Lost comm

Kaye

Kaye

Line Up and Wait
Joined
Apr 14, 2005
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Virginia
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Display name:
iPlaneless
Had a great trip to Ocracoke last Sunday. Gorgeous day with haze and I was IFR. Usually you get Cherry Point App that routes you around the restricted areas and sends you on over to the island. But this time, Center was handling it as everything was cold. And they forgot me. :nonod:

It was past time for descent, and I'm trying to call Center but getting no response. I heard someone else talking to Center, so I called the Bo and asked if they could hear me. They heard me, relayed a message to center, got a new freq, and was back talking with center again. Cancelled IFR and spiraled down to the runway for a wonderful day at the beach.

I'm assuming I would have handled this like a lost comm if I hadn't reached Center. Just caught me off guard since is was VMC.....wasn't thinking about instrument stuff.
 
Girls have boobs?
 
Kaye said:
Had a great trip to Ocracoke last Sunday. Gorgeous day with haze and I was IFR. Usually you get Cherry Point App that routes you around the restricted areas and sends you on over to the island. But this time, Center was handling it as everything was cold. And they forgot me. :nonod:

It was past time for descent, and I'm trying to call Center but getting no response. I heard someone else talking to Center, so I called the Bo and asked if they could hear me. They heard me, relayed a message to center, got a new freq, and was back talking with center again. Cancelled IFR and spiraled down to the runway for a wonderful day at the beach.

I'm assuming I would have handled this like a lost comm if I hadn't reached Center. Just caught me off guard since is was VMC.....wasn't thinking about instrument stuff.
Click to expand...

Something like this happens to me fairly often (maybe once in every 5-10 flights). If I can't reach ATC on my last assigned frequency, I use the GPS database to find the nearest facility's frequency and call them up. That usually resolves the problem either with an accepted check-in or a new frequency to call. No joy there and it's off to 121.5 and/or a relay through another airplane like you did. Typically if you can hear a plane, they can hear you. You can also squawk 7600 to get attention but you still need a frequency to call ATC.

And in good VMC I'd be tempted to land and sort it out on the ground if I was close to my destination (and could get there in VMC), but I'd still be trying to make contact in the air unless it was time to land.
 
gismo said:
Something like this happens to me fairly often (maybe once in every 5-10 flights). If I can't reach ATC on my last assigned frequency, I use the GPS database to find the nearest facility's frequency and call them up. That usually resolves the problem either with an accepted check-in or a new frequency to call. No joy there and it's off to 121.5 and/or a relay through another airplane like you did. Typically if you can hear a plane, they can hear you. You can also squawk 7600 to get attention but you still need a frequency to call ATC.

And in good VMC I'd be tempted to land and sort it out on the ground if I was close to my destination (and could get there in VMC), but I'd still be trying to make contact in the air unless it was time to land.
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I'll have to look at my GPS, but I know Cherry Point is the freq listed for W95 and it was closed. Do I have more listings? :redface:

Yes, I had good VMC, but I also knew I had no cell phone service on the island, and there's no pay phone at the airport. So I really wanted to sort it out in the air.....and I did, tho I didn't think about 121.5. Just another first for me. :D
 
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Never fun when they forget about you. That happens to me every now and then as well. I tend to get in the habit of checking in every now and then if I think they've forgotten about me. Sometimes it's resutled in getting a new frequency that they may or may not have remembered to hand me off to, especially if it's an unusual situation.

Wait, girls have boobs?
 
121.5 is always an option if you can't raise anyone on your last assigned freq and don't have another one to try. That said, I got asked twice by ATC during my trip to Tampa and back to relay to another plane which had missed a freq change and was out of the sector's antenna range but still where I had line-of-sight from cruise altitude. Worked both times, without needing Guard.
 
I'm thinking Spike and Ted need to get some :D

I really like boobs (or boobies). They feel like sandbags!
 
Another little trick I learned is if you think you are forgotten, tap the "ident"
button. Amazing how it perks the controller up. Your mileage may vary!!
 
CT Arrow said:
Another little trick I learned is if you think you are forgotten, tap the "ident"
button. Amazing how it perks the controller up. Your mileage may vary!!
Click to expand...

I would think that is inadvisable without being told to do so....seems a bit overkill
 
CT Arrow said:
Another little trick I learned is if you think you are forgotten, tap the "ident"
button. Amazing how it perks the controller up. Your mileage may vary!!
Click to expand...


AIM:


4−1−20. Transponder Operation

d. Transponder IDENT Feature

1. The transponder shall be operated only as specified by ATC. Activate the “IDENT” feature only upon request of the ATC controller.
 
CT Arrow said:
Another little trick I learned is if you think you are forgotten, tap the "ident" button. Amazing how it perks the controller up.
Click to expand...
Only if you're still on that controller's scope.
Your mileage may vary!!
Click to expand...
Especially since, as Steven points out, the AIM says not to hit the IDENT button unless told to by the controller. The reaction you get from that "perked up" controller might not be one you like.
 
CT Arrow said:
Another little trick I learned is if you think you are forgotten, tap the "ident"
button. Amazing how it perks the controller up. Your mileage may vary!!
Click to expand...

You can get their attention just as quick by squawking 7500 (hijack) but I woudn't do either in this situation.
 
Kaye said:
Maybe that's why Spike and Ted didn't know girls had 'em. :rofl:
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Well, I can't speak for Spike, but he only female in my life (Dutchess, my dog) doesn't have much in the way of boobies.

SkyHog said:
I'm thinking Spike and Ted need to get some :D
Click to expand...

Once again, I can't speak for Spike, but that idea seems advisable.
 
Ron Levy said:
Only if you're still on that controller's scope.
Especially since, as Steven points out, the AIM says not to hit the IDENT button unless told to by the controller. The reaction you get from that "perked up" controller might not be one you like.
Click to expand...

7500? Get real!
Like I said, your mileage may vary. It works!
 
To think I checked in here to verify 7600 for lost comm transponder code, get caught up in a discussion about boobs and find out that I am named after one of Teds dogs.....sheesh.
The WX around these parts better improve soon or alot of posts are gonna get deleted by management!
 
DutchessFlier said:
To think I checked in here to verify 7600 for lost comm transponder code, get caught up in a discussion about boobs and find out that I am named after one of Teds dogs.....sheesh.
Click to expand...

Wait, what now? :)
 
DutchessFlier said:
To think I checked in here to verify 7600 for lost comm transponder code, get caught up in a discussion about boobs and find out that I am named after one of Teds dogs.....sheesh.
The WX around these parts better improve soon or alot of posts are gonna get deleted by management!
Click to expand...
Just a typical PoA kind of day :D:D
 
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