Unicom is not a Multicom

[UndauntedFlyer]

What are your thoughts on making a radio call for "taxing from the ramp to runway XX"? Necessary or not?

This particular transmission is very necessary. It has saved many lives that I know of when an airliner was taxiing out for takeoff in a snow storm at a non-towered airport. There was a snow plow on the runway and he was able to clear just in time.

 

[CL60]

What are your thoughts on making a radio call for "taxing from the ramp to runway XX"? Necessary or not?

Necessary:

Ground coordination of surface vehicles/aircraft.

Also comes in handy when there are inbond IFR's and you are unable to get a release until cancellation or verification of the preceding IFR. If the inbound IFR aircraft is monitoring the CTAF/UNI, and they hear your "hint" that you are taxiing out for IFR, they may be able to cancel and coordinate with you. (This sometimes happens on the final controller freqency when you are obtaining your clearance on the ground and the inbound is still talking to him). I can think of a few other examples but...necessary.

I agree with keeping the unnecessary chatter to a minumum.

 

[papanovember]

Don't get me started on this topic

Uncontrolled airport operations have been a source of major headache for me for awhile. I teach at a medium sized flight school at an uncontrolled field. At any given time we will have 10-15 students flying in a 10 mile radius of the airport. On top of that we will have 4-5 transients an hour come into the area.

The first problem I have is my flight school's own fault. We have our own designated "practice areas" and check in points that no one knows about but us. Of course when a transient comes in, anyone near his position will announce that they are in XXX practice area 5000 and below. Of course the transient's next call will be I don't know where the hell your practice areas are. We also have 45's to the upwind which I hate. So when a transient calls in on the 45 one of our students will ask "is that for the up or downwind?" the transient in a puzzled voice will say "uh 45 for the downwind."

A few more things I hear that drive me crazy:

Instrument students and instructors (doing practice approaches) saying they are over GKDBE on the GPS XX approach. How many student pilots are
going to know where that is? I teach my students to make all calls depending on if the weather is VFR or IFR.

Pilots saying a full call and then correcting it because they said the wrong tail number or aircraft type. No one really cares what airplane they are in just where they are.

People calling in asking for what the active is when there are 6 people in the pattern and when we have a fully functioning ASOS. Technically there is no active at a non towered field. I can land on the crosswind runway while doing a practice approach without coming anywhere near the runway or pattern everyone else is using. It is also safer then circling 400ft below TPA and scaring a couple of students. There is a difference between that and an airport advisory from UNICOM. I have no problems with people getting an advisory especially if there is a competent UNICOM operator that will give NOTAMs or runway conditions on UNICOM.

People giving distance reports when they have no idea how far away they are. If you don't know how far you are find a prominent landmark and say you are over it.

90% of ground calls. Like Undaunted Flyer said there are times when taxi calls are important. But at my airport we don't fly unless it is good VFR and you can see all ramps and runways from anypart of the airport. When 10 people are in the pattern and the radio is full you do not need to announce that you are taxing from the ramp to runay XX which is all of a few hundred feet.

I've come to the realization that there will always be bad calls and you just have to live with it otherwise it will just cause headache. I've tried to instill in my students good radio technique and the most important thing the radio IS NOT A SUBSTITUTE to the SEE AND AVOID concept.

 

[DJRobbioRobbio]

Very good topic, nothing more fustrating than converstions on freq. Or that guy who reports 10 miles from the field...9 miles from the field...8 miles from the field..., well you get my drift. At uncontrolled airports please keep transmissons short, direct to the point, and listen.

I'd prefer good 'ole jabber jaw, because you always know where he is, than Redneck Joe down here, making a turn from base to final that CUTS YOU OFF, hasn't said a goddamn word on the comms, and you're on a 1.5 mile final on an instrument approach.

 

[DJRobbioRobbio]

I'd prefer good 'ole jabber jaw, because you always know where he is, than Redneck Joe down here, making a turn from base to final that CUTS YOU OFF, hasn't said a goddang word on the comms, and you're on a 1.5 mile final on an instrument approach.

Of course even I have my limits....The good 'ole Delta Connection pilots apparently use the practice area freq. down here in the Daytona area as a 'meet and greet' session, and 'Connection Loveline'.... I've heard many a dates being planned whilst trying to annouce in a busy area that I'm trying to do a steep spiral.

 

[NW_Pilot]

When will people understand this???? I am pissed!

Be polite tell them to take it to 123.45 if they want to chat

 

[NW_Pilot]

Pilots saying a full call and then correcting it because they said the wrong tail number or aircraft type. No one really cares what airplane they are in just where they are.

Yea, I think it matters Cub Vs Malibu hummmm!!!! Or maybe something a little faster Skyhawk Vs. Citation Or shall both say Cessna N12345 or Piper N12345 wouldn’t you like to know what type of Cessna or Piper it is?

 

[Fearless Tower]

This particular transmission is very necessary. It has saved many lives that I know of when an airliner was taxiing out for takeoff in a snow storm at a non-towered airport. There was a snow plow on the runway and he was able to clear just in time.

It's also been known to kill people...

http://amelia.db.erau.edu/reports/ntsb/aar/AAR97-04.pdf

Contributing factor to the above accident was some numnuts annoucing taxi intentions and try to be 'helpful' without having any situational awareness.

Bottom line is whether on the ground or in the air, a pilot must have situational awareness of what is going on and adjust their transmissions accordingly.

 

[AC560]

I am a lot more upset by people that don't listen to Unicom and then try to kill me then the jabber jaws.

 

[threegreen]

It's also been known to kill people...

http://amelia.db.erau.edu/reports/ntsb/aar/AAR97-04.pdf

Contributing factor to the above accident was some numnuts annoucing taxi intentions and try to be 'helpful' without having any situational awareness.

Bottom line is whether on the ground or in the air, a pilot must have situational awareness of what is going on and adjust their transmissions accordingly.

Who did Beech pay off to remove all the remarks about the door jamming!?