Any traffic in the area please advise!!!!!

[CopilotDoug]

I say it all the time when coming on Frequency at uncontrolled fields, only when coming on Frequency though. Annoying to some? Yes. Unsafe? Not by any means in my opinion.

 

[wt219200]

It depends where you are. If your on 122.8 on the Cape in the summer don't waste your time, you'll get replies from Newport. If you just transitioned from busy Class B airspace at night and your 3 miles from the airport, I don't see how it could hurt. I personally don't do it, but I don't mind when people do. Unless of course it is after every transmission they make, but I have never heard that, like the above describe.

 

[Catbert]

Lemme hijack this one briefly and add Catbert's Radio Annoyance #7:

How 'bout people who call in with "Barnburner 123FU is 3 from FIXIT on the VOR 28."

Thanks, that's real helpful for my student soloing in the pattern. I guess the assumption is that we included all the local instrument approaches on the pre-solo written exam.

 

[paulsalem]

Lemme hijack this one briefly and add Catbert's Radio Annoyance #7:

How 'bout people who call in with "Barnburner 123FU is 3 from FIXIT on the VOR 28."

Thanks, that's real helpful for my student soloing in the pattern. I guess the assumption is that we included all the local instrument approaches on the pre-solo written exam.

I agree, ATC doesn't know half of the GPS intersections out there, how are we supposed to keep track of them?

 

[charter dog]

How 'bout people who call in with "Barnburner 123FU is 3 from FIXIT on the VOR 28."

Yeah, that's a good one Catbert!

When we give position/intention advisories, it would indeed be more constructive if we were to give the information in a way that most other pilots can make use of it. A bit of an art really. I like something like: "Podunk traffic.. smokey-jet (aircraft type) is 10 east, straight-in runway 28 Podunk". The specific situation may require additional verbage, but I'll start with the simplest and shortest. If someone responds with position/intentions which may conflict, then we coordinate with them to resolve it and fit in.

Wx and traffic may require a change of plans. Monitoring the CTAF for a few minutes prior to area arrival is helpful, workload permitting. I find most local traffic to be very willing to adjust their pattern to acommodate higher minimum speed, less maneuverable aircraft. If required, I am always prepared to adjust mine. Eyes open for other traffic! Arrival can become very busy sometimes, so advance planning is key.

Collision/conflict avoidance at non-ATCT airports is a cooperative effort between pilots and most take this seriously. I hope we keep it that way. CFIs can help by emphasizing stuational awareness and cooperation in the pattern to their students. Same thing goes for the training and flight ops departments at airlines and charter companies.

There will always be some less than thoughtful and considerate pilots out there. Maybe they just need a little education. Mine continues.

Best,

 

[2000flyer]

"Any other traffic in the area, please advise..." I use in on every initial call at an uncontolled and have done so for nearly 20 years. Yes, I have two or three radios in the aircraft I fly. Descending to KIMN (US- Middle of Nowhere) I'll have time to listen 30 or 40 miles out on in. However, descending through busy airspace and trying to pickout an airport with 25 airports on the same frequency only wastes my time and more importantly, diverts my attention from more important matters. When I 10-15 miles out, I'll call unicom and ask for traffic advisories. If Joe Lineman is out on the ramp and can't answer or just doesn't want to talk on the radio, it does me no good. Therefore I call "N1234 10 SW XYZ landing 22, ANY OTHER TRAFFIC PLEASE ADVISE." Now I hope to have gotten the attention of the turboprop who is taxiing out and had already called before I got on the freq. It got the attention of the C172 doing its fifteenth touch-and-go of the night and hadn't been making position reports because they were the only one in the patterns.

I agree, it doesn't need to be done after every position report in the pattern, but on the initial call, why not? My TCAS might show traffic, but I'd like to get a report from the guy; 1. To find out where exactly he is in relation to the active runway and, 2. To make them specifically aware of my intentions. It took four seconds to say and could be worth millions if it got one persons attention.

 

[FlyingSkip]

I agree completely! I don't know how many times I've called in from 20-25 out, never heard a word... Not particularly calling for anyone else, but the first call I'll usually ask other traffic to advise. With 2 radios, I'm usually monitoring from 30-40 out. Anyway, make a call of MY intentions at about 10 out, still no word. Then, turning final about 3 out I make a call and the guy in the pattern finally decides to tell me he's there and that he's landing a different runway than the one the winds are favoring! Where were you before this, dude?!

