Lost comm... on the ground

cowman said:
That's what I was thinking except I always have my phone... the question is could I find the number for the tower before they started shooting photons in my direction?
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I have my tower number saved in my phone, but that doesn't help at another location, then I have my handheld.
 
cowman said:
That's what I was thinking except I always have my phone... the question is could I find the number for the tower before they started shooting photons in my direction?
Click to expand...
You don't have the phone number for every tower, for every airport you will be flying to written on your Nav Log?
Wow! Am I old fashioned. Or paranoid. Or both.
 
I had an amusing not lost comm but failure to communicate. I was taxiing out from the FBO at IAD in the Navion. There was a long line of planes ahead of me and a 172 (an aquaintance of mine) departed the FBO just after me and was told to follow the Navion. Once we caught up with the back of the line we were told to monitor tower. A few plane lengths later I realized I had a problem with the plane and needed to return to the FBO, so I just switched back to ground and was cleared to do so. Meanwhile the 172 behind me is still monitoring tower and hasn't heard that I'm going back, but he was told to follow me, but he hadn't heard me being told to do a U turn. Finally he called the tower.

But in the original circumstance, I'd wait for a light gun signal. Even if I got a green light, I'd have entered the runway and exited again at the first available place to do so. The tower would have gotten the hint. Once I departed MRB and just after takeoff I smelled electrical burning (they had just worked on the VR/Alternator. I told the tower I was shutting off the master and returning and then proceeded to fly a regular pattern back to the other end of the runway. I not only got a green light but saw the entire Air National Guard crash and fire brigade blasting down the taxiway to meet me. After touching down and afraid I was going to be drowned in AFFF, I called the tower and told them I was OK. The tower suggested I just stop and let them check me out. They escorted me back to the mechanics shop.
 
I have had this happen to me exactly as described except no one was behind me. I picked up a little book called "Cellular Pilot" several years ago at a safety meeting. It has the land line numbers of all the towers, TRACONs and Centers in the U.S. I happened to have the little book in my flight bag. I was not at my home airport. I looked up the tower number and called. The book is several years old now. I wish I could get an update. It is as handy as a pocket on a shirt as they say. :)
 
Mistake Not... said:
Putting this here, rather than one of the apparently more relevant forums, because it's so low probability as to be dumb. But.

You're at the hold short line at a controlled field. You have not been cleared for takeoff. There is an airplane behind you. You suddenly lose both radios and transponder (say... electrical system failure.)

What do you do?

* Can't back up, can't turn around, can't (shouldn't) go onto active runway.
* At my class C, it's a big no no to exit the plane outside the non movement area (class C).

let's assume you can't call on a cell phone. What now?
Click to expand...

These days I'd use my handheld radio.

When something like that happened to me almost 40 years ago, it was a different story. First plane was a straight tail Cessna 150. After my partners got their licenses
we decided to move up to a 182. So the 150 was surplus and we put it up for sale. It was a fun airplane - but had its shortcomings, like lack of space, lousy brakes and
antique radio. Of course we didn't want to spend any money on it.

So one day it fell on me to demonstrate it to a prospective buyer. The preflight was uneventful, so we started up and did a normal runup on the ramp - also uneventful.
Obtained taxi clearance to the runway, then went to call the tower for takeoff clerance. Now the shortcomings came into play. The radio was an old "coffee grinder"
containing vacuum tubes - and a vibrator power supply. You had to speed up the engine a fair amount for the generator to start producing juice - and bring the supply
voltage up enough for the transmitter to work as intended (I was well acquainted with the problem). So we cranked 'er up to call the tower. At that point one brake
went flat and we pivoted off the taxiway into the grass. We shut down the engine, got out, and pushed the plane back onto the pavement. Had to prop it to do a restart.
Went back to my mechanic's shop (which was fortunately right nearby), had some fluid added, and went back for another try. This one was uneventful - and he bought
the plane!. I am sure the guys in the tower had a good laugh over it - nothing was ever said about it.

Dave
 
Matthew said:
If you left room, turn to face tower and flash landing light to get attention? Would 7600 do any good on the ground? Switch radios?

Hadn't thought about it because I'd grab my handheld.
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I too would have that option as I carry a handheld 99% of the time I fly..:)
 
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