"Last Call"

Teller1900

Teller1900

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After taking it on the chin for my use of "any traffic in the area, please advise" I have finally divested myself of that expression. I picked up another one somewhere, though, that garnered some discussion in the cockpit today.

When departing an uncontrolled field, before switching from the CTAF to the approach controller, I tend to say along the lines of "Rockland area traffic, Colgan 4973, out of 1000 feet off runway 31, we'll be departing the area straight out to the northwest, Rockland; last call." I then usually wait a 10-20 count to make sure no one calls, then flip over and check up with approach.

I think I picked it up from a handful of other captains who use it, though the captain I was flying with today never does and often makes fun of me for it. I thought I would see what the venerable peanut gallery here thought of the expression (and how much more everyone could make fun of me :goofy:).

Oh and when we cancel IFR and the controller tells us to "Squawk and maintain VFR, frequency change approved," I usually respond with "Squawkin' talkin' VFR, we'll see ya on the way out," but that's more just to get a laugh...:D
 
when i was doing my instrument training my CFII had me say something like "changing frequencies" when i was leaving CTAF for center. i never kept that habit up though, and dont teach it.
 
Harmless, at worst. Could be useful...
 
nddons said:
"Last Call" is such a sad, sad, term. Oh, wait - you're talking aviation? :cheers:
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That's what sparked my realization of what I was saying. I said it today and the CA pretended like he was waking up (pretty sure he wasn't actually asleep...he was the pilot flying, after all) in a stooper and tried to order a jack and coke over the ops freq before the bar closed. I then called him a smart ass.
 
I heard about it somewhere and started using it occasionally. Sounded like a potentially good idea, but you know what that means - 20 years down the road I'll be getting chastised for it on some damn message board and have to try to get rid of it. :rofl:
 
Until the AIM specifically says that it is not a valid self-announce phrase and should never be used under any circumstance, I don't see too big of a deal in using it except:

The reason we use standard terminology is for the international pilots flying in America. Will they understand the meaning of "Last Call" since its not in any official documentation provided to pilots?
 
SkyHog said:
Until the AIM specifically says that it is not a valid self-announce phrase and should never be used under any circumstance, I don't see too big of a deal in using it except:

The reason we use standard terminology is for the international pilots flying in America. Will they understand the meaning of "Last Call" since its not in any official documentation provided to pilots?
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Very true, though the AIM is advisory, not regulatory.

Some radio interchanges are not and will never be in the AIM, and that's fine.

Heard flying IFR a while back ---
(gravelly voiced old codger): "Clarksburg approach this is Cessna 23 whiskey -- wanna open my flight plan...."
CKB APP: "Last calling -- say again?"
OC: "I said I wanna open my flight plan!"
CKB: "Which is that, sir?"
OC: "IFR"
CKB: "Standby -- what did you say your call sign was?"
OC: "Cessna (####) whiskey"
CKB: "Cessna (####) whiskey, CKB approach -- standby while I look that up..."
few minutes pass
CKB: "Cessna 23 whiskey -- I don't see anything in the system..."
OC: "6%$$# @#%@$ Lockheed Martin! This is the fifth time they've lost a flight plan!!"
​
and so on.

I'm with those trying to stamp out "any traffic please advise." And how about listening to the ASOS/AWOS instead of calling in the blind for a "wind check"?

But it gets better/worse:

Heard this Sunday over SE Ohio: "Any traffic at Mount Pleasant -- can you tell me what pattern altitude is there?"
 
IMHO, the worst way to learn radio procedure is listening to what someone else does. The Feds have provided us with AIM 4-2 and the Pilot/Controller Glossary...why not use them? Why make things up? I wouldn't understand the meaning of "last call" if I heard it on the frequency. :confused:

Bob Gardner
SAY AGAIN, PLEASE
 
bobmrg said:
IMHO, the worst way to learn radio procedure is listening to what someone else does. The Feds have provided us with AIM 4-2 and the Pilot/Controller Glossary...why not use them? Why make things up? I wouldn't understand the meaning of "last call" if I heard it on the frequency. :confused:

Bob Gardner
SAY AGAIN, PLEASE
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Agree. Why not just say "Out"? That's what it's for.

Regards,
Joe
 
I'd If I were on Freq I'd be tempted to break into that great George Thoroughgood song.. Last Call ...For alcohol.....
 
I'm pretty much in the "if it's not in the AIM, then forget it" camp. Up to that phrase your report was about perfect :yes:
 
dmccormack said:
Heard this Sunday over SE Ohio: "Any traffic at Mount Pleasant -- can you tell me what pattern altitude is there?"
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That's not limited to G.A. -- on a UAL flight from DEN (Stapleton) to BUR years ago I was listening on Channel 9 and heard our own crew call Grand Junction Tower, 30,000 feet below, to ask for "the Center frequency for this sector."
 
Pilawt said:
That's not limited to G.A. -- on a UAL flight from DEN (Stapleton) to BUR years ago I was listening on Channel 9 and heard our own crew call Grand Junction Tower, 30,000 feet below, to ask for "the Center frequency for this sector."
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Better than asking on Guard (121.5) the way Jet Blue always seems to be doing around here -- fewer witnesses.
 
