As with any endeavor that involves learning a new skill, flying requires a teacher and a student to work in concert with each other. Ideally, for the benefit of both parties.
This learning process isn’t limited to a CFI and a student or an examiner and an applicant. Virtually everyone who flies has an impact of some sort on others they come in contact with. That’s as true on the ground as it is in the air. We’re all teachers. We’re all learners. The process never ends, thank goodness.
Now, since we’re both here, you and me, let’s take a moment to consider a few of the things we know. Or more particularly, things we think we know that aren’t actually true, or valid, or helpful in any way.
I suspect these common errors and misconceptions result from inexperienced pilots or less than confident pilots hearing something on the frequency and assuming, “Oh, that pilot sounds like they know what they’re doing. I’ll adopt that same terminology. Then I’ll sound professional, too.”
That would be all well and good if the terminology they’re adopting was actually useful, or appropriate, or recommended. Sadly, that’s not always the case.
“Acme Traffic, white Cessna on downwind,” is a call I hear more often than I’d like to believe possible. But it’s out there in the wider pilot vernacular. Unfortunately, it’s a nearly useless call. It conveys almost no useable information while taking up precious communication bandwidth. Which white Cessna? Downwind for which runway, at which airport?
The FAA has been explicit on this point. Pilots should be using their full aircraft identification, not the color of their aircraft. The italic emphasis on “full” is the FAA’s, not mine. Which suggests it’s not an entirely casual remark. They really mean it.
Of course, it is entirely possible the errant pilot is referring to their aircraft by color because a CFI or a more experienced pilot they know told them that’s the way to do it. That’s all well and good. But in a battle of superiority between that certificated pilot and the full weight of the FAA, which recommendation do you think carries more clout?
See how easy it is to ferret out the good info from the bad when you get specific about it?
Often, I hear pilots arguing the point that the source of much of what we know about procedures and best practices in flight, which comes from the Aeronautical Information Manual, is advisory, not regulatory. And that’s entirely true. The AIM is a suggestion from the feds, not a book of rules you are required to follow.
To put the relationship between ourselves and the FAA in proper context, it might help to think of the FAA as your parent and yourself as a young teen. When mom leaves the house and tells you she’d like to see the kitchen cleaned up when she returns, or when dad says it’s time for you to mow the lawn, there is an assumption on their part of what will happen in the very near future. Their expectation is, of course, that they’ll return to a house with a clean kitchen and a freshly cut lawn.
Obviously, you don’t have to do either one of those things. You can simply lay on the couch, watch television, and drop potato chip crumbs all over the carpet. There is no law prohibiting you from doing that. However, there very well may be a price to pay for flaunting your unfettered independence in the face of the folks who are charged with your oversight and protection.
All I’m saying is, it’s easier and safer to do the right thing than it is to try to argue your way out of doing the wrong thing. Especially when you’re arguing your questionable position to the very party you ignored in the first place.
The odds of things working out in your favor are slight, at best.
Consider the phrase, “Listen before you transmit.”
Again, the emphasis, in bold print this time, comes from the FAA, not your intrepid commentator. Agency officials are telling us, in the kindest way possible, don’t twist in a frequency then immediately push the button and start talking. It’s entirely possible there are other pilots in the air or on the ground, using the same frequency, who are in the midst of an important information exchange.
Listen. Don’t bust in with the truly self-important, “Any traffic in the area please advise.” Aircraft in the area that are tuned to a different frequency, or no frequency, probably won’t respond. Aircraft being piloted by individuals who are adhering to the very reasonable, “Aviate, navigate, communicate” model of behavior may well have more pressing issues to deal with than pushing the button to chat with you about your curiosities.
Simply listening will provide most, if not all, the information we seek. If only we would take a moment after tuning in before broadcasting our ignorance for all to hear.
And my personal pet peeve, mistaking a non-towered airport in Class G (uncontrolled) airspace for an uncontrolled airport. 14 CFR 91.126 makes it abundantly clear in all its regulatory glory that non-towered airport traffic patterns are ruled by regulation, not recommendation. Turns must (not should, but must) be to the left, unless a right-hand pattern has been established for that particular runway. If that’s the case, turns must be made to the right.
The safety of flight comes directly down to our behavior as pilots — just as the soreness of our butts was directly related to how well we responded to our parent’s recommendations that we do household chores in a timely manner.
It’s not all that hard to stay on the sunny side of the ruling authority and to show kindness to your fellow pilots. If we would all make a reasonable effort to comply with the regulations and recommendations we’ve been given, we’ll all be safer and have more fun. And that is a pretty darned good goal to shoot for — anywhere, anytime.
Are you sure we are not at a bridge game, you all sound like a bunch of old bitties.
So let’s say I’m in a white Cessna on downwind and I key the mic and say “Acme traffic, Cessna 714RV on LEFT downwind for runway 36, Acme traffic. Since I have 3 inch numbers on my Cessna, just how is that more informative in picking me out from that other Cessna in the pattern? They can see a white Cessna, but they can’t see my number. Someone mentioned ADS-B. It everyone has ADS-B
BTW, the any traffic in the area call is specifically prohibited in the AIM. Not because of your curiosities, but because if anyone did answer it would add more chatter on an already congested frequency and all you would hear is that annoying squeal.
