Call signs at untowered airport

[gismo]

Well, you really shouldn't do that if you're not going to include some ums and ers

And make sure you leave out your position relative to the field when you call in to ask about "traffic in the area". That way everyone else can "advise" you to explain where you are.

Isn't that annoying when people ask that? Or when they ask for an airport advisory when all they have to do is listen to find out what runway is in use?

I try not to be annoyed. It helps to remember that I've made some comm blunders as well.

 

[Lawreston]

I don't know about you, but if I'm close enough to another airplane to tell the color I'm way to close for comfort unless we are flying formation. With my aging eyes, any airplane more than a quarter mile away looks white, grey, or black.

This one won't....................

HR

 

[GaryO]

I usually include left/right on pattern position calls, except for final of course. Instead on final, I state my intentions WRT to the runway (EG full stop, touch/go etc). I figure that what I plan to do on the runway isn't of much value to anyone until I start turning final and sometimes that's the first point in the pattern when I am pretty certain what I want anyway. Perhaps by substituting the type of landing for the pattern direction on final keeps me from uttering "left/right final".

Seem like every time I'm in the pattern doing T&Gs someone will enter the pattern going the wrong way. Even though most pilots are calling right/left. I guess some people just don't listen. Sometimes the pilot will continue flying the wrong pattern even after being advised of the correct pattern and the fact that there is opposing traffic <img> causing everyone else to modify their pattern to avoid him.

At VNC the custom is to call intentions on base instead of final. It gives the plane behind you a little more time to adjust his pattern. There's almost always planes doing T&Gs. If you wait until final to declare that you're planning a full stop the trailing craft may already be on base.

 

[jdwatson]

I do a similar thing as Gary. I dial in AWOS/ASOS in the standby on the #2 Comm, and swap it as soon as I'm in range that way I'll have an expectation of which runway will probably be in use. Sometimes, I do for CTAF if I know approach isn't going to release me until I've within 5nm or so of the airport. When departure/approach releases me to CTAF, listen for radio traffic... Then:

• Initial contact: Patch <Traffic|Unicom>, Bugsmasher 1221W, <position>, <Low-approach|T&G|FullStop> RWY ##, Patch <Traffic|Unicom>.
  
• Intermediate positions (upwind, 45, downwind, mid-field & etc): Patch Traffic Bugsmasher 21W <position> Patch
  
• Base & Final leg: Patch Traffic Bugsmasher 21W <position> <Low-approach|T&G|FullStop> RWY ## Patch
  
• Short Final: Patch Traffic Bugsmasher 21W SHORT FINAL RWY ## Patch
  
• T&Gs & Low-Approach: I follow intermediate position report format

 

[deafsound]

At nontowered airports, there's only one base leg at a time for any particular runway -- the one on the published pattern side. However, I've discovered over the years (particularly at airports with right patterns), it is useful to use right/left crosswind/downwind/base as a reminder to those who didn't read the A/FD or the sectional to see whether it's right/left traffic. I must say, though, it doesn't make much sense to others when someone calls, as I've heard many times, "left/right final."

I made this classic blunder once at provincetown, which has a RP.
I was flying the right pattern, and calling "left downwind, left base". Meanwhile a guy in a cape air plane was yelling at me, "RIGHT PATTERN AT PROVINCETOWN ! "
I'm such a bonehead.

 

[gkainz]

I made this classic blunder once at provincetown, which has a RP.
I was flying the right pattern, and calling "left downwind, left base". Meanwhile a guy in a cape air plane was yelling at me, "RIGHT PATTERN AT PROVINCETOWN ! "
I'm such a bonehead.

Don't just hate that? "Yeah, 56GK is FLYING right downwind, but the mouth is on LEFT downwind!"

I find myself regularly saying the wrong airport at the end of the call...
"<new airport traffic> 56GK right downwind 15 full stop <home airport>"

 

[poadeleted3]

Don't just hate that? "Yeah, 56GK is FLYING right downwind, but the mouth is on LEFT downwind!"

I find myself regularly saying the wrong airport at the end of the call...
"<new airport traffic> 56GK right downwind 15 full stop <home airport>"

I keep getting lysdexic when reporting my position "0TE is 10 miles east of PNE, inbound for landing" oops... "0TE is 10 miles WEST of PNE etc, etc." Kinda torqued a controller there off one day doing that I've finally started looking at the bottom of the DG, which seems to help.

Kinda makes me wonder how I've never gotten lost LOL.

 

[Missa]

I keep getting lysdexic when reporting my position "0TE is 10 miles east of PNE, inbound for landing" oops... "0TE is 10 miles WEST of PNE etc, etc." Kinda torqued a controller there off one day doing that I've finally started looking at the bottom of the DG, which seems to help.

Kinda makes me wonder how I've never gotten lost LOL.

I've had that problem before too... talking to JXN going in to a pancake fly-in... Twr: Report right base for rwy... <few minutes later> Me: 86G is left base <rwy> Twr: Are you sure your on left base? me: No! 86G is right base for <rwy> Twr: sounds like your blood sugars a bit low, go get some pancakes. Me: Yep, that's where I'm headed, 86G.

Missa

 

[ScottM]

I keep getting lysdexic when reporting my position "0TE is 10 miles east of PNE, inbound for landing" oops... "0TE is 10 miles WEST of PNE etc, etc." Kinda torqued a controller there off one day doing that I've finally started looking at the bottom of the DG, which seems to help.

Kinda makes me wonder how I've never gotten lost LOL.

I have done that a few times myself.

