Radio Pet Peeves

[StarChecker]

I love the corporate guy (I'm sorry...but it's always some Citiation or Beechjet or something) who, upon arriving at the end of the line of 4 other airplanes ahead of him for takeoff, tells the tower he's "ready in sequence". My god, what do you THINK he's gonna say ??? I'm just dying for a controller to come back and tell him to plow over the airplanes ahead of him...and sneak ahead of the airplane on a 1/2 mile final...cleared for takeoff.

I also agree with the lights-on thing...good grief....there's no reason for your Cherokee to be taxiing around in the middle of the day with every possible exterior light on.

I also don't understand how 2-person crews with top of the line avionics packages, autopilots, FMC's, blah blah blah....can miss radio calls when one person's main function is the radios. I know you have to talk to dispatch and ramp control. I fly every night and never hear a Starcheck flight miss a radio call, and we're doing it all; with a fraction of the automation and half the crew.

 

[ATCER]

How many times have you called approach, told them who, what and where you were and said you had whatever current information is on the atis, only for them to call you back and say: "so and so, say aircraft type and altitude and advise you have whatever information"? Drives me nuts.

And while I am talking about ATC....

I also had an approach controller forget I was IFR recently. It was late and the tower was closed at the field I was going into to and after he told me to squwak VFR and frequency changed approved I said I'd go ahead and cancel - he says "Uhh... oh yeah, I forgot about that. Cancellation received."

Does that happen very often?

As for the first thing... the guy is probably searching for his pen, a blank strip, then another pen when that one doesn't write. Hey ... they're Gov't pens ... Seriously... sometimes we're busy giving info to a supervisor or on a land line and get a bit behind on things. It's not intentional...

Second thing - probably just missed it. If it was late the sector was probably combined with others. The controller is then working multilple sectors (on the same scope) along with multiple frequencies. Was just an oversight most likely. Always question things... even if the controller seems to get mad ... we know you're right when you catch something like that.

One other thing. If I tell ATC I am "Cessna 12345," why do they sometimes call me "November 345?" It should either be November 12345, Cessna 12345, or Cessna 345, or just 345.... not N345. N345 is not my tail number! It just doesn't make sense.

Here's the deal - right from the 7110.65 the final word on how we have to do everything.

2-4-20. AIRCRAFT IDENTIFICATION


1. Civil. State the prefix "November" when establishing initial communications with U.S. registered aircraft followed by the ICAO phonetic pronunciation of the numbers/letters of the aircraft registration. The controller may state the aircraft type, the model, the manufacturer's name, followed by the ICAO phonetic pronunciation of the numbers/letters of the aircraft registration if used by the pilot on the initial or subsequent call.

2-4-9. ABBREVIATED TRANSMISSIONS

Transmissions may be abbreviated as follows:

a. Use the identification prefix and the last 3 digits or letters of the aircraft identification after communications have been established. Do not abbreviate similar sounding aircraft identifications or the identification of an air carrier or other civil aircraft having an FAA authorized call sign.

There it is... that is why you here things the way you do. As for A/C type vs. November that depends on the controller but both ways are legal for us.

Some quick things...

Lrjcaptain - what's wrong with MEM ARTCC ??? Just curious (I do not work there).

dmspilot00 - I like the niners... !!! Keep em up !

El Cid Av8or - Good phraseology

 

[Patriot328]

I also don't understand how 2-person crews with top of the line avionics packages, autopilots, FMC's, blah blah blah....can miss radio calls when one person's main function is the radios. I know you have to talk to dispatch and ramp control. I fly every night and never hear a Starcheck flight miss a radio call, and we're doing it all; with a fraction of the automation and half the crew.

Perhaps because you don't have that other half of the crew babbling in your ear? Or a flight attendant calling up with a problem? And also monitoring Airinc or Delta radio. Or your running a checklist that's about 1/2 mile long (well, not in the Dornier, but some aircraft), etc...


And yeah, I've *NEVER* heard a Starcheck f*#@ up on the radio or miss a transmission.....


Patriot

 

[AHPilot]

Not really a pet peeve but heard this one on takeoff outta Austin from an inbound AA plane. Tower controller was gettin real busy and then the AA plane checks on with somethin like this:

AA: Tower American xx, WITH YOU, (for all yall who hate that) for the right side, turning base to mmmhmmhmm.......

yeah thats right, sort of just trailed off not really finishing any of his sentence.

Tower: American xx, didn't copy that

Now for some reason the American pilot was gettin real worked up at the fact that tower couldn't get his transmission.

AA: (very sarcastic tone) Said were turnin base to final, on the final now for the right....(trails off again)...mutters under his breath followed by a long and drawn out jeeeeezzz...

Tower immediately responds: I'm sorry American xx didn't copy that either could you repeat that one more time.

AA: Oh great, here we go another Texan!

Tower: Sir, are you aware that I work for the government and we keep records of these transmissions?

Then tower comes to me with a slight Texas accent, you could hear the grin across his face: Cessna 941 cleared direct San Anton, you have a nice flight, contact departure.

In the heaviest Texas accent I could manage: Y'all take care each other, we'll go to departure, thanks.

Now I'm Texan and I will not tolerate any comments made to me for being a Texan nor will I take people doggin my state. I outta get my cowboy hat, boots, wranglers and six shooter out, find that pilot and teach him a thing-a-two 'bout Texans. BTW, saw Bush on TV today wearin his nice coyboy hate for a ceremony in Washington...it warms the heart.

