Stupid on the Radio

flyersfan31

flyersfan31

Touchdown! Greaser!
Joined
Mar 31, 2006
Messages
14,269
Display Name
Display name:
Freiburgfan31
Ever have one of those flights? You just sound like a bozo every time you press the PTT?

Flew down to Gaithersburg, penetrating the dreaded ADIZ to visit friends for lunch. I think I bungled just about every radio call. Lot's of "uh's" and pauses. After giving me the cancellation procedures, Potomac Approach asks my intentions. I say, "Well, I'd like to stay with you for a little longer." (yeah, straight out of the AIM). He says, politely, "What approach would you like into GAI?" Me = headslap! I kinda thought he was asking me to cancel in the bass-ackwards way controllers are forced to do so.

Just wasn't on the A-game today. Ordinarily, I pride myself on my radiowork. Gotta keep it professional to get respect out of the controllers. Today I sounded like Joe-Bob Bumbleweed. Ugh.
 
Yesterday, I went up in a Grob 115C with my other CFI to get a feel for that bird. I had made a couple radio calls in the pattern before I realized I had been saying "Monroe Traffic." I should have been saying "Lone Star Traffic."

I had flown practice at Monroe, GA so much, it was ingrained on my brain with the similar sounds. I'd almost still do it then catch myself. Between my other CFI laughing at me and others listening on the ground... "Who is this weird CFI on the field, again?"

:)
 
I fly on VATSIM a lot, and I often find myself trying to read back my Continental call sign when buzzing around in a single. It's slipped out once or twice.
 
flyersfan31 said:
Just wasn't on the A-game today. Ordinarily, I pride myself on my radiowork. Gotta keep it professional to get respect out of the controllers. Today I sounded like Joe-Bob Bumbleweed. Ugh.
Click to expand...

Joe-Bob.....er....um.....Andrew ;)

We've all had those days, thankfully they are few and far between. I've caught you on liveATC with Philly Approach a few times and you mix right in there with the best of them!
 
The head-slapper is the one where you bungle through, "uhhhhh...podunk traffic....uh...skyhawk.. niner three....uh......five miles....uh....east....west ......"

And you stop your transmission.

You take a deep breath and come back with, in your most seasoned pilotspeak, "Podunk traffic skyhawk niner niner bravo five miles east inbound for left pattern runway two-eight. Skyhawk niner three, can you clarify your position, please?

:D
 
That's practically every day for me! "Rockland traffic, Colgan Beech 1900, 20 to the north west, inbound for the left downwind runway 17....correction, 13...correction, 35...Knox county traffic, Colgan 4975, 20 to the north west for a left downwind runway 31!" Augusta has 17/35, Rockland has 13/31...that causes lots of amusing confusion.

How ever bad you were, though, I'm sure someone else has done it much worse!
 
flyersfan31 said:
Ever have one of those flights? You just sound like a bozo every time you press the PTT?
Click to expand...
Well, I've been know to say "Citabria oops Cessna" when calling in. Once I got the response "Oops Cessna, the winds are....."
 
TMetzinger said:
I fly on VATSIM a lot, and I often find myself trying to read back my Continental call sign when buzzing around in a single. It's slipped out once or twice.
Click to expand...

thats ok...the controllers prob think your real job is flying for Continental...you should get some respect for that...;)
 
Its not easy to get it together if you begin to fumble....but the more professional you sound, the controller feels comfortable with you. It does work.
 
I was flying into my childhood hometown last weekend. They had built a new runway a few years back and for the life of me, I could not think of the runway number during my call. That stumble caused my brain to go dead and I absolutely could not think of the term "base leg" so I had to say turning crosswind leg. Fortunately, there weren't many folks there to hear me. I know I sounded like a complete idiot.

Regards,

JimR
 
Listening to the radio and hearing someone having a bad day always reminds me I'm only one click away of doing the same thing.
 
When I forget the runway number, it is typically at a small field- I just improvise, say "landing north." Hey, it's useful information...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top