As a small plane owner and pilot. Over the years I have learned never to argue with a controller on the radio in a busy airport someone might have an emergency and cannot get on radio because you are on.

My Dad designed the first onboard anti aircraft collision device that was patented. It never got produced (as a more state of the art one came along 6 months later), however the company he was working for at the time had paid him $5000 for full patent rights, which was enough to pay off our mortgage. So listening to these videos about collision avoidance reminds me of my Dad puttering around in his workshop after dinner.

I' m a 400-hour hobby pilot who doesn't always fly as frequently as i'd like. A couple of weeks ago I wanted to get night-current since we're heading into fall/winter and the chance of flying a passenger friend into darkness increases. During my three take-offs and landings, there was an Embraer 175 regional jet inbound on a long final and the controller told me that I was cleared to land if I could turn base on the numbers and descend quickly. He also quickly added, "no stop/go, i'll need you to exit the runway immediately". I was already abeam the numbers at 1600 feet and I saw the Embraer coming in. I would have had to do a serious diving-turn. I hadn't flown in a while and wasn't sure I was up for the rushed challenge, so I told tower I had the Embraer in sight and asked for a right 360 turn instead. I think I made the right decision and everyone turned-out happy.

I was flying into DFW yesterday on final descent when all the engines started to rev. Some of the other passengers got really nervous, but I knew immediately "Oh we have to do a go around". I didn't even know what a go around was until I started watching your videos and it was definitely the first time I had ever experienced one. We were later told we had gotten a little too close to the plane landing ahead of us and the tower had directed the go around. It was definitely a cool experience seeing everything work exactly as it should to keep everyone safe.

I’m a military sci fi writer and for atmospheric flying this channel is gold for me. Thanks for helping me understand the physics as a non pilot.

I like the way the entire system, including the collision-avoidance procedures, worked together to ensure everyone landed safely in this situation. Great demonstration of how it all works.

This exact same issue, happened to me in Houston, while doing freeway traffic reports, many years ago. I’m in a Cessna 172 N8KE, flying North up I45, through IAH controlled airspace. Tower told us to look for a Continental heavy that was on approach. We saw the aircraft, reported a visual, maintained a safe distance, went well behind him, but the heavy still called missed approach. The pilot of the heavy was very sarcastic on the radio, and IAH ordered me to land at Hooks, and call them. I was scared to death, not because of my flying, but because I have never had anything like this happen before, and I was humiliated by someone with far more flight experience. Called the tower, and the controller asked me two questions. Did I maintain a safe distance from the other aircraft, to which I responded yes, and was I training, which I was. If that pilot happens to read this someday, I’m sorry you felt the need to call your missed approach, but it wasn’t for anything I did…

Years ago, I got cleared through the SFO TCA (yeah, it was that long ago) flying a 172 around 2500 feet about 2 miles off 28L. Had the pleasure of looking down as a DC-10 passed right under me. I swear I could see the pilot giving me the bird. As soon as he passed, he hit the throttle, climbed like a rocket, and gave the controller a piece of his mind!

You did an amazing job explaining how most pilots get their flight hours if not in the military. Explaining about the warning system and everything else is great information.

I'm a 4000 private pilot - use to commute into Midway weekly in my cirrus SR-22. Been many years since I have been there but remember well them always requesting me to hold 150 kts until the outer marker - which I always did - and had to consistently watch my temps to keep from shock cooling the engine. Heard plenty of frustrated and cantankerous pilots on approach and in the pattern there but always enjoyed the experience. I really don't think the cessna pipeline pilot did anything wrong here. She had good communication, followed the controllers direction, and seemed to be comfortable and in control. This was an ATC issue in my book - it was the towers responsibility to keep the cessna further north to keep from triggering the RA - and he just cut it too close and/or failed to communicate. Just my 2 cents. Love the channel and the content!!!! Keep up the great work!

