So I've heard of some who don't call the FBO via UNICOM frequency prior to parking and then I've heard of others who do call the UNICOM frequency. Anyone heard any feedback from FBOs on this? If I'm parking a bigger aircraft I think it would be important to call, but since I'm typically in a 172 or Seminole, I typically just park and it's always worked out fine. Just want to make sure the line service workers don't let out a big sigh every time I do that...
Do You Call UNICOM in Your Small GA Aircraft?
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ktup-flyer
En-Route
That's normal. Usually only airline charters and private jets call. Mostly just for quick turns
Mr.T
Pre-Flight
If you're at an unfamiliar airport, give 'em a call. They might tell you where to park or the best way to get there. There's no harm in asking the question. Remember that the folks at the airport are there to serve you; it's not your job to worry about whether they're inconvenienced by a radio call (of course, don't take that to mean you have a license to be a jerk or anything...) And if you get attitude in response to your question, consider landing at another airport next time around.
RussR
En-Route
I used to wonder about this too, until I realized that the reason FBOs exist is for airplanes to show up and park there. (I don't mean that in a sarcastic way.) So you pulling up and parking is exactly what they want you to do. Kind of like when you drive your car to get on an airline flight, you don't call the parking garage ahead of time to let them know you're coming - that's the whole reason for their existence, to park you.
Now, if you have a special request of some sort (rental car waiting, massive fuel requirement, quick turn, catering, lav service, etc.), then it is a good idea to call ahead (on the phone) and then give a heads-up once you're inbound. But for most flights, not necessary.
Now, if you have a special request of some sort (rental car waiting, massive fuel requirement, quick turn, catering, lav service, etc.), then it is a good idea to call ahead (on the phone) and then give a heads-up once you're inbound. But for most flights, not necessary.
rk911
Cleared for Takeoff
i called once to snag a courtesy car but otherwise i’m usually met as i approach the ramp. if its my first time at a towered field i usually will ask for progressive taxi instructions to XYZ FBO. the line guys are usually listening and will meet me to direct me to parking.
That’s what that frequency is used for. No harm in calling them whether you’re a jet or a light single. FBO’s usually monitor the other airport frequencies to get a heads up of who may be arriving.
labbadabba
Pattern Altitude
I call them when I'm taxiing in for the fuel truck. Never had an issue. If I don't get them, I just call after I shut down but it usually saves me a few mins and they don't mind selling me gas...
luvflyin
Touchdown! Greaser!
I’ve done it. Told em I’d be there in few minutes, be stayin the night and would be needin some gas. They said ok.
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Let'sgoflying!
Touchdown! Greaser!
Podunk Unicom, N1234 Cessna 150, I'm on downwind and should be there in 30 minutes!
Quick turn! Ice, catering and newspapers! One pax! 5 gallons in the left wing positive ethanol!
Quick turn! Ice, catering and newspapers! One pax! 5 gallons in the left wing positive ethanol!
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Aztec Flyer
So this is what happens when you move up to plastic from wood? You're starting to act almost like a Cirrus owner...I say almost because you didn't demand the red carpet and bottled water.
Nice avatar Dave. btw, did I miss the thread with pics of the new wings?
James331
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That
RyanShort1
Final Approach
My crew has a pretty good working relationship with a couple of FBO's and we'll call ahead on some of our busier days to make sure we can quick turn and get back on our photo mission as soon as possible.
If they don't want me to park in the wrong place, they should have someone marshal me in. Otherwise, I'm parking wherever is convenient to me.
MooneyDriver78
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Tom
One of the YouTube aviation pilots states if no one meets them then park right in front. Personally I prefer not to have my plane towed (Mooney has a limited turn radius and a overzealous tug can break the nose gear).
I’ve also had a competitive FBO intercept me and direct me to their parking area.
Calling Unicom is probably a good idea.
GreatLakesFlying
Pre-takeoff checklist
When visiting another airport, once on the ground, I call to ask if there is a particular area they'd like me to park. Sometimes I get no response. At my home airport (06C), I have called unicom a few times to alert the (sole) FBO to a visiting aircraft parked a bit too close to the taxiway.
Oh, and during my checkride, I called KDKB's unicom to ask if there was a mechanic available -- after a precautionary landing due to an overheating engine.
Oh, and during my checkride, I called KDKB's unicom to ask if there was a mechanic available -- after a precautionary landing due to an overheating engine.
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Clip4
Final Approach
A busy uncontrolled airport with a shared CTAF/Unicom frequency has decreased safety having a guy ratchet jawing with the FBO line staff on the radio.
timwinters
Ejection Handle Pulled
Not only no, but f*** no!
Not on the CTAF frequency anyway. If the FBO has a separate, discrete frequency that's not a common Unicom freq, then sure.
