DFW Pilots - Question from a Rookie Pilot

[Gubbins]

I'm based at Addison and did all my training there. I'm one of those pilots with an accent and I always dreaded the communications in this area. To me the worst part was always checking in with regional 124.25 or 124.3. I was taught to give a long list of stuff, where I am, where I was, what I want to do, etc. More chances to flub stuff and that just annoys the controllers if they are busy. Now I just do a "Regional, Cessna X inbound to Addison with Sierra" or whatever ATIS is. Nice and short, and doesn't tie up the frequency and you don't mess up. 9 times out of 10, they just give me a transponder code and figure out where I am. The remaining 1 out of 10 times, they ask me to ident. Another trick I employed often when I was very green was to use flight following from further out. That way, you just get handed up to approach at the appropriate time and no need to establish contact which is where most of the flubbing seems to happen. I find that if you are concise and do what they tell you, and don't tie up the frequency when they are busy, the controllers in this area are great.

 

[SCCutler]

I'm based at Addison and did all my training there. I'm one of those pilots with an accent and I always dreaded the communications in this area.

Man, I know for an absolute fact that your English is a lot better than my... well, anything but English.

I find that if you are concise and do what they tell you, and don't tie up the frequency when they are busy, the controllers in this area are great.

I agree - Regional's controllers are among the best. They have helped me out in a few jams...

 

[MBDiagMan]

I'm based at Addison and did all my training there. I'm one of those pilots with an accent and I always dreaded the communications in this area. To me the worst part was always checking in with regional 124.25 or 124.3. I was taught to give a long list of stuff, where I am, where I was, what I want to do, etc. More chances to flub stuff and that just annoys the controllers if they are busy. Now I just do a "Regional, Cessna X inbound to Addison with Sierra" or whatever ATIS is. Nice and short, and doesn't tie up the frequency and you don't mess up. 9 times out of 10, they just give me a transponder code and figure out where I am. The remaining 1 out of 10 times, they ask me to ident. Another trick I employed often when I was very green was to use flight following from further out. That way, you just get handed up to approach at the appropriate time and no need to establish contact which is where most of the flubbing seems to happen. I find that if you are concise and do what they tell you, and don't tie up the frequency when they are busy, the controllers in this area are great.

Thanks Gubbins! You add another important piece to my list of things to learn about the radio.

 

[MBDiagMan]

Okay, there's some stuff going on with my Mom that makes it look like I will be flying to KGPM tomorrow.

I printed out Tango's specific post about the area. I am going to write down the frequencies and such and go for it if the need still exists and the weather turns out as predicted. It will beat having to drive through the MetroMess.

I am going to stay under the outer layer of the Class B and go West over Red Bird.

If you hear of a Surface to Air missile taking out a Cessna in the DFW area tomorrow, you'll know that the towers finally got their belly full of me.

 

[TangoWhiskey]

Okay, there's some stuff going on with my Mom that makes it look like I will be flying to KGPM tomorrow.

I printed out Tango's specific post about the area. I am going to write down the frequencies and such and go for it if the need still exists and the weather turns out as predicted. It will beat having to drive through the MetroMess.

I am going to stay under the outer layer of the Class B and go West over Red Bird.

If you hear of a Surface to Air missile taking out a Cessna in the DFW area tomorrow, you'll know that the towers finally got their belly full of me.

Have fun! And we've met--you can call me Troy.

Can't wait to read the writeup.

 

[MBDiagMan]

Have fun! And we've met--you can call me Troy.

Can't wait to read the writeup.

Thanks Troy!

I guess all my worry about flying into airports with towers makes me sound like a real boondocks hick even though I don't usually wear ovaralls and do indeed have indoor plumbing.

That said, it has really been great being able to learn to fly in an area where seeing another airplane in the air with you or on the runway in front of you is a rare sight.

Time for me to go try to play nice with all you REAL pilots.

 

[MBDiagMan]

I was talking to my Instructor an hour or so ago. He was a helicopter pilot for the Dallas Police for many years. I asked about the News and Police Helicopter traffic and he said they would usually be down around 1,200 feet. I suppose they fly as close to the ground as they can and be legal.