I love that you chose to break down the ATC audio at AFW! I fly out of alliance for a company that does the training and checkrides on the FAA’s aviation safety inspectors. The guy that said “come on man” was one of my coworkers and had an ASI in the plane at that time 😂

I would like to thank you for your videos. I am a passenger I am not a professional aviator. And having a better understanding of what you have to go through helps me be a better Is passenger. I found myself starting to be afraid to fly so I wanted to start watching videos to learn more about aviation and what you have to go through. Thank you for your professionalism and thank you all for your dedication to aviation.

I love your unbiased assessment of these videos. Entertaining and educational

One of the best things about you Kelsey is you understand the air traffic controller has different information than you have. Too many people have giant egos and they get to be in charge of something and the rest of the world needs to obey them. I'm learning to fly a paraglider and one of the people from my school went to an invitational paragliding flying contest. The contest announced that everybody had to land because the weather was coming through. One paraglider pilot decided not to land he crashed and died laid there for several hours while they were looking for him nobody could find him. I'm absolutely certain that the top meteorologist in the world can't predict the weather better sitting in the seat on a paraglider than a high school kid that likes science sitting at the desk with the weather computer connected to the weather service and set up to monitor this area for conditions dangerous for a paraglider.

Key lesson of today: it helps no one to cop an attitude with ATC

Thanks for the clear explanation. I am not a pilot but a potter in rural Canada. I enjoy learning about other work worlds. Thanks Kelsey!

I ALWAYS learn something from your vids. I love that, even though you fly the vaunted 747, you always have some bit of advice or help for us GA pilots. For example, even though I have my instrument rating, none of my instructors ever really taught me how to respond to ATC when they ask questions. Sure, I know to check in with my location, altitude and heading; and how to read back clearances, but what DO you say when they ask if you have traffic in sight and you don't, but have it on your "fish finder" and are tracking it? I was, until today, one of those clumsy radio gobs who keyed the mike and started blabbering, "Uhhhh... I don't see him, but...uh... I have him on TCAS... I'll keep an eye out... Uh, do you want me to turn?" From now on, I know that I should just call back: "Looking, Cessna 1234AB."

My hardest landing as a passenger was on Delta landing at Midway. I remember the buildings are so close to the runaway that we could see occupants of the apartments. We landing really, really rough and then the stewardess came on and said, "In case you haven't guessed, we've landed in Chicago" as everyone laughed. Then shortly after the pilot came on and apologized and said, "Umm yes, sorry folks, that was my hardest landing ever" and welcomed us to Chicago.

This video totally explained something to me; the hardest landing I've ever experienced was on a southwest 737 landing at midway. I mean by far the hardest landing and fastest stop I've experienced. Now I know why.

Very glad I found this channel. My Dad's a big fan of aviation and I never quite understood why, but now I can see that it really is a very interesting topic. Thank you for showing us how things at the airport and in the planes work, Kelsey.

947K subscribers!! Seems like only a couple of months ago you hit the big 747. Great job Kelsey!!

I flew into Midway just 2 weeks ago. Couldn't believe the pilot. BEAUTIFUL landing! I mean any landing where we're not crashing or you can walk away from is a great landing, but this landing at Midway was like buttah. I was very impressed.

Given the short runways at Midway, it sounds like the Southwest pilots made the right call. Every time I've landed there, the pilots have set thrust reversers to full as soon as the wheels hit the runway to stop in time.

Thank YOU Kelsey!! On another channel I commented about TCAS, pilot load during landing, different visual and distance management for small plane and large jets, and everybody including pilots were bashing me and were saying that Cessna pilot didn't do anything wrong and 737 pilot was just an a**hole. Thank you for explaining this better than I could do

Pipeline flying is much better flight time than you might think. We fly all day long below 1000agl and have to avoid antennas, birds, terrain and other aircraft while also observing the pipeline. I doubt many pilots that don't fly pipeline surveys would know how to perform 60 or 70 degree bank turns on a very regular basis. You get really good on the rudders!

I've been the low time Cessna pilot on short final, looking at a huge airliner filling my rearview mirror. Scary! I was SO grateful for a controller who advised me to make a short turn-off, even though it was hard to do.