Otherwise, giving the FBO 10 minutes of instructions on the CTAF frequency (that's shared by 30 airports within receiving range) on exactly how you'd like to have your $25k/yr corporate pilot's butt wiped...when you're still 30 miles away is a complete BS transmission being sent by a tool!
Not on the CTAF frequency anyway. If the FBO has a separate, discrete frequency that's not a common Unicom freq, then sure.
Otherwise, giving the FBO 10 minutes of instructions on the CTAF frequency (that's shared by 30 airports within receiving range) on exactly how you'd like to have your $25k/yr corporate pilot's butt wiped...when you're still 30 miles away is a complete BS transmission being sent by a tool!
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Brad Z
Final Approach
I've never called Unicom for services on the radio. Usually if I need something special I'll call ahead by phone and the good FBO will be tracking me on FlightAware and know when I'm about to pull up.
jordane93
Touchdown! Greaser!
I’ll call if it’s an unfamiliar field.
Kritchlow
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Kritchlow
1) The OP did not say CTAF
2) 10 minutes is unrealistic
3) 25k/yr??? Not sure what to say.
4) *Still* 30 miles away?? That’s nothing in a faster airplane which is what the OP alluded to.
Shawn
En-Route
Fearless Tower
Touchdown! Greaser!
I don’t think there is any hard and fast rule. It’s very situation dependent.
For most small town airports, where it is pretty obvious/straightforward where to park, I don’t. Even when flying pax in the jet.
Even at bigger cities, unless we need something specifically for pax, we don’t call ahead and only call if we pull up on the ramp and there is no line guy visible.
Most of the time I call the FBO is when I’m in the Beech 18 and that is primarily just a courtesy to find out where to park since most FBOs don’t have a tow bar to move me.
NJP_MAN
Pattern Altitude
You should re-evaluate pilot salaries in the year 2018
Fearless Tower
Touchdown! Greaser!
Lighten up Francis.
midlifeflyer
Touchdown! Greaser!
At some airports, the tiedown are assigned so, unless there is a Marshall already out there directing me, I figure it's polite to ask if they have a specific area for transients.
Juliet Hotel
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Juliet Hotel
Apples/Oranges. The parking garage has signage and clearly marked parking spots. FBOs, at least the larger ones that have regular biz jet/charter traffic, have people to manage that (the ramp guys) and direct the inbound aircraft where to park. When you don't call ahead, the ramp people won't know to stop what they're doing and get to the ramp so they can direct you to parking on arrival. So when you just traipse up and park yourself anyplace you like, a ramp person ends up having to get a tug and towbar out and move your plane to where they need to you to be parked. If you don't want some stranger trying to move your plane with a tug, call ahead. If you don't care and also don't care that you might be making extra work for a low paid grunt, then by all means, don't call and just park where ever.
Also something else I've never seen a CFI teach. When you arrive on a large FBO ramp at night and the ramp person is waiting to direct you to parking with the flashlight wands, turn your taxi and landing lights off as soon as you see them and KEEP THEM OFF until they park you. They've got more skin in the game than you directing your deadly prop toward themselves. They'd much rather do that with clear vision than have to do it while blind because you won't turn your damn landing light off. Those guys routinely direct and park $10M jets in the dark with no taxi or landing lights on without incident. They are certainly capable of doing the same with your Cessna bugsmasher without incident. And whatever you do, please don't lecture them about how you don't mind following their marshaling signals but you're pilot in command and they need to understand that you're the one responsible yada yada yada because they've only heard that same lecture from about 27 other 172 pilots this week. Funny, the G5 pilots and the 737 pilots never seem to need to give them that lecture, but the 172 guys just can't seem to fathom that a line guy might actually know what he's doing when it comes to keeping aircraft from touching each other and might actually know what pilot in command means.
Pugs
Cleared for Takeoff
Cumberland MD a couple weeks called me up and asked if I wanted fuel when taxing in.
RussR
En-Route
I respectfully disagree.
Most busier FBOs that I fly into monitor the radio and know from your traffic calls (whether on CTAF or Ground) that you are inbound. Then they send somebody to park you. That IS one of the primary functions of line workers, after all. If I don't see anyone out there, I usually find a parking T and park there. Or I pull up right in front of the entrance. If I am unfamiliar with the airport, well probably shame on me for not doing a little research before flying in. If the airport appears busy enough or confusing enough (like Cutter Aviation used to be at COS if anybody's familiar with the old location tucked back away and hard to find), then I will call on the phone a day or two ahead of time for parking info and anything else like fees and such. I will even given them an approximate arrival time if I know it. But calling on the UNICOM frequency? No, not unless (as I said above) I have some unusual request, which likely I have already coordinated with them.
In my experience, most FBOs that are busy enough to care where you park, are also monitoring Flightaware, listening to the radio, etc., so they know when to send someone out to park you. So calling on UNICOM is not necessary.