My pet peeve though, (just noticed it cause I wrote in down)...when I'm flyin single pilot, and I do this a bunch....controller will give me an instruction and my response always includes me and one other person that is obviously ot there, for example: "ok, WE'RE cleared for takeoff and 120 on the heading...."

Can't stand it and I always do it! The airplane doesn't count as a person...wait maybe it does....sigh....I just need to say "Roger, I'm cleared for takeoff..." SINGLE PERSON....guess I need to brush up on my english

 

[Typhoon1244]

I love the corporate guy...who, upon arriving at the end of the line of 4 other airplanes ahead of him for takeoff, tells the tower he's "ready in sequence." My god, what do you THINK he's gonna say?

Actually heard it happen at VRB:

33F: "Citation Three-Three-Fox, ready at two-nine-left."

TWR: "Roger, sir. You're number eight for departure."

33F: [Turns abruptly onto an upwind taxiway.] "Uh, three-three-fox can take it right here at the intersection."

TWR: "Okay, you're still number eight for the runway."

....there's no reason for your Cherokee to be taxiing around in the middle of the day with every possible exterior light on.

It's usually 757's and 767's that are doing it to me. And I'm not talking about aircraft that are taxiing, I mean guys who are facing me, holding short of the opposite side of a runway, not going anywhere! My policy is that the guy gets two warning shots from my taxi lights. If he still hasn't gotten his lights out of my face, I turn on all of my forward-pointing lights and leave them there.

I also don't understand how 2-person crews with top of the line avionics packages, autopilots, FMC's, blah blah blah....can miss radio calls when one person's main function is the radios. I fly every night and never hear a Starcheck flight miss a radio call [emphasis added]...

Then apparently you don't listen too well either!

Trust me. Starcheck, Delta, Flight Express, Candler...even Reach and Speedbird. I think I've heard just about everyone miss a call. This is not a joke: I even heard the Thunderbirds miss one in ATL. (Of course, I've never done it myself...)

 

[Typhoon1244]

Lrjcaptain...what's wrong with MEM ARTCC?

Lrjcaptain may have been a bit harsh, but after six years of flying across the south-central U.S., I've discovered that Memphis Center is, in general, the least flexible and least friendly of the six I deal with (Fort Worth, Albuquerque, Memphis, Atlanta, Washington, and Jacksonville.) Ask Memphis for anything that's not on your filed flight plan, and most of the time, they go into total brain-lock.

Now I'm willing to give most people the benefit of the doubt. It's possible that Memphis controlls airspace with a lot of unique features that make flexibility impractical...I haven't really analyzed it, to tell you the truth. Or maybe it's the brand of coffee they use...

Fort Worth and Albuquerque have the friendliest, most easy-going controllers of the six centers I meantioned above. Must be something about the southwest.

Tell me this: why does it take three calls to get an answer from Jacksonville center at night? During the day, no problem...but I can count on my fingers the number of times Jax has answered my first call at night!

(Oh, and you never answered my question about hearing "Merry Christmas" six thousand times per shift...do you guys hate that?)

 

[Dutch]

Checkin in

OK, elighten me. When given a frequency change to the same facility what is the proper way to inform ATC that you have correctly switched over. Many times I am told to "...maintain runway heading, next controller will call the cross-wind, contact XXX tower on 123.4" Do I really have to say I'm on the upwind for the left runway waiting for the tower to call the cross-wind so I can make right traffic for the right runway (which he already knows)? Seems like extra time for extra info...all he needs to know is that I'm on his freq. I will continue to use the terms "checking in" and "with you" as they are the most efficient way I know how to communicate the required information.

 

[Typhoon1244]

Re: Checkin in

I will continue to use the terms "checking in" and "with you" as they are the most efficient way I know how to communicate the required information.

Really?

Again, what's wrong with: "Fort Worth Center, Airline One-Two-Three-Four, flight level two-four-zero, three hundred knots assigned."

Please explain to me how "checking in at..." or "with you at..." would have made the above transmission more efficient or accurate.

 

[dsee8driver]

Typhoon1244
Lrjcaptain may have been a bit harsh, but after six years of flying across the south-central U.S., I've discovered that Memphis Center is, in general, the least flexible and least friendly of the six I deal with (Fort Worth, Albuquerque, Memphis, Atlanta, Washington, and Jacksonville.) Ask Memphis for anything that's not on your filed flight plan, and most of the time, they go into total brain-lock.

I think Chicago Center sucks the big one!

 

[Dutch]

Re: Re: Checkin in

Really?

Again, what's wrong with: "Fort Worth Center, Airline One-Two-Three-Four, flight level two-four-zero, three hundred knots assigned."

Please explain to me how "checking in at..." or "with you at..." would have made the above transmission more efficient or accurate.

1) I never stated that the term was more accurate. However, in certain situations these terms do not degrade the communication process.

2) It is more efficient in that I limits the length of a communication, which keeps the frequency open.

3) Why don't you include your entire route of flight when you check in. Could it be because you know that they already know this information? But wouldn't it be more accurate to include this info?

4) I do use the "full check-in" you listed above but find it to be a bit much on a congested frequency filled with student pilots and transient aircraft that "uuummm" and "aahhhhh" for half a minute.

My example was for a closed traffic flight at an airport with parallel runways and the tower wants me to switch to the secondary controller. Procedure at this ATC facility is to advise ground of direction of departure to free up the tower frequency of extraneous information. They are specifically asking us to keep our tranmissions brief. Again, all they need to know is that I have succesfully dialed in the new frequency, they have a paper slip that says what I want, why repeat myself?