I don't know why the 172 would want to be anywhere close to the bigger jet. When I had 20 hr's under my belt... I was flying out of Chino, and I flew under a large jet going into Ontario. It was UGLY and I was flipped over twice before getting back on path. I was honestly lucky to live to tell the story. This was in '92, and I was training in a 152, and was at night.. so we didn't have anything in the plane to give me a warning like we do now. (ADS-b)

Kelsey, your videos and analyses are So Dang Instructive! They should be included in formal pilot training classes. Thank you, Captain.

Kelsey you are much like other pilots I've met. There is a self effacing calmness, that seems innate and a professionalism that inspires confidence. At one point in my career I chartered small float planes to visit points along British Columbia's Pacific Coast. All the pilots I met shared similar personality facets throughout that time and the events that we faced. As well over many years flying in N. American and Europe on many flights that comfortable competence was featured on a number of serious moments in the the air. After a fully loaded DC9's right engine destroyed itself on take-off. The calm voice from the cockpit outlined the diversion, the fuel dump was exceptional. On another occasion a BA flight landing at Heathrow suddenly begins to accelerate followed by another calm voice that describes the reason for the go-round. A professionally competent voice is a wonderful thing.

I love this guy, I learn so much from him, things I never learned in flight school. Thank You Brother.!!!

Great one Kelsey! Very important lessons on landing shared on this upload! Much appreciated as always.

Can't help but binge watch these videos. Thanks Kelsey!

In a Cessna 172, I would be really reluctant to fly underneath the track of a commercial jet for fear of the descending wake turbulence.

In the late 1980’s I got my license and flew out of Midway (this was before MDW became a real commercial hub again, as it was in the 1930’s to 1970 or so). I came in on a right base to a parallel runway from a commercial jet. That plane was on a final from a left base. It was perfectly safe, but a little weird as the two runways are pretty close to each other. MDW is a strange place, that is for sure. Amazing there have been so few incidents with all that commercial traffic.

I lived this! Many years ago I was flying into Atlanta on a wide-body jet. I was sitting forward of the wing, port side. We were on final final, maybe 1000 feet up and I saw a single-engine plane slide in from the left right into our glide path. Nose came up, full power pull-out to go around. The Captain came on the PA right away, he said, "I'm sorry about that, some fool in a Cessna took our glide path and I assure you, I will clip that guy's ticket."

Kelsey watching you videos finally convinced me to put my life on pause and become an airline pilot I do my first solo today thank you so much

Midway airport originally opened in 1927, to serve biplanes. Hence the restricted geography. Airports of that era were often laid out in large squares (like Midway) so that pilots could take off or land directly into the wind. The runways came later. No one would ever site an airport in such a restricted setting in the modern age.

Years ago (probably about 2000) I was at St George, Utah and watched a small single engine plane take off and fly directly under a SkyWest plane coming in the opposite direction for landing. Scared me to death watching it, but I had no radio and no idea if they knew about each other and maintained visual separation.

Demanding what is essentially a colleague explain their professional decision to you mid-situation is WILD

Kelsey.... Thank you SO MUCH FOR all the hard work you have done to post these videos 👌.... I look forward to them each week and during the week I revisit your video library 👀

I used to fly into/out of Midway all the time but that was 40 years ago when they permitted the gas stations to have giant tall poles advertising their gas stations. I often wondered how many poles were hit.

This made me think about a flight I was doing in my Cessna a few weeks ago in our local practice area which happens to be very close to a Charlie airports northern approach corridor. I was at 1500’ and monitoring approach, my position was reported to an incoming 737 and the controller asked them if my altitude would be ok for them…I thought it was weird at the time but it makes total sense now!

Your insights into what each party may be thinking are very informative. It's easy to identify with one party and think the others are wrong, but given both perspectives it makes more sense (even if one party is not happy).

I really appreciate your videos, Kelsey. I'm preparing to earn my PPL and find these ATC v. pilots vids to be insightful. Thank you!

I'm really surprised ATC would even allow the potential for paths to cross like that, and that they didn't tell the Pipeline pilot explicitly to parallel the 737's path (fly heading 058°) and go north of that point on the chart where the heading changes from 270° to 238°. In fact, it looks like there are a couple of nice towers right there with top elevations of 1038' and 1095' ATC could have told them to stay north of.

