Nearly deaf pilot...can I call tower via phone?

[redshift]

Hi all,
I'm currently a sport pilot and fly a J3 Cub with no radios. I am interested in pursuing a PPL but am hard-of-hearing, so have trouble with radios. I have never talkedk to ATC, but I have flown with people that did and I had a hard time understanding what was being said. So, I do not have much confidence in my hearing ability for ATC communication and was wondering how much of a problem that would be if I do decide to pursue my PPL and do a bit of XC to airports that do require ATC communications. I know that I can use light signals, however, the few times I did bring that up with some people (at a particular airport), I was told they would not do that.

I guess my question is....how feasible is it for me to fly XC once in a while and give the tower at an airport a phone call with date/ETA of my arrival ? I don't see myself flying into too many controlled airports, it's just that I'd like to visit my parents once in a while and the only airport in their town is controlled.

Thanks!

 

[Skip Miller]

Contact these folks. I'm sure there is a way to do what you want here...

-Skip

http://www.deafpilots.com/

 

[AdamZ]

Red Shift, I suspect is is possible. Have you read the book flight of the gin fizz it describes the trials and tribulations of a deaf pilot flying in controlled airspace. By the way welcome to POA!

 

[poadeleted20]

You cannot do that as a Sport Pilot without a Class D airspace endorsement from a CFI, and you'll have to demonstrate proficiency with a radio to get that. If you really can't hear a radio well enough to get that endorsement, you are stuck. If you want your PPL, you'll have to demonstrate that you can hear well enough on your medical exam and on a radio in flight or else get a license limited to operations where radio is not required.

For more information on this, see section 5-325 of FAA Order 8900.1, linked below.
http://fsims.faa.gov/PICDetail.aspx?docId=B74C0C068A61DE638525734F00766659

 

[tapioca]

Hi all,

I guess my question is....how feasible is it for me to fly XC once in a while and give the tower at an airport a phone call with date/ETA of my arrival ?

I have never tried to make previous arrangement to fly into controlled airspace. I get the feeling it is going to depend on the Class airspace you are wanting to access with the most likely granting of the request occuring in Class D and the least likely -no chance at all- occuring in Class B.

Which airspace are you looking at with the proposed flight?

As far as gaining a PPL it can be done with the restriction that Ron talked about.

Trying to do XC into towered airports however are going to depend on your plans and the willingness of the tower to work with you.

If it were me tryign to get to any towered airport that supports commercial flights, I would to try and schedule the flight when they are not active, and have a workable alternative airport (which you should have anyway) in the event that I receive an unable to enter wave off when arriving.

 

[Tom Gresham]

To the OP. Have you flown with modern noise-canceling headsets?

Using ANR (active noise reduction) headsets and making sure you get a GOOD seal (eyeglasses temples break the seal, as does a baseball cap) can make a huge difference.

 

[Henning]

I am pretty sure that with a working transponder you can phone ahead to ATC (an hour?) before flight and make arrangements to fly into any airspace including B NORDO, but you'll need to be otherwise rated to be there. IIRC there is also now a provision for IFR but it requires a reasonably expensive piece of gear that prints clearances.

 

[poadeleted20]

I am pretty sure that with a working transponder you can phone ahead to ATC (an hour?) before flight and make arrangements to fly into any airspace including B NORDO, but you'll need to be otherwise rated to be there.

Correct, and as a Sport Pilot, he needs a 61.325 endorsement which requires demonstrating radio communication.

IIRC there is also now a provision for IFR but it requires a reasonably expensive piece of gear that prints clearances.

I'm not familiar with that provision. AFAIK, the only provisions for deaf pilots to receive an instrument rating involve a limitation requiring an instrument-rated SIC to work the radios. I suppose that some time in the future when ADS-B and NextGen are fully implemented, it may be possible to do what you suggest, but I don't think it's possible now.

 

[gprellwitz]

To the OP. Have you flown with modern noise-canceling headsets?

Using ANR (active noise reduction) headsets and making sure you get a GOOD seal (eyeglasses temples break the seal, as does a baseball cap) can make a huge difference.

And I hope that you (redshift) are using hearing protection when flying your J3 Cub. It isn't the noisiest airplane out there, but no need to destroy what hearing you still have!

BTW, let me welcome you to PoA!

 

[Henning]

I'm not familiar with that provision. AFAIK, the only provisions for deaf pilots to receive an instrument rating involve a limitation requiring an instrument-rated SIC to work the radios. I suppose that some time in the future when ADS-B and NextGen are fully implemented, it may be possible to do what you suggest, but I don't think it's possible now.

I wasn't quite clear on the implementation of it, it used the same basic texting radio system that airliners use and this was quite a while ago, so I'm guessing it didn't make it if you haven't heard. I always assumed it would, seemed an obvious and elegant solution even if you aren't hearing impaired. Can you imagine, getting a pre printed clearance in the cockpit? Tear it off and read it back!

 

[poadeleted20]

I wasn't quite clear on the implementation of it, it used the same basic texting radio system that airliners use and this was quite a while ago, so I'm guessing it didn't make it if you haven't heard. I always assumed it would, seemed an obvious and elegant solution even if you aren't hearing impaired. Can you imagine, getting a pre printed clearance in the cockpit? Tear it off and read it back!

Perhaps you're thinking of the pre-departure clearance system described in the AIM Section 5-2-2. If you read that section, I think you'll see that it is not suitable for this purpose.

 

[Henning]

Perhaps you're thinking of the pre-departure clearance system described in the AIM Section 5-2-2. If you read that section, I think you'll see that it is not suitable for this purpose.

No, this is a 2 way texting radio box with a FMS sized keyboard in the cockpit.

 

[poadeleted20]

No, this is a 2 way texting radio box with a FMS sized keyboard in the cockpit.

I have heard of tests of such a device, but not any operational implementation. To be an acceptable solution for deaf pilots, it would require introduction of the necessary ground systems at every ATC facility in the country, and that's a long way off.