Announcing on CTAF 15 miles out - why is this a thing?

Pilawt said:
Then there are the skydive pilots who learned radio technique from a tobacco auctioneer ...
Click to expand...
I never understood why so many of them do that. Are skydive pilots somehow "special"?
 
Shbrghtsh field, white cessna 15 miles east, no west, inbound for runway thirty seven, any traffic in the pattern please advise!
 
KRZR is 15nm from our field. Both fields have runways 03/21, and both airports have 122.7 CTAF. I’d love to meet the FAA genius who approved that one.
 
Bill said:
KRZR is 15nm from our field. Both fields have runways 03/21, and both airports have 122.7 CTAF. I’d love to meet the FAA genius who approved that one.
Click to expand...
Airport manager can request a change!
 
Bill said:
KRZR is 15nm from our field. Both fields have runways 03/21, and both airports have 122.7 CTAF. I’d love to meet the FAA genius who approved that one.
Click to expand...
That Cambridge Maryland ctaf is the same as 83 other airports in the area. It’s really quite annoying.

EdFred said:
Airport manager can request a change!
Click to expand...
That’s good to know.
 
Pinecone said:
If you said that to me, I would probably tell you get your head out of your rear and look OUTSIDE.
Click to expand...
and you are probably the guy that is calling in 10 miles but is really 15 and has no clue where he is. if you say your n number, with a half second look at my efis i can tell exactly where you are. its called using all available tools.god forbid somebody uses technology to enhance safety. a couple of flights with a efis aircraft really shows how much traffic you dont see.
 
unsafervguy said:
and you are probably the guy that is calling in 10 miles but is really 15 and has no clue where he is. if you say your n number, with a half second look at my efis i can tell exactly where you are. its called using all available tools.god forbid somebody uses technology to enhance safety. a couple of flights with a efis aircraft really shows how much traffic you dont see.
Click to expand...


I regularly hear tower controllers at 3 nearby class D towers correct a pilots location call out. The tower controllers at my home field usually give the pilot the opportunity to correct themselves by asking “say again your location?” They almost never get the hint, and repeat what they just said, which is often off by 3+ miles and sometimes in a completely different direction than what they first stated.

Knowing this, I assume their location call outs are just as bad when we get out to class E and G airspace…and they usually are.
 
I guess it depends on where you are. In the Bahamas, we routinely announce 20 miles out. Then again it is not uncommon to land on 14 and depart on 32 so that helps deconflict.
 
How 'bout five minutes oput, and forget the 10 miles. The "when" is more important than the "how far". At SEL, fixed gear speeds, 10 miles seems good, about five minutes or so. At biz jet speeds 10 miles is gonna close fast. . .
 
I like the suggestion reporting the time out, although I follow convention and report distance. If I am coming into a VFR field I try to get at least in the ballpark of the traffic speed, but still can’t fly cub speeds. This was a couple days ago in the Meridian/M600. Coming into a towered field. 28 miles out and my computer says 6 minutes to landing. Prob really upset some here if I called 28 miles out;-). Which I actually did, because ATC turned me over to tower. :)
35CD0EF4-55CD-4989-8F34-CAABE45BA1BC.jpeg
 
Rockymountain said:
I like the suggestion reporting the time out, although I follow convention and report distance. If I am coming into a VFR field I try to get at least in the ballpark of the traffic speed, but still can’t fly cub speeds. This was a couple days ago in the Meridian/M600. Coming into a towered field. 28 miles out and my computer says 6 minutes to landing. Prob really upset some here if I called 28 miles out;-). Which I actually did, because ATC turned me over to tower. :)
View attachment 119206
Click to expand...
Nice panel but whomever created that placard should know...
ac·ro·bat·ic
/ˌakrəˈbadik/
adjective
performing, involving, or adept at spectacular gymnastic feats.
 
Yeah, I have always thought that’s funny. But there’s been a placard in every Piper that I have flown saying acrobatics. Maybe they’re referring to the pilot? Certainly if the pilot is doing acrobatics during flight somethings not quite right. ;-)
 
Time from the field is helpful to know when you're going to be a potential conflict, but it won't help people find you with their eyes. If you're over 150 knots or so, please tell us both miles and minutes, not only minutes.
 
iamtheari said:
Time from the field is helpful to know when you're going to be a potential conflict, but it won't help people find you with their eyes. If you're over 150 knots or so, please tell us both miles and minutes, not only minutes.
Click to expand...
But according to the OP only if we are well within 15 miles.
 