Seriously, the way I fly I end up going into a lot of uncontrolled fields that I'm not familiar with... Sorry if it offends your sensibilities, and I'll put in the caveate that the first call I make I ask, after that I'm telling, but either way... I'm not from here, I don't know your ways, I'm holding airspeed as long as possible so I'm coming in fast, and I want EVERYBODY to know what I'm doing and where I'm going! I honestly don't make the number and style of calls mentioned in the first post, but according to what I'm reading from a few others I'm probably making too many calls for your preference---tough. I can only talk too much when I'm alive.

 

[BE90flyer]

It’s not about making to many radio calls. It’s about proper radio procedures and making an already busy frequency even busier.

 

[sharpeye]

Like I said before I would do it and say it on my initial call on freq. Since you are in disagreement and since you are saying it is improper radio term. (even though it can save lives) please tell me where in the AIM/ FARs that it says this is improper. Making an already busy freq busier?? "Any traffice in the area please advise" That took less then 5secs to say and may take you 5secs to respond. 10 extra seconds to possibly save some lives is not asking too much. If you are at an uncontrolled airport where it is so busy someone can not ask for traffic advisories, you need a tower at that airport. Seriously though, you really do need to think about this, because if you are going to sit here and tell someone not to do something when he is doing for safety concerns, for himself and for you, there's nothing saying he can't do it, nothing saying he is wrong for doing it, he is improving the safety and awareness around that airport for you and himself; if you are going to correct him for this it is YOU who needs to reconsider how you fly and what you do. Try reading a book that just came out "Aircraft Safety: Accident Investigations, Analyses and Applications" It has 44 case studies of accidents, and several of them involve mid air collisions and fatal accidents on the runway at UNCONTROLLED AIRPORTS because the pilots had no situational awareness. And in one of these case studies an aircraft landing at an uncontrolled airport asked for traffic advisories TWICE, and neither time did a king air taking off respond back, and guess what, they collided killing 3. Maybe that is what you will do?? Get so upset for someone asking for a traffic advisory, not respond just to spite them, and then you guys .....? Please, fly safe, and do what is best for safety.

 

[BE90flyer]

If an aircraft is not planning on making radio calls then asking if anyone is in the area isn’t going to make any difference because they will not answer. I'm not saying that you should not make every radio call you can to announce your position. Listen to the radio and you will hear where the other traffic is.

The FAR/AIM doesn’t specifically say not to say it but it does describe how to make proper radio calls. It certainly doesn’t tell you to ask every one else to make additional radio calls for your benefit. Your 5 second radio call asking for everyone else to speak up can and does tie up the radio for longer then you think.

 

[SSDD]

Radios!!!! I don't need no stinking radios!!!!!!!

 

[FlyingSkip]

Answer one question for me, 90---when ATC calls you announcing traffic, what is your response? Different topic, but just to give me an idea of what kind of radio call you'd make in that situation... "Citation 666SX, traffic 10 o'clock and 5 miles"---what do you say?

 

[BE90flyer]

I look for the traffic and respond with either negative contact or traffic in sight. I know what you are trying to do. I never claimed to be perfect and I'm not. That doesnt mean that I cant have an opinion.

 

[Wang Chung]

I use in on every initial call ...Now I hope to have gotten the attention of the turboprop who is taxiing out and had already called before I got on the freq. It got the attention of the C172 doing its fifteenth touch-and-go of the night and hadn't been making position reports because they were the only one in the patterns....1. To find out where exactly he is in relation to the active runway and, 2. To make them specifically aware of my intentions. It took four seconds to say and could be worth millions if it got one persons attention.

Agreed 100% and my habit nowadays in the Lear. If the CTAF is clogged up with people in the pattern, there's no point in asking others to 'advise' (IMHO) but when it's quiet down there...that's what makes me a bit nervous and I think that's when the call is OK. Hopefully they will "advise" if they have been quiet on the radio up to that point, or if they won't make their next radio call for another minute or two.

Slowing out of 250 and/or dropping down from altitude towards an uncontrolled field -things happen FAST and we'd REALLY like to know who's out there NOW so we can plan our approach/pattern, get configured and sequence ourselves in.

 

[falconvalley]

I was at the club the other night...I saw a bunch of beautiful girls there. I wanted to know if every single one of them was single, but realized that if they wanted me to know, they would find a way to let me know if they were single or not. If they didn't want me to know, then they weren't going to tell me and there was nothing I could do about it. Nor could I get it out of them by politely asking them. Best thing I could do was make sure they knew I was there and keep my eyes open.