Aiming for the numbers
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Well... we're drifting the thread, but... When I learned to fly, radios were less common in GA planes. Most of the planes I started flying did not have a radio at all, or if they did, it was close to useless, so one did not plan to need it. NORDO was the norm. We would never assume that another airplane heard us in the circuit, if we were broadcasting. I have flown a number of 1000 plus mile trips, in NORDO planes, with no difficulty, just avoid the occasional controlled airspace. My most recent trip to the arctic a few years back could have been NORDO if it needed to be, though I did use the radio for a little night flying. When flying floats in Canada, there are few places to go into which even have ground bases radio. The most use of a radio in your plane would be to talk to a buddy.
While we're here; RONLY is "receive only". I have never flown a plane which could receive but not transmit, though the odd time, your mic doesn't work, and you're technically RONLY, though I wouldn't file that way, it sounds silly!
While we're here; RONLY is "receive only". I have never flown a plane which could receive but not transmit, though the odd time, your mic doesn't work, and you're technically RONLY, though I wouldn't file that way, it sounds silly!
It has certainly been seen in yours truly, the day he forgot to swing the microphone before his lips 
And decided to take off nonetheless, consciously NORDO, or more exactly RONLY; and occasionally clicking the Tx button to confirm receipt of messages. All that worked very very well.
And decided to take off nonetheless, consciously NORDO, or more exactly RONLY; and occasionally clicking the Tx button to confirm receipt of messages. All that worked very very well.
Last edited by Jan Olieslagers; 12th Jan 2020 at 21:49.
Transmit only.
Night circuits, raining, in a DR1050, with nav lights, beacon, and, on final, landing light, the battery was losing charge. When I reported downwind, I was told " Report final".
The Edo-Air had a switch, biassed to "transmit", which was held on "receive" when the transmit button was not pushed. It remained on "Transmit".
After several "Final, request touch and go" calls were unanswered, I started saying " Final, full stop, transmitting blind". The landing light was useless, and I landed, cleared runway, and taxied to hangar, reporting my position "blind".
When I phoned the Tower, they'd heard all my transmissions, and had given me a "green", which I didn't see, concentrating on landing. In the circumstance of "Report final, number one", ATC approved my decision to land and clear runway.
The Edo-Air had a switch, biassed to "transmit", which was held on "receive" when the transmit button was not pushed. It remained on "Transmit".
After several "Final, request touch and go" calls were unanswered, I started saying " Final, full stop, transmitting blind". The landing light was useless, and I landed, cleared runway, and taxied to hangar, reporting my position "blind".
When I phoned the Tower, they'd heard all my transmissions, and had given me a "green", which I didn't see, concentrating on landing. In the circumstance of "Report final, number one", ATC approved my decision to land and clear runway.
I once had an interesting radio problem in Poland which meant husband and me flying home to France NORDO.
The radio would transmit and receive most of the time on a ground test, maybe even just after takeoff, but at some point in the flight would decide to only receive. Usually it would work again after landing. At that time we didn't have a transponder or working handheld, so when we and a team of Polish engineers failed to diagnose the problem decided to return home at a weekend, which reduced the amount of controlled airspace in our path. In a cub it's a two day trip even if the weather is perfect, so we planned to nightstop at the German border on Friday night, then with reasonable luck get home on Saturday. As no battle plan survives first contact with the enemy, that didn't quite happen. Bautzen were happy to take us for a fuel stop, and file flight plan by phone as far as the French border, stopping at a small airfield that had a campsite. So we wove a path between any zones that required radio contact, duly fell down on the western side of Germany, and set up the tent. Nice sunny day, forecast same again until early evening next day. Saturday morning dawned foggy. Hmmm. Phone Nancy Essey and explain our problem, and that was fine, just phone when leaving, but the front is now expected late afternoon. OK, we can do that as long as the fog clears in time. Which it did, so file by phone and off across thé endless pine forests from the border, crossing into France somewhere or other. Flat terrain, and a flat looking sky. Until the flat sky threw a lot of water onto our not entirely leak proof aircraft. By now we are getting a little concerned, having passed our diversion airfields with another forty minutes or so to run. Ok, lots of nice big fields if necessary, and if the cloudbase got much lower it might become an option. Obviously we were going to be later than we thought, as now the traffic on the minor roads was going faster than we were. Also the front had got a bit of a move on, and met us half way. Still plenty of fuel and daylight, which was good. Listen out on airfield frequency, visual navigation in the still good visibility.
