Short Stories – Catch me if you can!
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Catch me if you can! - Hungarian version.
When I was working as a military air traffic controller, I had the unique opportunity to witness countless fascinating and sometimes downright amusing events unfold in the sky. One story that stands out involves a young aircraft pilot and the regimental commander. The commander, who was also an aircraft pilot, was middle-aged and had a wealth of experience. The young pilot, on the other hand, was energetic, cheerful, and always ready to make a joke, making him a favorite among his peers.
The protagonist of the story is a young aircraft pilot and the regimental commander, who was also an aircraft pilot but was middle-aged and had a lot of experience. Once, it happened that these two aircraft pilots had to carry out a task together. They had to practice an old battle scenario where the task was for the experienced aircraft pilot, who had to be intercepted in an airspace by the young pilot.
The young and experienced aircraft pilot was not only very skilled but also energetic, cheerful, and always ready to make a joke. Everyone enjoyed flying with him because he carried out all orders immediately, precisely, and perfectly. He was the most ideal pilot to control.
On the day of the task execution, the weather was very good, which didn’t significantly affect the mission. The task of the controllers was to guide the planes to the appropriate airspace, where the pilots would take over and proceed with the exercise. The young pilot, always in high spirits, saw this as another opportunity to have a bit of fun.
As the mission commenced, the young pilot noticed a suitable cloud to hide behind. The grumpy commander flew into the designated airspace, unaware of the young pilot’s playful intentions. Our young pilot hid behind the cloud and waited for the right moment.
Suddenly, the young pilot announced over the radio, “Attacking from the right!” The commander tried to dodge to the left, but the young pilot calmly said, “Acquired commander, swerving in the other direction.” This back-and-forth went on for a good few minutes. The commander grew increasingly frustrated as he couldn’t see the young pilot behind him. Unbeknownst to him, the young pilot was smiling and performing narrow circles above the cloud.
The commander, fed up with the whole situation, angrily announced, “I’m out of fuel, I’m heading in!” He requested control to be guided back home. The control center obliged, and he was safely guided back.
After the commander had left, the young pilot asked for landing clearance, following the commander. As they landed, the young pilot radioed, “Attacking from the right, attacking from the right!” In the process, he placed his aircraft at the right angle behind the commander and took several photos, which would serve as proof of the “capture.”
Upon landing, the photographers developed the photos, confirming that the young pilot had successfully “captured” the commander in the aerial exercise.
At the debriefing, the young pilot, unable to resist, handed the photos to the commander with a grin. “I guess I captured you after all, sir,” he said with a wink.
The room burst into laughter, including the commander, who couldn’t help but appreciate the young pilot’s skill and sense of humor. From that day on, the commander was known to always check behind every cloud during exercises, just in case his playful protege was hiding there again.
The young pilot’s reputation as a skilled and amusing pilot only grew, and even the commander had to admit that sometimes a bit of fun made the rigorous training a little more bearable.
