Got to use light signals for real this week...

jbrinker

jbrinker

Pre-takeoff checklist
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Jbrinker
Still a student, now doing lots of solo now: short cross countries, pattern work, and manuevers practice. Went out from KSYR Monday and had a great hour of practice away from the class C.

On the way back in, eveything goes well. I think, hey, I'm really gettin the hang of this stuff. Cleared to land following a regional jet. I set up and make a nice approach, perfect touchdown. Coasting along waiting for the "Cherokee xyz turn right at golf stay with me this freq" and ... nothing. OK, well sometimes I can't hear that they are talking to someone else. Or sometimes they forget. I slow approaching Golf... Nothing. I pass Golf (was always told to let them call me before getting off).

I call tower- "Tower cherokee xyz, do you copy?" nothing. Switch to radio #2 and call again. Nothing. Approaching Juliet now, I try again. Nothing. Look to the tower (not easy) nothing I can see, so screw it, I'm getting off. (Failed comms time)

I get clear of the active, do my post landing checklist, and look back to the tower and lo and behold a flashing green light. So I taxi, and then I start hearing the tower talking to other planes. I call up again, and ask if they could hear me? He said he thought I must have had a stuck mic, and cleared me to taxi to the hanger.

Once I got back, I thought it was kinda cool in a way. At least I got to see how they look and work.
 
Nice. We did landings practice once with the light signals so that was fun to work with. I also had to do lost comms with the en route controller on my long solo XC.
 
About 25 years ago I asked tower to give me a gun signal just so I knew what it looked like.
I never did see the damn thing.
 
Kritchlow said:
About 25 years ago I asked tower to give me a gun signal just so I knew what it looked like.
I never did see the damn thing.
Click to expand...

Same here, except it was only last year.
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
how the heck did you figure out what it meant???
Click to expand...

Well, I was pretty sure since I just took the written test this past spring, but I also have the ASA kneeboard, and they are etched right into the metal along with a lot of other really useful info. I double checked, and then proceeded while keeping an eye on the tower. Then I heard them on the radio again so I got further clearance that way.

I told my instructor (who also owns/maintains the plane) when I got back, in case it turns out to be something else. But stuck mic does seem likely in hindsight - since neither radio would work at all.

It was a slow day at KSYR (thankfully). It was actually easier to see the signal than I figured it would be, pretty obvious if you are looking for it.
 
I'm glad my CFIs asked for light gun signals. It's surprising how small that dot really is when you are in the pattern.
 
jbrinker said:
But stuck mic does seem likely in hindsight - since neither radio would work at all.
Click to expand...

What is your radio?...some will have a Tx for transmit or Rx for recieve on the screen which can be useful information to look for when troubleshooting radios. May be hard to remember in the moment, but it is a good thing to know if you have that info dispelled on your radio.
 
Years ago I took off (after having alternator/voltage regular work) and smelled smoke just after takeoff. I keyed the mike and told the tower I was returning to land and shutting off the master. They gave me a green light. They also rolled the ANG CFR crews. I was afraid they might drown be in foam before I could get shutdown.
 
Last summer my battery died. We jump started the plane and I flew it home with full electronics (lites, radios). I was cleared to land, reduced power, dropped flaps, reduced power, dropped more flaps, reduced power to idle then 30* and rolled out on the runway. As I exited the first available turn off (I was taught to clear the runway ASAP) it was awfully quiet as I sat clear of 22 and no word from the tower to taxi to parking. Eventually I noticed that all of my electrons had stopped flowing and my radios were dead. Flaps wouldn't retract; there I sat clear of the runway with engine idling and nowhere to go. Fortunately I was facing the tower.

Pretty soon I saw a flashing green light and thought "sweet!" and started to taxi. My radios came back to life with the increased RPMs and the controller and I exchanged pleasantries about the foibles of dead batteries.
 
I need to brush up on that. I forgot it.....along with those "airborne triangles"... let's see, rh turns if receiver only and left if nordo? Anyone remember those?
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
I need to brush up on that. I forgot it.....along with those "airborne triangles"... let's see, rh turns if receiver only and left if nordo? Anyone remember those?
Click to expand...
Yes, but long gone. We were flying home one day and we heard this:

PCT: Cessna 123 are you having a hard time finding Louisa?
123: Oh sorry, we're just circling our farm here taking some pictures.
PCT: Oh, OK. I thought maybe you were flying a triangular pattern for NORDO
ME: You're dating yourself.

For a literary example, read Frederick Fortsyth's "The Shepherd." My CFII made me read it the night before my checkride. Found an illegal copy online: http://www.cessna150152.com/ubbthreads/attachments/13553-Frederick_Forsyth_-_The_Shepherd.pdf
 
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