First radio failure
Thread Starter
Joined: Jun 2013
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From: Sheffield
First radio failure
After weeks of cursing the weather I managed to get a flight in from Netherthorpe to Peterborough Conington this weekend in preparation for my QXC. Played dodge the cloud on the way there with an acceptable landing and all the fun of paying £10 to use the loo and get back in the air 
On the way back I resumed cloud dodging and all was well until my radio conked out over Newark (around half way) so did the rest of the flight squawking 7600 and flying at 1800ft to stay out of Doncaster's way. Got back and did an overhead join with much looking around for other traffic and got down safely.
I'm glad my first equipment failure happened with an instructor in the plane, not sure I would have been as calm on my own though the procedures from the training came straight to mind so at least that has sunk in.
On the way back I resumed cloud dodging and all was well until my radio conked out over Newark (around half way) so did the rest of the flight squawking 7600 and flying at 1800ft to stay out of Doncaster's way. Got back and did an overhead join with much looking around for other traffic and got down safely.
I'm glad my first equipment failure happened with an instructor in the plane, not sure I would have been as calm on my own though the procedures from the training came straight to mind so at least that has sunk in.
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 145
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From: Middle England
Sounds like it all ended happily in the end. If you are on your own and things go wrong, then I can only offer the wise words my instructor offered many moons ago 'Panic Slowly'. Works every time (even when the retractable undercarriage wouldn't)
I had a radio failure earlier this year. I was pretty sure the whole unit was trashed, but continued to broadcast my intentions blind as I was trained. It turned out only my receive was broken and everyone along the way heard my calls, even if I stepped on a few people's calls along the way.
I had a radio failure earlier this year. I was pretty sure the whole unit was trashed, but continued to broadcast my intentions blind as I was trained. It turned out only my receive was broken and everyone along the way heard my calls, even if I stepped on a few people's calls along the way.
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 3,325
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From: UK
Always remember.... the radio is NOT a primary flight control, nor an aerodynamic aid to flight. Any aeroplane flys just as well without one as with one.
My spies tell me that not a lot of instructors today know that.
My spies tell me that not a lot of instructors today know that.
Thread Starter
Joined: Jun 2013
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From: Sheffield
Don't instructors teach Aviate, Navigate, Communicate these days ?
Joined: Mar 2013
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From: Devon
I had a similar event not so long ago.
I was on my 3rd solo flight, all was going well; was circuit bashing until ATC requested i'd depart the circuit for some heavy traffic inbound/outbound and other Heli movements. Anyway, all was fine on my rejoin, clearance to continue, 1 ahead, notify ATC of final but no response. After a quick check i was not transmitting (the little icon was not showing) failed and failed again, about to climb and change transponder when my final attempt worked, clearance confirmed all within good time, landed and returned to my dispersal. All this lasted about 20-30 seconds if that.
Good learning for me since i had only completed around 16 hours total; good confidence boost when things don't go quite exactly as planned. (first time out the circuit on my own too!)
I was on my 3rd solo flight, all was going well; was circuit bashing until ATC requested i'd depart the circuit for some heavy traffic inbound/outbound and other Heli movements. Anyway, all was fine on my rejoin, clearance to continue, 1 ahead, notify ATC of final but no response. After a quick check i was not transmitting (the little icon was not showing) failed and failed again, about to climb and change transponder when my final attempt worked, clearance confirmed all within good time, landed and returned to my dispersal. All this lasted about 20-30 seconds if that.
Good learning for me since i had only completed around 16 hours total; good confidence boost when things don't go quite exactly as planned. (first time out the circuit on my own too!)
Joined: May 2007
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From: Banished (twice) to the pointless forest
Radio Failure
So.... there I was, passing 1,500 feet climbing away from a big International Airport, on the third leg of my QXC when it all went tits up during the handover to the adjacent even bigger International Airport as I was about to transit their airspace.
I acknowledged the new freq and squawk, changed freq and when I pressed the transmit button, it fell apart!
I quickly reached for the other stick and transmitted by using that button, but the absence of sidetone suggested I wasn't going out.
I didn't fancy going back, (unannounced) to the airfield that I had just departed, and as I had been cleared to enter the control zone I continued en route while trying to fly the aircraft, keep a good lookout and plug my headset in to the other side of the aircraft. During this process I heard the zone controller telling me he was getting carrier only but if it was me, then I should continue to transit the zone as cleared.
Once plugged in, I was able to explain I'd had an equipment failure but it was resolved. I flew the last 100 miles by pressing the button on the right hand stick to talk to ATC.