I plan on flying at about 3,200 feet until I get near Grand Prairie where I have to be below 3,000 to be under the Class B. I will probably be in my descent by the time I get there anyway.

Oh well, here goes nothin'.

 

[kimberlyanne546]

Post when you get back! Sounds like both you and I will be in the air tomorrow. Though I will be flying right seat in a taildragger, not left seat. Oh and I get to be a safety pilot during the 5 - 10 approaches we will do.

Be safe and have fun. Passengers are awesome.

Kimberly

 

[MBDiagMan]

Well I came to the airiport this afternoon after work to do a few landings, clean my windshield, fuel the airplane and use the airport wireless to download my Foreflight updates..

A retired airline Captain friend of mine started telling me how easy it would be that early in the morning to just get up a few hundred feet and call DFW approach and let them give me Flight Following through their airspace. He made a very good case for why and how to do it, but..... I don't think so this time.

I'm gonna stay clear of the Class B and do as Troy suggested.

I'll report back..........

BTW Kim, sounds like you've gotta fun day lined out.

 

[kimberlyanne546]

Well I came to the airiport this afternoon after work to do a few landings, clean my windshield, fuel the airplane and use the airport wireless to download my Foreflight updates..

A retired airline Captain friend of mine started telling me how easy it would be that early in the morning to just get up a few hundred feet and call DFW approach and let them give me Flight Following through their airspace. He made a very good case for why and how to do it, but..... I don't think so this time.

I'm gonna stay clear of the Class B and do as Troy suggested.

I'll report back..........

BTW Kim, sounds like you've gotta fun day lined out.

Thanks but I just called the friendly briefer and he didn't think so.

First, in summer, I had to deal with "the marine layer" by the coast. Now, in winter, the coast is clear but I can't fly into the Central Valley due to "tulle fog" (ground fog). 1 mile viz???? I don't think so.....

Argh. We shall see what happens tomorrow. And for all you people who think California is the perfect flying weather - it isn't!

 

[AggieMike88]

Argh. We shall see what happens tomorrow. And for all you people who think California is the perfect flying weather - it isn't!

Come down to D/FW for the past few days. Been cold in the morning, but by noon, it's very nice and CAVU.

 

[kimberlyanne546]

Come down to D/FW for the past few days. Been cold in the morning, but by noon, it's very nice and CAVU.

Dear Mike,

You suck.

Love,

Kimberly

(My last 3 Bay Tours with out of towners have been scrapped, at the airport, due to deteriorating weather)

 

[pericynthion]

Thanks but I just called the friendly briefer and he didn't think so.

First, in summer, I had to deal with "the marine layer" by the coast. Now, in winter, the coast is clear but I can't fly into the Central Valley due to "tulle fog" (ground fog). 1 mile viz???? I don't think so.....

Argh. We shall see what happens tomorrow. And for all you people who think California is the perfect flying weather - it isn't!

The Bay's been clear and a million since at least Tuesday. The central valley is a little hazy but doesn't get really murky until you get down past Merced. Go fly, if you don't like what you see then go back.

 

[kimberlyanne546]

The Bay's been clear and a million since at least Tuesday. The central valley is a little hazy but doesn't get really murky until you get down past Merced. Go fly, if you don't like what you see then go back.

Not my call, I'm not the PIC. Plus I think he's going to have a third passenger too. I'm just along for the ride. I agree, it is clear here in the Bay Area so what we might do is just stay local and shoot all his approaches here in our area.

Kimberly

 

[MBDiagMan]

Well, I made it and I didn't die!

I'm at my Mom's house in Grand Prairie.

I got off the Bonham runway at first light this morning. It was dark enough that I had to turn on my panel and nav lights. My compass light wasn't working, Darn!

A few feet off the runway the air got moderately rough. I thought, wow if it's rough this time of the day, what will it be later. I got about 1,000 AGL and it smoothed out nicely.