How about including your “call sign” just because….it’s recommended:
“Self-announce transmissions may include aircraft type to aid in identification and
detection. Paint schemes and color or style descriptions may be added to the use of the
aircraft call sign and type, but should not replace type or call sign. For example,
“MIDWEST TRAFFIC, TWIN COMMANDER FIVE ONE ROMEO FOXTROT
TEN MILES NORTHEAST” or “MIDWEST TRAFFIC, FIVE ONE ROMEO
FOXTROT TWIN COMMANDER TEN MILES NORTHEAST.” In some cases, where
the type of aircraft may not be familiar to pilots, the color and description may be added
to the type and call sign. For instance, “MIDWEST TRAFFIC, EXPERIMENTAL
SKYBOLT NOVEMBER THREE TWO DELTA SIERRA, ORANGE AND WHITE
BIPLANE TEN MILES NORTHEAST.” When referring to a specific runway, pilots
should use the runway number and not use the phrase “Active Runway,” because there is
no official active runway at a non-towered airport……”
Source: FAA AC 90-66B Non-Towered Airport Flight Operations.
Maybe if we ALL just followed the recommendations, our unbelievably garbaged-up CTAFs wouldn’t make us sound like we’re a bunch of undisciplined clowns.
91.126 begins with “approaching the airport”, so departing traffic can turn right or go straight out—but cutting out to the right at low level, perhaps over buildings, raises other issues of careless and reckless operation, 91.13.
I’m amazed at the pilots, though, who think that uncontrolled means no rules. So your article is timely, but those pilots aren’t likely to read it.
Plus, without the callsign, there is no positive way to match the aircraft with your ADS-B display.
Thank you!! Long overdue emphasis! You know, people had to die before bits of information were considered important enough to be published in the AIM.
At the airport yesterday, not flying. Airplane departed, before he was to the end of the runway he made a right turn, flew over the hangars and departed the pattern. For this to happen he would have started his right turn while still over the runway. All left pattern.
There is a long runway with no taxi way. I have seen many airplanes depart with a tailwind. Not wanting to taxi a mile on the runway. This is common with the higher performance airplanes.
That is a problem at a lot of the airports that I fly into. I’ve watched an intersection takeoff, about mid-field, then at about 200 ft make a crosswind departure turn
However, be cautious of an aircraft departing on an IFR clearance, usually biz-jets.
They can make a departure turn once at 400 agl,, which is usually before the departure end. So, they can cross the downwind traffic, and possibly pose an collision hazard with downwind or 45 entry traffic. [ I’ve had one fly over me as I was mid-field downwind ].
The AIM is now considered quasi-regulatory, after a recent administrative law judge decision. The SAC FSDO manager related this during a webinar on non-tower traffic operations.
[ I don’t have a link ].
Also, in AC-90-66B, there are alternate pattern entries, crossing mid-field, and note an article by Avweb;
https://www.avweb.com/flight-safety/faa-regs/aim-is-non-regulatory/
When contacting an FAA ATC facility, one obviously has to use the full N-number.
But, using the full number at non-tower operations causes other pilots to not remember the full number.
I believe that it’s safer to use ‘Cessna 34A’, vs ‘Cessna 1234A’, the make and last three characters of the N-number. Pilots are more likely to remember the shorter ID and location of the aircraft.
Remember that there is no requirement to use the radio at non-tower airports, so using the standard pattern procedures and scanning for traffic is critical to safe [ safer] operations.
I would like to see the FAA mandate the use of an aircraft radio at all public non-tower airports.
A handheld radio and an external antenna would allow pilots to better identify traffic .
a handheld radio is lower cost than most service parts on aircraft.!
I forgot to mention that the decision was based on if there is no FAR on the topic, then the AIM can be considered regulatory.
So, be careful and ‘ Fly Right’.
So we make laws without following the laws to make a law. FAA is good at this. Making up laws where there are none! SMH
I now agree with You, Gbigs.
Well written, Jamie. Unfortunately, some GA pilots have a cowboy mentality probably related to their wealth and therefore their ability to own an expensive airplane and they behave accordingly. Those same persons probably exhibit the same ‘riding the range’ mentality in their cars and trucks and supermarket shopping carts. Day after day we read about the accidents offered in this reporting service, many of which are attributed to pilot error and the egos and presumptions of cowboy pilots. There’s one today about a sales demo gone bad — a case of getthereitis to make a sale. Unfortunately, there’s no way to solve this problem. Nature takes care of it through bad flight outcomes. Alas.
The pilots with the worst attitudes are usually high time types who think they have seen it all and cling to things they learned either in the military or from others like them. Has nothing to do with wealth.
Since I live on a busy residential airpark with a flight school. I have a ringside seat for the daily Clown Show as well as the opportunity to play Dodge-a-Plane when flying. The high time pilots (with notable exceptions) are not the main problem. Instructors appear to be teaching that the most important piece of equipment in the aircraft is the radio. Since the airport is “uncontrolled” you can do whatever you what as long as you announce your intentions on the radio. This concept is passed along from instructor to student, who then becomes an instructor and passes it along to their students so it continues to snowball. Heads up and fly like you are invisible.