All traffic in the area, please advise

[Gilbert Buettner]

I haven't heard an "airport advisory" in years, but rather than a "preferred runway" I recall more like which runway is in use.

 

[Dana]

I don't use it and don't particularly care for it but hearing the call bothers me less than, say, using CTAF to coordinate a rental car or asking if anyone's seen Clarence recently and how's his dog doing?

When did Unicom become CTAF? Because originally, coordinating a car and such things was one of the things Unicom was supposed to be used for (secondary to weather and traffic info). I don't object when the FBO's charter calls in 10 miles out and asks the girl in the office to have the car ready. Though I mostly fly out of small sleepy airports without that much radio traffic, even the occasional "Hi Joe, where ya headed today?" really isn't a problem. At a busier airport it might be less appropriate.

 

[Half Fast]

When did Unicom become CTAF?

"Unicom" is an assigned frequency for a licensed ground station, typically at the FBO. The CTAF frequency can be the Unicom frequency, it can be the Multicom frequency (122.9, IIRC), the tower frequency when the tower is closed, or its own unique frequency.

So, regarding Unicom becoming CTAF..... When an FBO licenses a ground station (Unicom) and a frequency is assigned to it, that frequency is usually designated the CTAF.

At least that's how it's supposed to work. I think more typically at a small airport, there is a designated CTAF and somebody at the FBO gets hold of a removed airplane radio or a handheld, tunes it to CTAF, and uses it sporadically as an unofficial ground station / pseudo-Unicom.

 

[Feh]

If the pattern isn't too busy and someone announces on the radio "At DUMBR for the RNAV GPS 36" I reply with something like "no idea where that is, what's your bearing and distance from the airport?"

But if I say "Cirrus N123XP, 10 mile final for runway 26" everyone will be ****ed and reinforcing the stereotype

 

[Daleandee]

When did Unicom become CTAF? Because originally, coordinating a car and such things was one of the things Unicom was supposed to be used for (secondary to weather and traffic info). I don't object when the FBO's charter calls in 10 miles out and asks the girl in the office to have the car ready. Though I mostly fly out of small sleepy airports without that much radio traffic, even the occasional "Hi Joe, where ya headed today?" really isn't a problem. At a busier airport it might be less appropriate.

We have a busy nontowered airport nearby that uses the same frequency as our field. It's pretty common to hear pilots arriving there to call & verify that a car is ready for whomever is on board. Sometimes a name is given and I've heard a few impressive ones over the years.

 

[AV8R_87]

But if I say "Cirrus N123XP, 10 mile final for runway 26" everyone will be ****ed and reinforcing the stereotype

You say 10 miles out for practice instrument approach.

 

[Ed Haywood]

But if I say "Cirrus N123XP, 10 mile final for runway 26" everyone will be ****ed and reinforcing the stereotype

Replace "final" with "straight in" and you're good.

 

[RyanShort1]

If you're saying that and you're still a potential threat, then there's a bigger issue.

And don't give me that you're IFR and you have to talk to ATC. If there's still a threat, they'd want you to be staying on the CTAF until you get a little higher and you do not need to be on CTAF anymore.

My photo crew works very closely every single week with DFW ATC for the last decade and I think we know what we're doing. Not everyone is blasting out in a straight line from point A to point B.