EdFred said:
But according to the OP only if we are well within 15 miles.
Click to expand...
As I mentioned in a prior post, the key is to start listening early and decide whether a call at 15 miles out will be helpful or not. Usually, it's not, but you don't know if you're not listening.
 
Descending from cruise in a SR-22 I routinely hit 200mph ground speed. At that rate, I cover 15 miles in just over four minutes. Not as far as you’d think. Although don’t get me wrong, I do slow down to 100kts on the pattern entry.
 
texasclouds said:
Shbrghtsh field, white cessna 15 miles east, no west, inbound for runway thirty seven, any traffic in the pattern please advise!
Click to expand...

Man, I sure have met these guys. Except they don't figure out which side of the airport they are on until turning final.

Once in Alaska a C-46 was making all the radio calls perfectly except he never mentioned he was right traffic. Really unnerving since I was in the positions in the traffic pattern that he was announcing.
 
Zeldman said:
Man, I sure have met these guys. Except they don't figure out which side of the airport they are on until turning final.

Once in Alaska a C-46 was making all the radio calls perfectly except he never mentioned he was right traffic. Really unnerving since I was in the positions in the traffic pattern that he was announcing.
Click to expand...

I was on base the other day and some meathead, who I could see on upwind turning cross, calls base. I’m like seriously man?
 
I make calls when situationally appropriate.

The only rules I follow are to make sure I’m integrating into the established traffic.

Dopes that announce and do without regard to other traffic are given a wide berth regardless of right of way. Just being close to stupid can kill you. I stay as far away as possible.
 
I call mikes when I’m flying something slow, when I’m in the jet, I called miles and if the pattern is busy, I’ll add, a 5 minute call. For student pilots and others, it’s always nice to add minutes.
 
Skymac said:
I call mikes when I’m flying something slow, when I’m in the jet, I called miles and if the pattern is busy, I’ll add, a 5 minute call. For student pilots and others, it’s always nice to add minutes.
Click to expand...

I call mike's when I want pizza. He's a buddy that has a pizza joint just down the road from me.
 
MooneyDriver78 said:
My CFI taught me to never use tail number, he said if they should never be close enough to read your tail number...
Click to expand...

Tail number is a unique identifier, it has nothing to do with someone being able to actually read it. Plus, with ADS-B on your iPad you can see exactly who is who with that info. It doesn't tell you what color they are.
 
Silvaire said:
Tail number is a unique identifier, it has nothing to do with someone being able to actually read it. Plus, with ADS-B on your iPad you can see exactly who is who with that info. It doesn't tell you what color they are.
Click to expand...
Perhaps pilots with ADS-B in their aircraft should use the number, those without user color so people don't bother looking on the screen...
 
Tarheelpilot said:
I make calls when situationally appropriate.

The only rules I follow are to make sure I’m integrating into the established traffic.

Dopes that announce and do without regard to other traffic are given a wide berth regardless of right of way. Just being close to stupid can kill you. I stay as far away as possible.
Click to expand...
Exactly.
 
A call that is often neglected is acknowledging that you have the aircraft in front of you in sight. Can't tell you how many times aircraft take off behind me while I'm towing a glider and fail to say they have tow and glider in sight. Makes me very uncomfortable doing a pattern tow, turning downwind and someone announces they're turning crosswind without saying they see the towplane and glider.
 
iamtheari said:
Time from the field is helpful to know when you're going to be a potential conflict, but it won't help people find you with their eyes. If you're over 150 knots or so, please tell us both miles and minutes, not only minutes.
Click to expand...
Yes this. Location helps me know where you are, If you want to say the time because you’re fast, add it in.
 
Dana said:
Perhaps pilots with ADS-B in their aircraft should use the number, those without user color so people don't bother looking on the screen...
Click to expand...

I was entering the pattern a while back with three Cessnas all announcing their colors. I could see all three of them and each was a little grey dot, couldn't possibly tell what color they were.
 
Silvaire said:
I was entering the pattern a while back with three Cessnas all announcing their colors. I could see all three of them and each was a little grey dot, couldn't possibly tell what color they were.
Click to expand...
"Neon pink 747" would be helpful. "White Cessna with a little blue stripe" almost certainly won't.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top