Captain Hutch]

okay I am going to start saying "I 'ave 'er in sight". I will see what sort of comments I get and I will report back to the panel.


:lol:

Captain Hutch

[LeslieDEN]

okay I am going to start saying "I 'ave 'er in sight". I will see what sort of comments I get and I will report back to the panel.
Just curious to know if Capt. Hutch ever really did this and what the result was ... :)

Reading through this thread, I was reminded of something funny I heard on channel 9 a few years ago in Phoenix. We were on the ground, and the controller told a pilot to "follow the America West." The pilot said, "OK ... uh ... they're all America West." Looking out the window at all the America West planes, I could see his problem. :lol:

The controller apologized and clarified the instruction.

[Captain Hutch]

Ha Ha Leslie, that's pretty funny. :lol:

No I haven't said it yet, but thanks for reminding me! :lol:

[Falcon]

:lol:I actually sat here last night trying to MAKE an auditory smirk to see if Leslie could accurately say that. Don't think I was successful.


It's always a challenge to cull down communication to the essentials while not leaving out something important.


And why are planes "him," as in, "We have him in sight?" So many ship terms travelled over to aviation that I would think you'd say "We have 'er in sight." ;)

Many years of only having your voice to express yourself leads to creativity. The trick is to convey the annoyance of being carved up while taxiing without being disrespectful. ( you get extra points if the Tower laughs and the pilot that cut you up doesnt get it). It is a filthy habit I know but the area controlers in Georgia were so good at it that it made an impressional young pilot decide he would cultivate the skill.

She\ Her ONLY refers to the aircraft. This is a hang over from nautical superstition, the ship was Female. Why some sailors considered women on ships bad luck? Made the vessel jealous? The autopilot seems to be Male ( He is called George by the way).

Why do we say I have him in sight? Probably because I heard the deep Baritone voice using the call sign when he spoke to the controler.