The Sun was to my left and the Dallas area off to my right. It was a beautiful morning. I followed Troy's instructions and it couldn't have worked better. I heard no one at all at Red Bird or Grand Prairie except myself. The advantage of being a morning person I suppose. I never saw another airplane in the air until I was on the ground in GP. After I landed I watched a 150 take off.

They have a new terminal building but it was locked. I went to the flight school next door and they were some really friendly people. An instructor in there said he watched me come in when he saw my strobes. He said he had never seen strobes on a 140 before. Other people have told me that, but all of them I've seen from Cessna 140 club have strobes.

This is where it got good. The CFI said he watched me come in and set it on the ground beautifully. I didn't see another taildragger in sight, so maybe ANY tali wheel landing looks good to them.

There was a young fellow in the pilot shop that grew up in Grand Prairie and we started talking about the changes in the city. I told him all sorts of stuff about what it was like in the sixties and he enjoyed it and kept asking questions about what used to be where.

Anyway, it was a great and uneventful flight. The best kind. They are expecting a 10 knot crosswind this afternoon when I'm headed home, but it will be in my favor and should blow me back home in short order.

Thanks for all the instructions and encouragement. With my Mom's health and situation, I expect to be flying over here often. After a little more radio practice I will try using flight following and hopefully they will let me bore right through to Grand Prairie.

I don't know what I would do without all you guys (and gals, Kim.)

 

[MBDiagMan]

Made it back! I got off earlier than I'd hoped only to pick up just a little afternoon thermal action.

It was a GREAT flying day! My confidence dealing with Class D airspace is up by probably about 400%. Things just clicked. A couple more times in and out of Class D and I'll be ready to try boring through on flight following.

Thanks VERY much for all the encouragement and line by line coaching.

Surprisingly, coming back I never saw another plane in the air. Either I'm half blind or no one in the area can afford AvGas.

 

[kimberlyanne546]

Well, I made it and I didn't die!

I'm at my Mom's house in Grand Prairie.

I got off the Bonham runway at first light this morning. It was dark enough that I had to turn on my panel and nav lights. My compass light wasn't working, Darn!

A few feet off the runway the air got moderately rough. I thought, wow if it's rough this time of the day, what will it be later. I got about 1,000 AGL and it smoothed out nicely.

The Sun was to my left and the Dallas area off to my right. It was a beautiful morning. I followed Troy's instructions and it couldn't have worked better. I heard no one at all at Red Bird or Grand Prairie except myself. The advantage of being a morning person I suppose. I never saw another airplane in the air until I was on the ground in GP. After I landed I watched a 150 take off.

They have a new terminal building but it was locked. I went to the flight school next door and they were some really friendly people. An instructor in there said he watched me come in when he saw my strobes. He said he had never seen strobes on a 140 before. Other people have told me that, but all of them I've seen from Cessna 140 club have strobes.

This is where it got good. The CFI said he watched me come in and set it on the ground beautifully. I didn't see another taildragger in sight, so maybe ANY tali wheel landing looks good to them.

There was a young fellow in the pilot shop that grew up in Grand Prairie and we started talking about the changes in the city. I told him all sorts of stuff about what it was like in the sixties and he enjoyed it and kept asking questions about what used to be where.

Anyway, it was a great and uneventful flight. The best kind. They are expecting a 10 knot crosswind this afternoon when I'm headed home, but it will be in my favor and should blow me back home in short order.

Thanks for all the instructions and encouragement. With my Mom's health and situation, I expect to be flying over here often. After a little more radio practice I will try using flight following and hopefully they will let me bore right through to Grand Prairie.

I don't know what I would do without all you guys (and gals, Kim.)

Thanks for giving me credit in your post. You have been there, with me, since my StudentPilot.com days, and today we both shared the USA skies as newly certified private pilots. You, solo, and me, safety pilot in a tail dragger 180. I wasn't waving to you with my arms, but I thought of you, and your Mom, and am glad you had a nice flight. I'll post my flying story soon, in another thread. It was AWESOME.