6/28/2023 0 Comments Cirrus approachWhat followed was enlightening and in the 20-plus years hence, I’ve never had a problem fitting in. We talked for a while about how I could have made myself a little more welcome. After exchanging pleasantries with the front desk attendant at the FBO, and allowing my shirt to dry out, I looked up Approach Control’s phone number and asked for the floor supervisor. After I taxied into Wilson Air and shut down, I noticed my shirt was soaked not unusual for Memphis, except it was mid- February. I think they were just glad to get me out of their hair when the tower controller simply told me to land anywhere. I’m certain I had the controller on the edge of his seat as I made a few lateral and vertical “excursions.” I was certainly out of my element, but fearing endless vectors until the fuel ran out, I was not about to say “unable.” I had never flown an approach that fast before and what followed, though legal, was anything but pretty, especially with another aircraft on a parallel approach. ![]() At this point, fuel remaining was becoming an issue, so I nervously acquiesced and brought the throttles up on both engines. ![]() After another 15 or 20 minutes of “vectors,” he told me he needed 135 knots to short final. I was tersely asked, “Say approach speed.” I responded with “120 knots,” lying by 5 knots hoping to win him over – no luck. The staccato pace of the controllers’ voice did not lend itself to asking questions, so I kept quiet and followed instructions.Ībout 20 minutes later, I managed to wedge my “N” number and the word “request” into the conversation, which, of course, pleased nobody, especially the controller. About 30 miles out, center switched me over to Approach Control, who promptly began to give me vectors to nowhere or at least nowhere that made any sense relative to the final approach courses for either runway. The conga line of aircraft seemed to extend forever. They were running parallel approaches into runways 36L and 36R. Years ago, I was flying my Piper Aztec into Memphis on a very busy low-IFR day.
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