 

[RotaryWingBob]

I made this classic blunder once at provincetown, which has a RP.
I was flying the right pattern, and calling "left downwind, left base". Meanwhile a guy in a cape air plane was yelling at me, "RIGHT PATTERN AT PROVINCETOWN ! "
I'm such a bonehead.

That's right up there with when I was getting ready for my RH checkride, and hadn't flown an much in several months. When I finally got back in an airplane, I kept saying dumb stuff like, "Brandywine, helicopter is... no, wait, make that Cherokee...

Fortunatly, both sides of my brain have come into equilibrium and I can now remember what kind of a/c I'm flying and that here at N99, runway 9 is right traffic for airplanes, and left traffic for rotorcraft!

 

[Bill]

I kept saying dumb stuff like, "Brandywine, helicopter is... no, wait, make that Cherokee...

Our club has three planes, and keeping them straight is sometimes fun. Saturday, I was on departure in 152CF, and someone else was flying 55197. My thumb twitched a few times when departure was calling 55197, and I had to remember I was in 152CF...

 

[jdwatson]

Bill !
Ha ha ha...that's my bane ! I fly N2126R and N2162Y, and there's been a number of times that I've answered to either and a couple time to both. Now before I key the mic, I look at the plate to be sure who I am. It doesn't help that at times switch the last to digits on things in my head. I write everything down correctly but out of my mouth things just come out wrong.

 

[MSmith]

Our club has three planes, and keeping them straight is sometimes fun. Saturday, I was on departure in 152CF, and someone else was flying 55197. My thumb twitched a few times when departure was calling 55197, and I had to remember I was in 152CF...

On one of my private training flights (one of the first flights talking to the tower), I had been flying one plane for weeks. This time I had another plane.

"Northeast Tower, Piper Warrior 2553Y is 10 miles SE inbound for landing with Alpha"

At that point my instructor pointed to the N-number plaque on the console.

"2553Y ident"

"Northeast Tower, Warrior 2553Y is actually 8383T and I will ident"

How embarrassing.

 

[gismo]

This one won't....................

HR

I love the tail art, but from a couple miles away that plane will look just like the thumbnail from about 20 ft. Can you see the color from there?

 

[Ghery]

Bill !
Ha ha ha...that's my bane ! I fly N2126R and N2162Y, and there's been a number of times that I've answered to either and a couple time to both. Now before I key the mic, I look at the plate to be sure who I am. It doesn't help that at times switch the last to digits on things in my head. I write everything down correctly but out of my mouth things just come out wrong.

Let's see, which one am I in today? 8829Z? 75898? 52349? 9351N? Thank goodness for that plate on the panel! Even so, I've ID'ed the wrong plane more than once, too. Fortunately, it's usually after taxiing clear of the hangars to short of the movement area and when sitting, calling ground for taxi clearance.

 

[Matthew]

Heh, I have to look at the plate to get the tail numbers right when flying different planes. Problem is, when switching from Warrior (which I usually fly) to Cessna, the plates don't help. "Warrior, no, uhh, Skyhawk 92, wait, 55, no, uh, standby". I think that accurately recalls my first attempt at transitioning Bravo.

 

[AirBaker]

"Brandywine, helicopter is... no, wait, make that Cherokee...

I think that happens to all of us. Does make it interesting though when you forget the time your home airport's tower closes.

* Many hours ago... *

Me: "Reid Hillview traffic..."

Tower: "Skyhawk 1SP, report 3 mile final."

Me: "Whoops"

 

[ScottM]

Heh, I have to look at the plate to get the tail numbers right when flying different planes. Problem is, when switching from Warrior (which I usually fly) to Cessna, the plates don't help. "Warrior, no, uhh, Skyhawk 92, wait, 55, no, uh, standby". I think that accurately recalls my first attempt at transitioning Bravo.

I have that problem too, but I just use 'high wing cherokee' on the next call up, ,

Naw not really but if I do it I do fix it with ATC by telling them the right aircraft.

 

[Ghery]

I think that happens to all of us. Does make it interesting though when you forget the time your home airport's tower closes.

* Many hours ago... *

Me: "Reid Hillview traffic..."

Tower: "Skyhawk 1SP, report 3 mile final."

Me: "Whoops"

I have a scanner tuned to the OLM tower frequency at home. Tower closes at 8 PM every night. It's amazing the number of people who come bombing on into the area later at night calling the tower. Doesn't anybody read the A/FD anymore? A couple nights ago it was an Army helicopter, probably out of Ft. Lewis. Gee, guys, we're neighbors. Shouldn't you know this?

 

[AirBaker]

I have a scanner tuned to the OLM tower frequency at home. Tower closes at 8 PM every night. It's amazing the number of people who come bombing on into the area later at night calling the tower. Doesn't anybody read the A/FD anymore? A couple nights ago it was an Army helicopter, probably out of Ft. Lewis. Gee, guys, we're neighbors. Shouldn't you know this?

Well, typically it is on the ATIS too. I haven't made that mistake since.

 

[MSmith]

On one of my private training flights (one of the first flights talking to the tower), I had been flying one plane for weeks. This time I had another plane.

"Northeast Tower, Piper Warrior 2553Y is 10 miles SE inbound for landing with Alpha"

At that point my instructor pointed to the N-number plaque on the console.

"2553Y ident"

"Northeast Tower, Warrior 2553Y is actually 8383T and I will ident"

How embarrassing.

Just so I don't look too silly ....

I did an instrument training flight Friday. The instructor handled the radios and got Flight Following.

He made the same mistake - using the wrong tail number for the plane. This time *I* pointed to the plaque. He'd been flying the other plane a lot.