Time 08:00pm local, first call from a cargo B707 in the apron, destination somewhere in Africa....
Pilot: "Larnaca Tower goodnight. Request startup..."
Controller: "...goodnight Sir...startup is approved..."
Part of conversation between pilots of two Cyprus Airways aircraft, one just landed, the other taxiing out.
Pilot 1: "...where to ??"
Pilot 2: "Amsterdam..."
Pilot 1: "...staying for some time there ?"
Pilot 2: "yeap...3 days...!!"
Pilot 1: "....ohhhh....lucky you....by the way, don't you know what happened to me when I stayed there for 3 days ??"
Pilot 2: " no...?"
Pilot 1: "....hmm nothing really ...just divorced my wife on coming back home...."
Greeks like Cypriot food a lot, especially the local kebab with pitta bread. Likewise, Olympic Airways pilots could never stay away from it, especially when night flying inbound to Larnaca for an hour stop. During the last years, it's becoming a custom for OAL flight crews to pass a ...polite request while flying towards Larnaca, for their delicious kebab-dinner to be ordered. Tower usually facilitates the process by relaying this "important" message to the company agent.
After arrival clearance and any other information passed to the OAL pilot, it's unlikely for the Tower not to receive the following (in Greek standard) ... "Larnaca, ehoume mia paraklisi, parakalo ...", that is "Larnaca we have a request, please ". And then comes the "important" message !!
However, things shall never be taken on granted, especially after what happened that evening:
OAL Pilot: "Larnaca kalispera, this is OAL333 descending through 170 to 110, now 65DME to Larnaca"
Controller: "OAL333 kalispera, cleared to Larnaca, continue descend to 4000 on D2A, QNH 1011, no delay expected"
After a couple of minutes....
OAL Pilot: "Larnaca ehoume mia paraklisi parakalo...", in Greek, as explained before ! The controller smiles...thinking, "here it comes again, time for kebab...", and politely replies:
Controller: "Go ahead Olympic how many pittas of kebab tonight ... ??????????..."
OAL Pilot: " .... no no .... we just ask for a wheelchair !?!?!?! ... "
Controller: ------- silence ------- ohhhhhh nooo " sorry...roger... we pass your request...."
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