Yes, these are uncomfortable things to happen. Few years ago, I was approaching LAX 25L with a B777 and it was night time. ATC gave me same kind of advisory of some helicopter traffic crossing from south to north ahead and below me. And the helicopter pilot told us that he had us in sight. But it still made me quite uncomfortable having that TCAS giving me TA's, while I was desperately trying to make a visual contact with that helo. I had my finger already on TO/GA switches and I would have executed a go around in a heart beat, but then I finally saw the helicopter among all highway traffic and other lights on my left side, safe distance away. I made the landing, but it was not very comfortable. So I do feel for those Southwest pilots in your story. Great stuff Kelsey, keep on doing the good work!

Hi Kelsey, I really enjoy your channel and the content you provide.

Alliance can be a tricky airport for small aircraft. It's a maintenance hub for American airlines and a distribution hub for FedEx and Amazon. The runways are very long and traffic can range from very light to very congested depending on the day and time. The controllers there have always been good to smaller aircraft when I was flying in there. Despite the sometimes heavy schedule of large aircraft. It is very easy to land long in a light aircraft. The runways are super wide and being in Texas you almost always have pretty good thermals right above them. If I could choose a large airport to learn to fly around larger traffic it would be Alliance.

Excellent explanations, Kelsey! Love watching your channel. ...from the proud son of a commercial pilot who always wanted to be a pilot but now realizes that that was never his calling. Leaving it to the true pilots/experts. Many, Many Thanks to all the pilots, military personnel, and emergency responders who keep us safe!!!

I just started in the flight sim experience and let me say...I JUST found your videos and I LOVE how you not only make it entertaining but educational. Great stuff Kelsey appreciate it.

Another awesome video Kelsey, you have such an awesome job. I love binge watching your channel. Keep up the great work, your awesome 👍🏼👏🏼👊🏼🤟🏻

You did a good job, I think, with covering the airliner's point of view and TCAS. Concerning pipeline pilots, we are mostly old and my 17,000 hours at 200' or below crop dusting and with waiver on pipelines was actually a low number of hours. At 1200' around Midway, I agree that this pipeline pilot was not as experienced as most. I flew her pipeline down the ditch north of Midway and then cross to the south, but at 200' AGL. The controller also had less experience with pipeline, I think. We cross most large airports and even take jet fuel lines to between the parallel runways and 180 back at some. I see your point with TCAS and go around being safer in this case with pipeline at 1200.' However, I have often heard the tower controller (we never enter B, but only D airspace at 200') tell the airliner with TCAS, "He's fifty feet off the trees. He is not traffic." So experience all around helps with knee jerk response where not needed. Where needed, yes, go around. And yes, pipeline can hold off. I have been held off hundreds of times and shot the gap only when the tower controller cleared me between airline traffic. The fit is tight, but a good pipeline pilot and a good controller and airline pilots experienced with pipeline operations can make it happen safely. Again, good job with the explanation of the very common situation. For we who fly small airplanes, take it from an old pipeline pilot: we can be separated much easier and much safer when we stay below the upside down wedding cake layer. If VFR and Approach is really busy, get down low and make separation (tower now) a snap. And yes, we can see that busy traffic much better with a blue or grey background rather than with city ground clutter as a background. Imagine finding a pipeline mile post between stop signs and mail boxes. Staying safe sometimes is staying low. Be safe out there and work together. Nothing illustrates how we are all in this together more than a midair.

Kelsey calling a SW 737 purple gives me "is that dress blue or black" PTSD vibes

I really appreciate your videos. Especially when you break down the Pilots work load. You wouldn’t believe how many times I’ve been asked by passengers to have the Pilots call ahead and hold their connecting flight etc. It’s always when we were about to land or on the ground. If they only knew how busy it is for the pilots during that phase. Thankfully since Wi-Fi is available we can reach out to our company ourselves.

Love your videos and your confident voice and your expertise and speaking technically but simple enough to follow along.

I thoroughly enjoy your videos. I love aviation although I seldom get to Fly. Your videos help fill my desire to fly. Thank you for your time and effort putting together your excellent videos!

