A recent trip to Kentucky highlights an important lesson for pilots: ATC is human, too. I find that many newer pilots feel like, since ATC is the FAA and the FAA is our regulator, that means ATC is the authority. But, just like pilots, controllers can and do make mistakes. Just like we hear about there being a pilot shortage, there's an ATC shortage, too. That means existing controllers are often overworked and fatigued, and many controllers are new. Recent years have seen an alarming increase in ATC errors across the country.

This controller was dealing with a lot of traffic in the pattern. While he was very nice, he did not appear to have a plan regarding who would follow whom between traffic in the pattern and traffic coming in on a straight-in final. Or if it did, he may have gotten task-saturated and did not communicate the plan to the airplanes in question. Everything worked out fine, but spacing was tighter than I would have liked, and I wonder what would have happened had I not queried him about the traffic turning in front of us.

ATC is outstanding 99+% of the time, but they are not immune to error. If something doesn't seem right, speak up! Trust but Verify!

00:00 Takeoff, ventilation discussion
01:40 Arrival into LOU
05:57 Post hoc analysis
10:05 Takeoff LOU-LEX
11:15 Arrival into LEX
14:34 Departing LEX
15:40 Which sun shades for your Sling TSi
16:41 Arrival back home
17:27 Final approach and landing