I’ve been listening to Opposing Bases for a couple years now and it has without a doubt made me a better pilot. However, I never expected it to make me a better husband. Let me explain.
You see, women are a lot like ATC: we have to do what they say and they have to assume the worst about our intentions and create separation. Since having this epiphany, I’ve started to implement the procedures and phraseology of the 7110 to great effect in my marriage.
Now, when my wife issues “Cleared to feed the baby via the bottle in the fridge, warm and maintain 6 ounces of milk, expect 3 ounces one zero minutes after spit up, bathtub frequency 100.0, squawk 1730 bedtime”, instead of the usual glass-eyed stare as the last remaining parenting penguin that’s desperately clinging to the edge of my iceberg has his flippers mercilessly stamped at by the much larger aviation penguins, I proceed to repeat all of her instructions back to her. Psychologists call this “active listening”, but pilots and controllers know its true name: the readback.
This has led to a great reduction in Brasher warnings due to possible pilot deviations, with a lot less calls to the tower (aka marital “discussions”), though I don’t suggest saying “standby” too often.
Our marriage was like bug-smashing at 3,500 ft without flight following on the approach end of Charlie airspace, but now we have the tools to fly through hard IMC and navigate the complex Bravo airspace of having a toddler and an infant. Thank you OB for the beneficial scope creep of aviation into my personal life.
Sincerely, BJH from the Spanish patron saint of insect bites Delta, South of the Longhorn Charlie.