I was based in Midway flying tours up to downtown and back, when the 22s are in use, we literally had to fly toward planes coming in on the approach. Never had to fly across the final for the 22s though. ATC at Midway are amazing though, they get planes out.

I work in a transportation office that coordinates 165 truck drivers. I recognized that grumpy, ‘Forgotten where I came from’ tone instantly.

Now I understand why flying in and out of LaGuardia as a passenger often feels so rushed. Very insightful video. Thank you.

I love your channel! It's a mix up of controller and pilot simple mistakes that really in the end make all the difference in the world if an accident happens. Your experience is showing thru, thanks for sharing all that you do! The time it takes is more than anyone else that hasn't done it would understand! Thanks for your dedication to showing us what you do! Coming from a professional pilot like yourself it just feels easier to accept. If only we could find a way to exclude silly people playing the part and influencing people incorrectly!!

In another life, I'd be a pilot. I LOVE geeking out on this stuff. I always look forward to your videos on Sundays. Thanks for the great content.

The Cessna is a high wing airplane. Keeping visual separation is only possible if the traffic is in front. Once the traffic goes off to the side its no longer visible if it's at a higher altitude.

Really wonderful entertaining vid. Thanks 74Gear, much appreciated. So nice to listen to you, it is really a delight. Very funny 737 pilot too.

Just thinking about the wake turbulence gives me chills. During one of my cross country flights I felt wake turbulence from a twin prop. I personally would avoid a jet’s wake like the plague. Awesome vid. Thanks for sharing

Great channel, Great videos, Great pilot!

You really help us nervous fliers. The way you break down what goes on with aircraft is really informative.

I really like your way in explaning all the different things on an airport.

One of your best and most interesting videos Kelsey! Thank you.

This stuff is really interesting, even for people with absolutely no pilot experience whatsoever. Thank you.

The failure here is allowing the pipeline to pass below an aircraft on and instrument approach. If Southwest was on a visual, it wouldn’t have been as big a deal, but I keep my pipeline guys adjacent to final until final traffic passes. So I hang this on my fellow controller.

Traffic control is fascinating to me! And I like listening to your commentary. I understand that landing an aircraft is the most difficult part of flying. I like seeing how the controller keeps everything on an even keel.

Love these videos man. Wonderful explanations and even some animations now! Fancyyy

Loved the video. I was wondering...I'm originally from San Diego (although now retired in Dallas). I would like to get your take on the crash of PSA 182 on September 25, 1978. A horrific story and I understand it prompted some big changes in the airline industry. Thanks for doing a great job!

Still not fessing up to losing the landing gear wheel, huh? 😂😂😂

@74 Gear you're my favorite content creator ever and i have watched all of your videos. I want to be a pilot when i grow up. congrats on getting so close to 1 million subscribers. have a great day!

I love your insight and your fairness

"No we're not, Put this on the books. We're going around because of them" I'm throwing my toys out of the pram and I'm going to scream and scream and scream until my face turns blue!

I once had a 727 fly under me and land while I was on a one mile final as cleared by atc. Burbank CA KBUR. As an aside, this was my second solo and I had not been taught how to go around with the flaps down. Lucky landed long and had only light wake turbulence.

I learn new stuff every time I watch one of your videos. Great job Lelsey.

I love these videos. So professional and informative.

Glad the situation worked out with the Southwest plane and the Cessna. I was kind of chuckling about the TCAS system, though, because recently I got a new car that yells at me all the time about lane markers and sometimes about braking distance, and 99% of the time it's just a case of the car not being able to reason. However, in the sky you can't always see everything like you can on the ground. Great lesson for the Cessna pilot, I hope.

Love you to do these videos with another collaboration with Mentour Pilot if you got the chance to meet up again. Be fun seeing the discussions between you two. Great videos, keep up the good work!

I had a similar thing happen back in the mid-00 during flight training. I was at the controls of a 152 accompanied by a flight instructor. We were at pattern altitude (1000 msl) down wind for 25L (seems it's been renamed to 26L!) at KLGB (Long Beach Daugherty Field). A JetBlue A320 was on final for runway 30. Long story short, we flew over them, they got an RA and went around. The tower controller was not happy.