Up until that point, I had thought that either Tx Switch activated both mikes.
Two days later I find out that at least two other club members, one an instructor, were aware that the Tx switch was "iffy" but hadn't snagged it.
Every day's a schoolday.
I acknowledged the new freq and squawk, changed freq and when I pressed the transmit button, it fell apart!
I quickly reached for the other stick and transmitted by using that button, but the absence of sidetone suggested I wasn't going out.
I didn't fancy going back, (unannounced) to the airfield that I had just departed, and as I had been cleared to enter the control zone I continued en route while trying to fly the aircraft, keep a good lookout and plug my headset in to the other side of the aircraft. During this process I heard the zone controller telling me he was getting carrier only but if it was me, then I should continue to transit the zone as cleared.
Once plugged in, I was able to explain I'd had an equipment failure but it was resolved. I flew the last 100 miles by pressing the button on the right hand stick to talk to ATC.
Up until that point, I had thought that either Tx Switch activated both mikes.
Two days later I find out that at least two other club members, one an instructor, were aware that the Tx switch was "iffy" but hadn't snagged it.
Every day's a schoolday.
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 5,982
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From: In the boot of my car!
We had a radio failure flying IFR into Cardiff in a Citation. All fine with Approach until changed to TWR and on the ILS.
Then Nothing no landing clearance so quickly back to approach! Still nothing.
One last time to TWR for a landing clearance! Nothing.
missed approach 7600 and into the hold.
Fiddled with everything
Nothing! Then tries London Info. Bingo loud and clear ! explained our predicament and got a procedural clearance and landing clearance 
as one poster said stay calm and a radio is not a flying problem but a communication problem
Pace
Then Nothing no landing clearance so quickly back to approach! Still nothing.
One last time to TWR for a landing clearance! Nothing.
missed approach 7600 and into the hold.
Fiddled with everything
Nothing! Then tries London Info. Bingo loud and clear ! explained our predicament and got a procedural clearance and landing clearance as one poster said stay calm and a radio is not a flying problem but a communication problem
Pace
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 1,546
Likes: 2
From: Oxford, UK
Nice one, Pace!
my trouble is I can never remember numbers, and in fact did transmit 7700 over Aboyne once....ATC sensibly assumed that a PA18 was NOT being hijacked, and phoned Deeside to sort things out later.
Later on, in Texas, talking to Houston enroute, having departed from a small airfield and filed a flight plan by phone, had a few minutes of radio not working, while IMC. Gave a real significance to all that training ...to FLY THE PLAN! which I did while pushing this and that and traced it down to the headset not being properly plugged in.
Houston hadn't noticed ....
my trouble is I can never remember numbers, and in fact did transmit 7700 over Aboyne once....ATC sensibly assumed that a PA18 was NOT being hijacked, and phoned Deeside to sort things out later.
Later on, in Texas, talking to Houston enroute, having departed from a small airfield and filed a flight plan by phone, had a few minutes of radio not working, while IMC. Gave a real significance to all that training ...to FLY THE PLAN! which I did while pushing this and that and traced it down to the headset not being properly plugged in.
Houston hadn't noticed ....
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 85
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From: Dublin
a handy way I learned to remember the numbers
75 = 7500
75 - Man Alive
76 - In a Fix
77 - On the way to Heaven
I hope this remains useless background info for you all ,
but just to note Wikipedia gives the squawk codes for all the bad guys to see.
75 = 7500
75 - Man Alive
76 - In a Fix
77 - On the way to Heaven
I hope this remains useless background info for you all ,
but just to note Wikipedia gives the squawk codes for all the bad guys to see.
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 242
Likes: 1
From: Oz
I saw this thread early today, and it just helped me remember the transponder codes. I actually put some thought into it before I opened the thread. Opened the thread again at night and I remembered the codes. Nailed it. You guys just helped a noob again!
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 242
Likes: 1
From: Oz
Originally Posted by gemma10
Am I being dim here or what. If the transponder is broken, what is the purpose of entering 7800.
Originally Posted by worrab
Didn't you cover this one for your RT exam?
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 10,804
Likes: 1
Now fostex don't spoil the fun, it will make them go and look at the books.
which is the whole point of the statement. Its very effective actually at teaching the codes and also transponder theory.
Public humiliation is a very effective teaching tool if done in a humorous way.
which is the whole point of the statement. Its very effective actually at teaching the codes and also transponder theory.
Public humiliation is a very effective teaching tool if done in a humorous way.