I enjoyed readin the OP's story just the way it is.. silly me
I have 18hrs of dual instruction in a number of different aircraft
(including an hour in Crazy Horse with Lee Lauderback ..to this day he doesn't beleive I only had 17 hrs in my log after what we did
.. solo'd at the 7hr mark in a beater Cessna 172 we affectionately called 'snaggletooth' due to the dual exhaust stickin out the bottom of the cowl.
I had an example of controller-pilot interaction initiated by me one fine day near Edwards AFB long ago that prolly does not fit Vraciu's 'correct dialogue'
..yet it still happened.
Four-Zero Romeo was our call sign on that particular day..
Wife, Instructor, and I were motorin at altitude on the way to the Porterville Moonlight Fly-in.
We had taken off from Apple Valley airport and the route was a steep climbout to get over min alt above George AFB then skirt southern edge of Edwards airspace
followed by a hook North to Porterville for a weekend of airplane fun.
Uneventful to cruise alt, then I setup for cruise speed right at the yellow line on airspeed indicator,
it was smooth air and I wanted to see if I could make 4-0-Romeo actually go that fast without hurting anything
The space shuttle was going to be landing at Edwards in about an hour.
As we came to the southern border of Edwards airspace Edwards ATC comes on demanding to know who we are.
I replied 'Edwards tower Four Zero Romeo is a Cessna 172 at (whatever our cruise alt was .. I think we were 2k AGL or about 5500'.. don't remember) ..
..on the way to Porterville Ca for the fly-in.'
Edwards tower informed us not to enter their space ..and then it got strange..
..he said they were scrambling an F-16 to check us out.
'Edwards tower does the F-16 want to engage in a dogfight, just to keep his skillset up?' I asked.
I mean .. I was an Air Warrior after all.
The ATC guy in the tower actually laughed .. on the radio.
A moment went by.
'Four Zero Romeo the F-16 pilot says you are probably too tough for him, he is on your six
and you are cleared to your destination, do not enter Edwards airspace.'
'Roger Edwards tower, hope you have a nice day.'
Yes .. I had my map out, our course was half a mile or so south of Edwards airspace boundary,
..and I never saw the F-16 .. I suck.
Wife didn't think it was funny, my instructor looked like he had swallowed a pumpkin,
and I had a good laugh ..it was a good flight
When we got to Porterville is a whole other story ..my first field buzz job, bombing contest, an all
-Gray Eagle aka Frank