Happens all the time at SMF (Sacramento, CA). There are AG planes crop dusting below the final approach course. We see them, they see us, they fly under and we land. Communication and following the expectations are key.

In Scenario 2 - The Cessna pilot provides a textbook example of how NOT to pilot. sheesh... I'm all for friendly and cooperative negotiating - when conditions permit. There is also a time to comply (safely) and keep quiet. If need be, pilots can also phone the tower later to discuss details. Thanks for covering topics like this, Kelsey.

Im not a pilot. ive always wanted to be one. This channel is so informative and so forthcoming about what its like to be a pilot and its encouraged me to get my pilots lisence in the next couple years. im 19 btw :)

I saw a similar incident near Palm Springs some years back. I was traveling west on Highway 62, where it intersects the 10 near Whitewater. A jet was preparing to land at PS from the NE, traveling southward. Normally, they come up from the direction of the Salton Sea, which is traveling northward from south of the airport. A prop plane was traveling from PS NE and few under the jet, which pulled up suddenly. I was sickened because I thought I was going to witness a mid-air. It was that close. Kudos to the jet's pilots, because the prop plane didn't change course at all.

I look forward to your videos all week Kelsey!

I've seen a new Cessna pilot fly in front of an A320 on final and the 320 pilot banked hard left and let the other pilot have it. It's not repeatable here. lol. Needless to say the Cessna pilot lands had NO idea what is going on, the controller was coaching him to the taxiway. The 320 pilot lands and yells, "GiVe HiM a NUMBER tO CaLL!!!" Yeah...Mr. Cessna's day turned crappy after that. Have a great week everyone!

Nice job I dont have a commercial ticket. I missed the RA. I get so much more from these videos. Because of the explanation that you give. This why your my Favorite 747 pilot. A huge fan of 74 gear🥳👍Happy new year

Fantastic job! Great analysis and breakdown.

I’m not a pilot will never be a pilot but damn if I’m not going to keep watching your vids.

Important note, N721FL is a Cesena. But it's a Cesena Stationair. A plane that is much bigger than some little 172

When we were trapped by sudden summer storms popping up around us, a regional volunteered to let us cut sequence to let us in and did S turns on their long final to maintain separation. Our alternates were below minimums for our fair weather 172, and a kind fellow aviator risked going around to be resequenced just to make sure we could come in safely before the storms hit. This was before ipads and G1000s. We saw conditions deteriorating enroute and knew we needed to get down soon. It was serendipity that our destination happened to be the only SURE navigable airport just below max crosswinds and the only sunny spot around. More pilots should be like that.

Pipeline or Powerline. OK from the easy flying you described to a Hughes 500 dropping workers in the top of transmission line towers a few months ago. Drop one off, pick one up, with the rotor blades a wind gust from Final Destination. Thanks for helping us appreciate what pilots have to do and the mad skills to do it.

ATC should've told that pipeline pilot to hold in place until the 737 landed instead of letting that pilot cross the approach path.

Lol I work at midway and when that recording went up a while back, we were listening to it in our line shack.

Great explanation, Kelsey, thank you!

I really love your channel Kelcey (sp.) I watch lots of aviation youtube vids because I'm a frustrated never to be pilot! ( I don't even like being this tall) lol It's kind of scary how much about flying Iv'e learned about piloting aircraft that will never EVER be used (I PROMISE!!!) I saw a video the othr day on Mentour that discussed a GO AROUND and instantly realized the pilot hadn't hit the TOGA button, right before Petter said " but the pilot didn't hit the Toga button! I was instantly impressed with myself LOL Keep up the great work sir I live to see your work! and hope to fly with you but realize it's not likely due to your non commercial passenger assignments(choices) Keep the Blue side up my friend!!! 👍

Thank you Kelsey for another good one! I am a fearful flyer, but after watching your channel, Im pretty sure I can land a 747 now lol. Have you flown out of LaGuardia lately? Because they have been low over the Hudson in the Bronx lately. I wonder what changed?