Just as I was starting to seriously consider the possible merits of a field landing next to a pub, Nancy info call us. They would like one click for yes, two for no...
That we can do, as carrier wave was working. We were actually pretty well on track, surprising really considering the wind which bore no relation at all to the forecast. And no wé didn't have a GPS, this was back in the dark ages when they cost very serious money. So three clicks every time we wanted a QDM, and they were turning on all the lights as bright as they would go.
Another good thing, as it was getting pretty dark five hours before sunset. The lightning in the distance was another clue that we should be landing ASAP.
After about ten years a runway appeared in front of us, cleared to land number one. Three bounces later we stopped, still on the runway, a good thing. Not my best ever landing, I admit. At least if I'd chosen a field I wouldn't have had an audience.
ah well. We were given taxi instructions that put us just outside a door to the admin buildings and invited to run, not walk, inside. Still got soaked.
By the time we had got an updated met briefing ( which used to happen face to face in an office, given by a human being) the cub had been pushed into a heated hangar next to a beech staggerwing . Improvement expected by Thursday, and would we like a lift to a hotel? Yes please. Do you have a train timetable for tomorrow, and how much do we owe you? Train timetable found, and you can pay when you collect. Next weekend with decent weather, which was three weeks later, we turned up in a club DR 400 and paid the staggering cost of about six euros for the DR 400 landing, plus whatever the fuel cost was to fill up the cub. Returned NORDO to Chauvigny with the cub, husband flying. I got back rather faster in the DR 400. The radio problem turned out to be some rubbed insulation in a wire in the rear stick that was shorting intermittently to the metal stick. The truly sad part of this rambling tale is that the retrieve was the longest flight that anyone did that year in the club aircraft.
The radio would transmit and receive most of the time on a ground test, maybe even just after takeoff, but at some point in the flight would decide to only receive. Usually it would work again after landing. At that time we didn't have a transponder or working handheld, so when we and a team of Polish engineers failed to diagnose the problem decided to return home at a weekend, which reduced the amount of controlled airspace in our path. In a cub it's a two day trip even if the weather is perfect, so we planned to nightstop at the German border on Friday night, then with reasonable luck get home on Saturday. As no battle plan survives first contact with the enemy, that didn't quite happen. Bautzen were happy to take us for a fuel stop, and file flight plan by phone as far as the French border, stopping at a small airfield that had a campsite. So we wove a path between any zones that required radio contact, duly fell down on the western side of Germany, and set up the tent. Nice sunny day, forecast same again until early evening next day. Saturday morning dawned foggy. Hmmm. Phone Nancy Essey and explain our problem, and that was fine, just phone when leaving, but the front is now expected late afternoon. OK, we can do that as long as the fog clears in time. Which it did, so file by phone and off across thé endless pine forests from the border, crossing into France somewhere or other. Flat terrain, and a flat looking sky. Until the flat sky threw a lot of water onto our not entirely leak proof aircraft. By now we are getting a little concerned, having passed our diversion airfields with another forty minutes or so to run. Ok, lots of nice big fields if necessary, and if the cloudbase got much lower it might become an option. Obviously we were going to be later than we thought, as now the traffic on the minor roads was going faster than we were. Also the front had got a bit of a move on, and met us half way. Still plenty of fuel and daylight, which was good. Listen out on airfield frequency, visual navigation in the still good visibility.
Just as I was starting to seriously consider the possible merits of a field landing next to a pub, Nancy info call us. They would like one click for yes, two for no...
That we can do, as carrier wave was working. We were actually pretty well on track, surprising really considering the wind which bore no relation at all to the forecast. And no wé didn't have a GPS, this was back in the dark ages when they cost very serious money. So three clicks every time we wanted a QDM, and they were turning on all the lights as bright as they would go.
Another good thing, as it was getting pretty dark five hours before sunset. The lightning in the distance was another clue that we should be landing ASAP.
After about ten years a runway appeared in front of us, cleared to land number one. Three bounces later we stopped, still on the runway, a good thing. Not my best ever landing, I admit. At least if I'd chosen a field I wouldn't have had an audience.
ah well. We were given taxi instructions that put us just outside a door to the admin buildings and invited to run, not walk, inside. Still got soaked.
