Radio communications in controlled class d airspace what to expect

[Mutley Eugenius]

Radio Communications in Class D Airspace

What to Expect


Could also be titled, 'Everything you've ever wanted to know about VFR radio communications in Class D. controlled airspace, but were too afraid to ask.'

Or: 'Save $1000 on Flight Training'

Okay, so you want to learn how to talk to a Control Tower. It's actually not as hard as it may seem at first. I speak from recent experience, when I had to master flying in and out of Moorabbin Airport, in Melbourne. As a student pilot, I was always accustomed to the pilot controlled CTAF broadcasts, having done most of my training at Bacchus Marsh. When I went to Moorabbin to do more training there, I had to find out quickly how to operate in Class D, and at first I thought it would be too much to master quickly. But with lots and lots and lots of homework, lots of instruction and a number of hours of training flights, within a week I was doing just fine.

So I suppose another subtitle for this article would be 'Getting from Bacchus Marsh to Moorabbin, intellectually.'

Usually when you're learning Class D radio procedures, your instructor will give you an abbreviated little printout a couple of pages long with a list of examples of typical calls made in Moorabbin, but not a lot of 'WHY'. These documents are good for an instant concept of it, but I have decided to write this article for anyone who wants to know the reasons behind all the different points, because strangely, I couldn't find any step-by-step type of educational material like this already in existence to learn from. So I made a lot of mistakes!

Wanna know what they were? Read on.

So this document is a resume for myself and anyone else who wants to read it, of all the things I learnt from instructors, publications, and experienced in practice while earning my competencies of flying in Class D.

I will say that reading this and mastering the techniques given here will enable you to totally understand the transition from pilot controlled to tower controlled airspace, and could easily save you around $1000 of dual flight time, because you will not need to be trained on it by your instructor either on the ground, or on the fly. And, you won't make all my mistakes! It can also save hours of internet searches and reading random pages from this and that, because as far as I have so far found, it's all here. I sure wish I had read a write-up like this before I trained last month, I would have saved at least a grand.

Actually it's amazing that I am still alive today to write this, considering what I didn't know when I started training there. So read and learn!

CLICK HERE TO READ THE WHOLE PDF...

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/29841971/RADIO%20COMMUNICATIONS%20IN%20CONTROLLED%20CLASS%20D%20AIRSP ACE.pdf

IT COULD BE WORTH IT! :D

[Slatye]

Thanks very much for that. I've only been into Class D once (Bankstown) and I made quite a mess of it. This looks like a wonderful guide to avoiding making a mess of it next time.

[Mutley Eugenius]

You're very welcome. As a matter of fact, I believe CASA has made a VPG for each of the Australian Class D Aerodromes:

This one is for Bankstown, for your next trip:

http://www.casa.gov.au/pilots/download/sydney/sydney.pdf

Click it and it will download the PDF directly.

[fujii]

In "Beyond Class D" you state that Melbourne Centre is the Melbourne Tower frequency. No, it isn't. 135.7 is one of the Melbourne TCU frequencies, Melbourne tower is 120.5. DO NOT GET THESE CONFUSED. The same appears in "Out and About."

Good To Go. Assignation, (noun.) a secret rendezvous (especially between lovers)

Runway crossing. AIP requires the word "runway" to be included. E.g. Cross runway 17 right.

Professionalism. You won't be instructed to "hold at runway." This may be misunderstood as a RWY entry instruction. The correct phrase is "hold short RWY."

[Mutley Eugenius]

Thanks Fujii,

I fixed those details, the link is the same.

And thanks very much for reading!

[fujii]

You still need to sort out Melbourne Centre being a ML tower frequency. 135.7 belongs to the Terminal Control Unit which manages airspace within 30 miles ML. The TCU is located in a separate building from the tower.

[Creampuff]

Delete "controlled" before "CTAF". :ok:

[Mutley Eugenius]

Thanks Fujii, CreamPuff, and Capn Blogg:

I've updated those details. Controlled CTAF should read 'Pilot-controlled' CTAF (meaning no tower). 'Uncontrolled' sounds so... barbaric.

Mutley

[Creampuff]

Hmmm.

I'm not sure "Pilot-controlled" is the best terminology either...

[morno]

They're just called a CTAF. Not 'pilot-controlled', not 'uncontrolled', just CTAF.

Another good document to read is the AIP. Contains a lot of information that every pilot should be familiar with.

morno

[m.r.a.z.23]

Three more things to help you refine it further:

1) The reciprocal of 31L/R is 13L/R, not 14, and;

2) What you described right at the end on pg. 18 is not LAHSO, but merely a requirement to hold short of a runway during taxi. LAHSO is where two runways intersect and there is a requirement for the landing aircraft on one runway to hold short of the crossing runway during the landing roll, basically reducing the LDA for that aircraft. This is due to another aircraft using the full length of said crossing runway for takeoff or landing.

3) On pg. 7, you had the following clearance in parentheses 'ABC, continue on Bravo, hold short runway 17L'. In that example they're clearing you to cross a runway so the clearance will be 'ABC, cross runway 17R, on Bravo hold short runway 17L' (or something to that effect).

Hold that helps :ok:

[Mutley Eugenius]

Tremendous!

Thanks very much for your input, I will make these refinements.

I had fun writing this and good to know that it was only slightly wrong overall. It means I really got a good grasp of the majority of it after all!

Maybe I really will get my license one day!

[Nibbles2310]

I disagree with the bit about liveatc.net, to me the best way of learning what to say and when, go on liveatc.net and look up an aerodrome in class D airspace or buy a handheld scanner and sit near the airport with the appropriate frequencies tuned in.

Personally I'd start with Camden YSCN (for NSW people at least) because it's not terribly busy and the feed is just the single frequency for the tower. Just listen for a bit then grab a map and follow a particular aircraft or two through what they're doing, where they are and what heights they need to be at, etc.

Once you understand that move to somewhere like Bankstown and do the same thing. Bankstown does have multiple frequencies blended into one but pick the right time of day and it'll be beneficial.

It certainly saves sounding like a fool when you go to do it for real and forget what to say or just read off the sheet without actually knowing what their response means.

[Mutley Eugenius]

Great tips guys, quoting you both! Thanks very much.

[Oktas8]

Nice work Mutley - I enjoyed reading that very much. "The natives get restless", indeed!

Interpreting taxi way signs, FWIW:
"Yellow on black is where you're at", and
"Black on yellow is what to follow".

[Mutley Eugenius]

I Love it!

I'm putting it in!