Comedy in Flight

Even Flight Service Has a Sense of Humor

For an extended period of time, the New Boston Tracking Station (towards the west side of the Class C around Manchester, New Hampshire) had a NOTAM for a TFR (Temporary Flight Restriction) around it while the area was being utilized for “ordnance demonstration/disposal”.

On a VFR flight, we headed in that general direction, and I wanted to call Flight Service while enroute to be certain that the TFR really wasn’t in effect since our route between the Gardner VOR and Concord, New Hampshire would take us just west of the New Boston Tracking Station. I asked specifically about the TFR and the following exchange took place:

Bridgeport Radio: “The only TFR I see in the area is over Middletown, Connecticut.”

N9412L: “Yup, I’ve got that one. I just wanted to confirm that the one over New Boston Tracking Station wasn’t in effect.”

Bridgeport Radio: “Nope, I guess they ran out of things to blow up.”

N9412L: “Well, all good things must come to an end I suppose.”

Bridgeport Radio: “That or they’re holding it for a really great 4th of July show!”