By the time we had got an updated met briefing ( which used to happen face to face in an office, given by a human being) the cub had been pushed into a heated hangar next to a beech staggerwing . Improvement expected by Thursday, and would we like a lift to a hotel? Yes please. Do you have a train timetable for tomorrow, and how much do we owe you? Train timetable found, and you can pay when you collect. Next weekend with decent weather, which was three weeks later, we turned up in a club DR 400 and paid the staggering cost of about six euros for the DR 400 landing, plus whatever the fuel cost was to fill up the cub. Returned NORDO to Chauvigny with the cub, husband flying. I got back rather faster in the DR 400. The radio problem turned out to be some rubbed insulation in a wire in the rear stick that was shorting intermittently to the metal stick. The truly sad part of this rambling tale is that the retrieve was the longest flight that anyone did that year in the club aircraft.
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Never thought about complaining about another pilot.... But then some of the airports I use only have one taxiway, and would require backtracking.... so it requires some attention to the preceding aircraft, and space/time as well.
As an ATCO though, I like circling VFR traffic on the downwind, especially if I need to keep them close to be able to swoop them in behind IFR traffic when holes occur. Circling on short final.... don't like instructing that, mostly because of the speed of the aircraft there (it's not illegal though).
As an ATCO though, I like circling VFR traffic on the downwind, especially if I need to keep them close to be able to swoop them in behind IFR traffic when holes occur. Circling on short final.... don't like instructing that, mostly because of the speed of the aircraft there (it's not illegal though).
I know what the OP is thinking, that you should not land on an occupied runway, but this hardly ever applies in the Gliding scenario.
Gliders run out of lift at times regulated by nature, and it could be that two or three gliders may need to land almost simultaneously. Fortunately most gliding fields are a big wide open space, so the first one lands, then the second lands to the right of him, and if there was a third, he would have to land long, over the top of the first two.
Then comes the problem that Gliders don't taxi, so they could be waiting for 10-15 minutes for the tow-crew to pull them back to the start location. If a fourth glider then needs to land, he then has to find a spot clear of the other three and the tow-crew, and the cables and winch.
.
Gliders run out of lift at times regulated by nature, and it could be that two or three gliders may need to land almost simultaneously. Fortunately most gliding fields are a big wide open space, so the first one lands, then the second lands to the right of him, and if there was a third, he would have to land long, over the top of the first two.
Then comes the problem that Gliders don't taxi, so they could be waiting for 10-15 minutes for the tow-crew to pull them back to the start location. If a fourth glider then needs to land, he then has to find a spot clear of the other three and the tow-crew, and the cables and winch.
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[QUOTE]Then comes the problem that Gliders don't taxi, so they could be waiting for 10-15 minutes for the tow-crew to pull them back to the start location. If a fourth glider then needs to land, he then has to find a spot clear of the other three and the tow-crew, and the cables and winch.
.[/QUOTE]
not to mention the tug.....
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.[/QUOTE]
not to mention the tug.....
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[QUOTE=Piper.Classique;10663911]
I had to land one time among a dozen other gliders... Not where the winch was though, and the tug wasn't out. A Junior is a great glider for short landings 
Then comes the problem that Gliders don't taxi, so they could be waiting for 10-15 minutes for the tow-crew to pull them back to the start location. If a fourth glider then needs to land, he then has to find a spot clear of the other three and the tow-crew, and the cables and winch.
.[/QUOTE]
not to mention the tug.....
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.[/QUOTE]
not to mention the tug.....
.
We all know that gliders and their pilots have an exemption from most laws - those of physics included... [[ ducks for cover ]]
It's not such a big issue at gliding sites with large areas of grass and no marked runways - you cannot be guilty of landing on an occupied runway if there isn't one - in that case one should land keeping the other gliders on the left (in theory). With actual runways it can be a real issue and site rules may require you to land long enough to roll to the end so as to leave room for other gliders behind you. If the winch is parked at the upwind end of the runway it requires some precision to have enough energy reach the end of the runway but not overshoot into the winch. Thus violating one of the three most useless things in aviation rules - runway behind you.
If caught I would state 'correctly' that I had violated because it was an emergency. However, at one time (I don't know if it still applies) there was a requirement to notify the CAA in writing if you broke a rule for such a reason, which I don't - so they could get me anyway.
