While we're on the subject of radio technique

[JustinPinnix]

Here's one that drives me nuts at uncontrolled fields:

"Podunk traffic, Cessna 1234 on the ILS 5, 2.5 miles SE of BOOHOO"

A perfectly accurate position report that's absolutely useless to anyone flying VFR. VFR-only pilots have no clue what you're talking about. It's also useless for IFR pilots who are flying VFR at an unfamiliar airport or are flying a different approach than you are. How about:

"Podunk traffic, Cessna 1234 7 mile final for 5, 2300 feet"

You can get this data from peeking at the GPS or by looking at the approach plate. It always lists distances from the airport to the FAF.

 

[Richard]

Yeah, that happened to me the other day. I was flying near to an aprt when a pilot chimes in saying he's on such and such approach. I am not familiar with that approach so I ask his position. He says, um, ah, well, we're to the south west. No mileage, no alt, just a basic direction from the aprt. So I told him where I was, where I was going, and what alt I was. His screwed up call tied up the freq and interrupted a perfectly fine conversation I was having with my brother because it took 5 transmissions to determine his location from the aprt.

The other thing is, if you are flying IFR, you best know your position in reference to the friggin aprt. It turned out this guy was about 2 miles, at my six and same alt on the inbound leg of a VOR app. Not a cool feeling by me since we were just lollygagging at 55% pwr and he was in a C-210 climbing up my ass.

When flying IFR, I have always tried to give a call which is meaningful to the VFR traffic. Hard to believe that in this day and age there are still CFIs letting their students get away with making meaningless calls.

 

[ScottM]

You're right. When I give approach call-ins on the cTAF I give a position that the VFR traffic willundestand but I do also add that I am on an approach. I do that because there are some traffic pattern cops that will come on the radio and tell you that you are not following the AIM for a proper traffic pattern entry. This shuts them up ahead of time.

 

[poadeleted20]

This is something about which I rag on my instrument trainees. I usually let them make such a call once, and then ask them to imagine back to their Student Pilot days and whether such a call would have had any meaning to them back then. The result is usually something between a rueful grin and a Homer Simpson "DOH!" along with a permanent change in behavior.

 

[gismo]

How about:

"Podunk traffic, Cessna 1234 7 mile final for 5, 2300 feet"

Your idea is good, but I think you've got too many numbers (and words like "for" that sound like numbers) jumbled together.

How about: Podunk traffic, Cessna 34 on a seven mile final, runway 5, at twenty three hundred, Podunk.

Otherwise it's likely to be confused with "Cessna 347, (one) mile final" etc.

You can get this data from peeking at the GPS or by looking at the approach plate. It always lists distances from the airport to the FAF.

IME it's very helpful to imagine where you will make your position calls and what you will say on an approach while briefing the plate. For those "brave souls" who actually fly without GPS, you can more easily pick points where you are likely to know your position for the announcement.

 

[Dave Krall CFII]

Your idea is good, but I think you've got too many numbers (and words like "for" that sound like numbers) jumbled together.

How about: Podunk traffic, Cessna 34 on a seven mile final, runway 5, at twenty three hundred, Podunk.

Otherwise it's likely to be confused with "Cessna 347, (one) mile final" etc.



IME it's very helpful to imagine where you will make your position calls and what you will say on an approach while briefing the plate. For those "brave souls" who actually fly without GPS, you can more easily pick points where you are likely to know your position for the announcement.

I add just a few words about an instrument approach, combined with a proper VFR position report which more often than not gets very good co-operation with pilots established in the pattern. If I hear or sense apprehension by any others in flight nearby, and in any event, my next routine transmission will be that we are just making a low approach (typically) and that they are NO FACTOR, and it has always worked fine.

 

[flyersfan31]

Ha ha, now that's a can of worms. How about when the same person decides since they're on a straight-in that they can just barge right into the pattern on an extended final (which is likely filled with VFR-only students who don't know where BOOHO is?) Had someone do that at York (THV) yesterday, then ***** and moan 3x on the freq about being cut-off by the guy who had been established on base and turned final before the other guy was close.

How about when they can't even make a decent position announcement because the CTAF is jammed with "Millville, what's the active? Georgetown, please state active runway. Does anyone know what's the active at Blairstown? Uh, which way are they landing at Millville? Any traffic at Millville please advise......" I was getting a headache.