Recently, United Airlines has started a new feature (in the U.S. only), where on some flights you can listen in on the conversations between the pilot and the tower through those nifty headphones they give you. This also allows you to hear the other pilots that are on the same frequency as your flight. Every statement is acknowledged verbatim with the flight number identifying the intended recieptant (i.e. "United 1301"). This actually happened recently on a flight leaving Chicago's O'Hare Airport, while we were waiting in line on the runway. Our flight was "United 1301". Tower: United 1301, you are cleared for take off. [angles, flight level and speed given]. [Pause, waiting for pilot to acknowledge] Tower: United 1301, you there? United 1301: Tower, United 1301. We're here, but we're number 3 [in line]. Tower: Well who's number one? Maybe they should reconsider allowing passengers to listen in on conversations like this. :-)
(From the "Rest" of RHF)