While I don't see the point in announcing that you're going to change frequency, and I agree that this phrase isn't really clear, I think it's good because it allows for some good replies. It's sort of like 'taking runway 16 for departure'...I always ask them if they're going to return it. Lame, I know, but fun :)

-Felix
 
Teller1900 said:
I thought I would see what the venerable peanut gallery here thought of the expression (and how much more everyone could make fun of me :goofy:).
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Since we love making fun of you Matt.... :D

I heard "last call" for the first time within the last 6 months although I can't remember where. The first thing that came to mind was the bar reference and we had a little chuckle over that, then I figured out what the pilot was getting at. I don't sweat what other folks say over the radio, but I've gotta ask, why would anyone care whether it is your last call or not? :cheers:
 
I hear a few regionals around here use the phrase.

It must be some sort of code among small turbine operators.

Maybe I should announce inbound "The Romanian is here!" and let everyone guess where "here" is.
 
and since you listen for a short time to see if anyone calls you back, would it be your last call if they did and you responded?

"Last call"
"No, it's not!"
"Yes, it is!"
"Is not!"
"Is too!"
"Isn't"
"Is"


:)
 
Teller1900 said:
When departing an uncontrolled field, before switching from the CTAF to the approach controller, I tend to say along the lines of "Rockland area traffic, Colgan 4973, out of 1000 feet off runway 31, we'll be departing the area straight out to the northwest, Rockland; last call." I then usually wait a 10-20 count to make sure no one calls, then flip over and check up with approach.
Click to expand...

If somebody replied to your "last call" with a question about your position and intentions, would you reply? Or are they "sorry out of luck" because your last call was, truly, your "last call"?

Seems like a needless addition to me. If you want to say you're leaving the frequency, then broadcast that fact, along with your current position, altitude, and direction, just before you switch.
 
I'll pile on to the "it's confusing and useless" bandwagon. I'm not sure I'd get the reference. Even if I did, I'm not sure that it matters to me. If it's an uncontrolled field I would just assume that any "we're in the air and heading this direction" position call would be the last one as I've never heard anybody follow one up with a "we're 15 miles out now and climbing through 7000 ft". Once you're in the air and out of the vicinity, I don't really care as long as you're not heading toward me...if you are, it won't take me long to respond.
 
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Everskyward said:
Since we love making fun of you Matt.... :D

I heard "last call" for the first time within the last 6 months although I can't remember where. The first thing that came to mind was the bar reference and we had a little chuckle over that, then I figured out what the pilot was getting at. I don't sweat what other folks say over the radio, but I've gotta ask, why would anyone care whether it is your last call or not? :cheers:
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"Last call" is another in the long line of "I know IFR and if you don't, so I get to run into you" as with "xxx Traffic, airplane nnn is on the VOR Alpha approach..."

Guess that's no problem for me if I'm just a student doing touch and goes at the airport. Someday I'll ask my instructor what that means. :dunno:
 
mikea said:
"Last call" is another in the long line of "I know IFR and if you don't, so I get to run into you" as with "xxx Traffic, airplane nnn is on the VOR Alpha approach..."

Guess that's no problem for me if I'm just a student doing touch and goes at the airport. Someday I'll ask my instructor what that means. :dunno:
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And that's precisely why an IFR pilot is told "frequency change approved" far enough out (usually) so he/she can start making position reports so other traffic can know where he/she is...
 
TangoWhiskey said:
If somebody replied to your "last call" with a question about your position and intentions, would you reply? Or are they "sorry out of luck" because your last call was, truly, your "last call"?

Seems like a needless addition to me. If you want to say you're leaving the frequency, then broadcast that fact, along with your current position, altitude, and direction, just before you switch.
Click to expand...

What you're forgetting is that this is an "airline last call". How many "Final Boarding Announcements" do you hear in the airport for a single flight? :dunno:
 
TangoWhiskey said:
If somebody replied to your "last call" with a question about your position and intentions, would you reply? Or are they "sorry out of luck" because your last call was, truly, your "last call"?
Click to expand...

No, I guess the theory is that if someone switches onto the freq and only hears the tail end of the transmission (eg: "South east, Rockland. Last call."), they'll know that we're leaving the freq and hopefully get a position report of their own in while we're still around to hear it. Of course we'll stay on the frequency if there's someone in our area. I guess it's just another way to try to elicit a response in an area where people don't use their radios or transponders a lot.

From now on, I'll just end with "Last call people!" :cheerswine::goofy:
 
Teller1900 said:
I guess the theory is that if someone switches onto the freq and only hears the tail end of the transmission (eg: "South east, Rockland. Last call."), they'll know that we're leaving the freq and hopefully get a position report of their own in while we're still around to hear "last call". Of course we'll stay on the frequency if there's someone in our area.
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Ohhhhh.... I think you're giving people (including me) more credit than they deserve. I would never think of giving a position report of my own after hearing it. I have been known to be dense at times though... :cheerswine:
 
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