Juliet Hotel
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Juliet Hotel
CTAF isn't used at towered fields. Monitor ground? We had one radio where I worked. It was tuned to unicom because that was the published freq to call us on and the freq the inbound bizjets would use to get hold of us so monitoring ground wasn't an option. Calling the day before? Good plan to find out about landing fees and such. But does absolutely nothing to give line folks a heads up that you're 10 minutes out.
Where I worked, telling us the day before that you were planning to arrive at 14:30 is all well and good but things don't always work out as planned. And even when they do, a line person working their shift rarely has time to study their watch in order to remind themselves that there may or may not be a piston single showing up in 20 minutes. Nor are the counter staff usually free enough from other duties to keep track that they need to call the line guys and remind them that a piston single which phoned yesterday may or may not be on the ramp in 20 minutes. That's why air crews call ahead on unicom when they're 10 minutes out.
Bottom line, there's a system in place and it works. Inbound aircraft call when 10-20 minutes out to advise they will be on the ramp and advise what services they'll need if any. That's the system and it works. Takes about a minute and costs nothing. What's the downside?
If you feel you know better and want to do it your way, so be it. Nothing stopping you.But the question posed was, in part, is it rude not to call. And the answer from someone who has worked the gig, is most definitely yes. I hated when planes arrived on the ramp unannounced. Like I said, if you still want to do it your way, that's your choice and no one will stop you.
At some chain fast food type restaurants you take your trash and put it in the can when you're leaving. At others you leave it on the table because they have staff for that. If you want to get up and leave your trash on the table when you're leaving McDonalds, you can do that and no one will stop your or complain. You'll just be that guy. If you don't want to call ahead to the FBO, nothing is stopping you and no one will complain. You'll just be that guy. Shrug.
Where I worked, telling us the day before that you were planning to arrive at 14:30 is all well and good but things don't always work out as planned. And even when they do, a line person working their shift rarely has time to study their watch in order to remind themselves that there may or may not be a piston single showing up in 20 minutes. Nor are the counter staff usually free enough from other duties to keep track that they need to call the line guys and remind them that a piston single which phoned yesterday may or may not be on the ramp in 20 minutes. That's why air crews call ahead on unicom when they're 10 minutes out.
Bottom line, there's a system in place and it works. Inbound aircraft call when 10-20 minutes out to advise they will be on the ramp and advise what services they'll need if any. That's the system and it works. Takes about a minute and costs nothing. What's the downside?
If you feel you know better and want to do it your way, so be it. Nothing stopping you.But the question posed was, in part, is it rude not to call. And the answer from someone who has worked the gig, is most definitely yes. I hated when planes arrived on the ramp unannounced. Like I said, if you still want to do it your way, that's your choice and no one will stop you.
At some chain fast food type restaurants you take your trash and put it in the can when you're leaving. At others you leave it on the table because they have staff for that. If you want to get up and leave your trash on the table when you're leaving McDonalds, you can do that and no one will stop your or complain. You'll just be that guy. If you don't want to call ahead to the FBO, nothing is stopping you and no one will complain. You'll just be that guy. Shrug.
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Ghery
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Ghery Pettit
Virtually every time I pull up to the hangar I call one of the FBOs on the field to come gas up the plane. I use Unicom all the time. That's after I land and taxi up to the hangar, not 10 minutes out.
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Clip4
Final Approach
No, he didn’t say CTAF, but at most uncontrolled airports the frequency is shared for CTAF/UNICOM.
That's total nonsense (at least as it relates to your average piston airplane), and that's coming from a guy that worked line service for several years at a somewhat busy FBO. We fully expected airplanes to arrive unannounced, that's just part of the job (and part of what the FBO is there for). Now, if we're talking about a business jet that has several rental cars, will want a quick turn, etc., those guys should and usually do call ahead to ensure we were ready to quickly provide those services. But for someone just coming in to part overnight or for non-quick turn fuel, it's unreasonable to expect them to call ahead. That said, I do occasionally call ahead when I'm going to need something unusual or when I want the rental car brought to the plane when I land.
Juliet Hotel
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Juliet Hotel
The question wasn't if piston guys call 10 minutes out, the question was should they. I never said we didn't expect them to show up unannounced. Piston guys do it all the time so of course its expected. Just because we expected it doesn't mean we liked it.
keen9
Pre-takeoff checklist
I've only got one radio too, and I certainly am not going to turn it off of the frequency that is keeping me safer just to please you. I'm showing up to give you business, so you should learn to appreciate that.
Kritchlow
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Kritchlow
But the OP did not say anything about the airport being uncontrolled.
Juliet Hotel
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Juliet Hotel
Did I say your business wasn't appreciated? In every job I've ever had I have appreciated every customer that ever contributed dollars to my paycheck. Even the rude jerks.