Rubbish radio calls.
In my experience the light GA scene in the UK was always a bit "Tally ho, roger, over & out" Not sure why, maybe watching too much "Dambusters/ 633 squadron" etc. etc....
Join Date: May 2010
Location: UK
Age: 79
Posts: 1,086
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I did my training at Lanseria in South Africa in the 1970s.
Until last year they had 2 runways, 06L24R (10,000ft) and 06R24L(3500ft).
All light aircraft used the South circuit, takeoff from 06L then call "Right downwind for 06R" if doing touch&go practice or "Right downwind for 06L" when landing for a full stop. The tower needed to be paying serious attention on days when the military were using the LH circuit and passenger jets were also arriving calling final for 06L from 5 miles out.
Proper radio procedure was essential, especially paying attention to the tower and NEVER turning onto base leg without permission.
On a recent trip after departure tower cleared me to climb and contact terminal. This is how it went ( note it was a not very busy mid week afternoon)
Me: XX terminal Grumman AA1 ABCD
Terminal: Hi (my first name), Yah going to XX
Me: Yup, five point five please
Terminal: BCD cleared to XX at Five thousand Five hundred
Me: XX terminal Grumman AA1 ABCD
Terminal: Hi (my first name), Yah going to XX
Me: Yup, five point five please
Terminal: BCD cleared to XX at Five thousand Five hundred
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Edinburgh
Age: 41
Posts: 28
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Its all them ruddy microlighters who don't bother to get a radio licence and haven't a clue what they're doing
Good thing I fly at 50kts!
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: England
Posts: 245
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
On a recent trip after departure tower cleared me to climb and contact terminal. This is how it went ( note it was a not very busy mid week afternoon)
Me: XX terminal Grumman AA1 ABCD
Terminal: Hi (my first name), Yah going to XX
Me: Yup, five point five please
Terminal: BCD cleared to XX at Five thousand Five hundred
Me: XX terminal Grumman AA1 ABCD
Terminal: Hi (my first name), Yah going to XX
Me: Yup, five point five please
Terminal: BCD cleared to XX at Five thousand Five hundred
. My pet hate is continuous use by atco's of the word, Hectopascal, it is unnecessary and ridiculous. I refuse to say it, Niner Niner six is all anyone will get from me 
I agree ! Got the job done with minimum words, had a nice human touch and finished with a complete and by the book correct clearance to me.
The best part ? It winds up all the stuffed shirts on pprune who revel in discussing the most arcane of radio trivia in a manner that gives pedantry a bad name
Final vs Finals, people actually care about that enough to have a whole thread devoted to it ? Really ?
The best part ? It winds up all the stuffed shirts on pprune who revel in discussing the most arcane of radio trivia in a manner that gives pedantry a bad name
Final vs Finals, people actually care about that enough to have a whole thread devoted to it ? Really ?
My .0001 pounds sterling on how to use the radio
1) Don't drop the airplane to fly the radio. Fly the airplane first even if that involves a delay to make a radio call or respond to one
2) The purpose of aviation radio calls is to convey information. Better is the enemy of good enough. Getting all worried about saying exactly the right thing ( whatever that is given the range of opinions on what constitutes the "right" thing to say) is self defeating. If you don't know the exact format say what you want or what you are doing in plane errrrrr plain English.
3) The main type of use of radio failures I see is pushing the mike button then trying to think about what to say. This results in a transmission that starts with a long UMMMMMMMM or ERRRRRRRR and then a mad jumble of words. Engage the brain before the PTT !
4) If you get stuck mid way through the transmission get off the mike rather than using up airtime trying to remember what to say
5) All radio calls have the same format.
-Who: You are transmitting to
-Who: You are ( ie your call sign)
-Where: You are
-What: You want or what you are going to do.
1) Don't drop the airplane to fly the radio. Fly the airplane first even if that involves a delay to make a radio call or respond to one
2) The purpose of aviation radio calls is to convey information. Better is the enemy of good enough. Getting all worried about saying exactly the right thing ( whatever that is given the range of opinions on what constitutes the "right" thing to say
) is self defeating. If you don't know the exact format say what you want or what you are doing in plane errrrrr plain English.3) The main type of use of radio failures I see is pushing the mike button then trying to think about what to say. This results in a transmission that starts with a long UMMMMMMMM or ERRRRRRRR and then a mad jumble of words. Engage the brain before the PTT !
4) If you get stuck mid way through the transmission get off the mike rather than using up airtime trying to remember what to say
5) All radio calls have the same format.
-Who: You are transmitting to
-Who: You are ( ie your call sign)
-Where: You are
-What: You want or what you are going to do.
Last edited by Big Pistons Forever; 17th May 2015 at 17:46.
Hectopascals: Nobody likes saying it echo romeo, but while the CAA insist on it I'm afraid pilots, controllers, FISOs and A/G operators have to, however I understand an abbreviation is being considered.
Final: for a military pilot is the point where they commence their final turn before lining up with the runway; this can be at the end of the downwind leg for fast jets.(called a Standard NATO pattern circuit).
Final: for a military pilot is the point where they commence their final turn before lining up with the runway; this can be at the end of the downwind leg for fast jets.(called a Standard NATO pattern circuit).
Thread Starter
I'm using hectobars. I've yet to have the readback corrected.
Just wondering why I'm still being allowed to use Bar for my tyres, dive cylinders, etc. Why pick on pilots?
Just wondering why I'm still being allowed to use Bar for my tyres, dive cylinders, etc. Why pick on pilots?
Originally Posted by Big Pistons Forever
5) All radio calls have the same format.
-Who: You are transmitting to
-Who: You are ( ie your call sign)
-Where: You are
-What: You want or what you are going to do.
-Who: You are transmitting to
-Who: You are ( ie your call sign)
-Where: You are
-What: You want or what you are going to do.
Echo Romeo wrote:
Back in 1976 I was at RAF Honington and was surprised, one dark, wet night, by the noise of a low-flying KC-135 on its way into Mildenhall.
It turned out he'd been passed 'niner eight seven' as the QNH, which he took to mean 29.87 inHg, the US standard. In fact the QNH was 987 mb, so he was about 700 ft lower than he thought he was......
Simple, concise RT is fine. But 'wannabe DJs' are not. "Yo bud, I'm at five point five and inbound ya field...". Is that 5500 ft or 5.5 DME?
My pet hate is continuous use by ATCOs of the word, Hectopascal. It is unnecessary and ridiculous. I refuse to say it, Niner Niner six is all anyone will get from me.
It turned out he'd been passed 'niner eight seven' as the QNH, which he took to mean 29.87 inHg, the US standard. In fact the QNH was 987 mb, so he was about 700 ft lower than he thought he was......
Simple, concise RT is fine. But 'wannabe DJs' are not. "Yo bud, I'm at five point five and inbound ya field...". Is that 5500 ft or 5.5 DME?
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: E Anglia
Posts: 1,102
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Lakenheath are pretty good at transmitting hPa or inches Hg when transmitting to GA or mil: they give both readouts in full always now:
Tx to mil comes over VHF as well but we don't hear replies.
Must've had an incident at Honington in the past that scared them.
Cusco
Tx to mil comes over VHF as well but we don't hear replies.
Must've had an incident at Honington in the past that scared them.
Cusco