Flying to My First Towered Airport Tomorrow

[Deelee]

If anything he says conflicts with what we said, be sure and say “but on POA they said......”

Haha yep. And get very familiar with this phraseology - "bugsmasher 123A, advise ready to copy phone number..."

 

[SkyChaser]

If anything he says conflicts with what we said, be sure and say “but on POA they said......”

Yeah, maybe not. LOL

Honestly, I think my biggest fear is accidentally not doing or doing the opposite of what the tower asks me to do and having to deal with that. I do NOT want to get a phone number! The radio part doesn't scare me, despite training at an uncontrolled field. My CFI always says that I'm better on the radio than she is, so she'll probably have me do all the talking (if I'm not messing up too badly).

I overthink everything, so having to wait to do this is very difficult for me because it gives me too much time to come up with things that could go wrong.

 

[MuseChaser]

I've told this story before, but just in case you didn't see/hear it..

If you hear the instruction, "GnatFlight 2468, turn left downwind 33," the word "left" refers to the downwind leg of a left hand pattern making left turns within the pattern, not the direction you have to turn to enter that left downwind. It might be a right turn.. ask me how I know.

 

[luvflyin]

Yeah, maybe not. LOL

Honestly, I think my biggest fear is accidentally not doing or doing the opposite of what the tower asks me to do and having to deal with that. I do NOT want to get a phone number! The radio part doesn't scare me, despite training at an uncontrolled field. My CFI always says that I'm better on the radio than she is, so she'll probably have me do all the talking (if I'm not messing up too badly).

I overthink everything, so having to wait to do this is very difficult for me because it gives me too much time to come up with things that could go wrong.

Sounds to me like you have a good CFI. If the Tower gives you any flack, let us know. We’ll put together a fly in, go up there and eat the Tower.

 

[jordane93]

Have fun!

 

[Charlie Golf]

Bless you @SkyChaser for writing "Towered" instead of that other word that triggers me

Don't go losing control(led)!!

 

[noahfong]

For anyone worried, no, I am not flying solo. My instructor will be coming along when we actually get to fly. I just prefer to come to my lesson as prepared as possible. Sorry for the confusion!

This makes for a HUGE difference. You shouldn't be worried. (Assuming you trust your instructor.)

 

[DoubleD]

Keep in mind that the "normal" traffic pattern you are used to at a non-towered (I didn't say "uncontrolled") airport will most likely not be the pattern you are directed to fly. This means that some of the references you use to establish your descent will be absent, e.g., reduce power abeam the numbers, turn base at 45deg to the numbers, flaps, etc. You will need to constantly judge your descent profile from a perspective (2 mile final, 2 mile right base) that you aren't familiar with. Not a big deal, just be aware and anticipate.

 

[NHWannabe]

First of all, the weather today is beautiful, but the plane is grounded due to an engine issue. So, no cross country today.

For anyone worried, no, I am not flying solo. My instructor will be coming along when we actually get to fly. I just prefer to come to my lesson as prepared as possible. Sorry for the confusion!

Sorry about the mx issues. Take some time and listen to the airport on Live ATC.

 

[Velocity173]

I've told this story before, but just in case you didn't see/hear it..

If you hear the instruction, "GnatFlight 2468, turn left downwind 33," the word "left" refers to the downwind leg of a left hand pattern making left turns within the pattern, not the direction you have to turn to enter that left downwind. It might be a right turn.. ask me how I know.

Pretty nonstandard phraseology there. “Make left traffic” would be better. I used to use “enter left downwind” but it seems like that’s considered a no no these days. I think they’re interpreting the .65 wrong myself.

https://www.stuckmic.com/threads/enter-left-downwind-vs-enter-left-traffic.25943/

 

[luvflyin]

Pretty nonstandard phraseology there. “Make left traffic” would be better. I used to use “enter left downwind” but it seems like that’s considered a no no these days. I think they’re interpreting the .65 wrong myself.

https://www.stuckmic.com/threads/enter-left-downwind-vs-enter-left-traffic.25943/

Lol. How many controllers does it take to change a light bulb. 10. One to screw it in and nine to tell him how he should have done it differently.

 

[Timbeck2]

Lol. How many controllers does it take to change a light bulb. 10. One to screw it in and nine to tell him how he should have done it differently.

We just call maintenance. If we change it ourselves they get all kinds of upset.

 

[Velocity173]

Lol. How many controllers does it take to change a light bulb. 10. One to screw it in and nine to tell him how he should have done it differently.

Yeah, there’s some serious phraseology nazis out there. To me it’s absurd that you can say “enter left base” but oh, it’s not in the .65 so you can’t say “enter left downwind.” Makes no sense.

 

[Salty]

Haha yep. And get very familiar with this phraseology - "bugsmasher 123A, advise ready to copy phone number..."

And the appropriate response.... unable, I’m flying.

 

[schmookeeg]

And the appropriate response.... unable, I’m flying.

...which is the correct phraseology. "Please send me an FAA howler via certified mail instead" would be incorrect.

 

[rtk11]

...which is the correct phraseology. "Please send me an FAA howler via certified mail instead" would be incorrect.

I thought the correct response was to say, "Bugsmasher 123 did not copy" then squawk 7600 on the transponder.

But then again, I don't fly a Centurion, so I must not know the correct phraseology.

 

[luvflyin]

We just call maintenance. If we change it ourselves they get all kinds of upset.

So do they uh, do it right?

 

[frfly172]

Relax and enjoy the experience ,remember flying is supposed to be fun. Good luck.

 

[Half Fast]

The tower will likely bring you into the pattern with minimal maneuvers, traffic permitting, so be prepared for a straight in approach or an entry directly to base. This will be different from what you're accustomed to at a non-towered field.

For example, let's say you're 10 miles south of the airport, wind is from the west so you'll be landing on runway 27. At a non-towered field, you would likely set up to make a 45 degree entry to the downwind and then fly the pattern. If there's no other traffic in the way, however, a tower will be likely to tell you to enter a left base for 27; that is, just fly directly into the base leg without flying a downwind.

Similarly, if you were to the east of the airport, they might tell you to fly straight into the final for 27, rather than having you fly to the south and maneuver for an entry to the downwind.

It will take developing a little knack to judge when to pull power and begin your descent from these newer positions, but don't sweat it. Flaps and slips are your friend if you need to lose altitude, and the throttle is available if you see you started the descent too soon. Just relax and fly the plane.

 

[Timbeck2]

So do they uh, do it right?

You've been a controller long enough to remember the OJ314 I assume, maybe even the toggle switches. Anyway, the cards on the OJ we used to change ourselves trying to fix things. It was like that Atari or Nintendo or whatever cartridges you had use a pencil eraser and blow on it...essentially the same type of card. MX walked in on us after someone had called it in and found about half a panel's worth of cards sitting around and they expressed their dislike of controllers messing with their stuff.

 

[Half Fast]

... remember flying is supposed to be fun.

Well, it's sorta like fun, only a lot more expensive.

 

[GRG55]

Okay @SkyChaser we are expecting the obligatory PoA post flight report on the outcome.

Did it go smooth as silk? Or did you leave the controller a quivering mass of frightened nerve bundles? Is your CFI still speaking to you? Are you planning to do a touch-and-go at KLGA next? Or?
Inquiring minds want to know

 

[Matthew]

I’ll be listening on Live ATC for, “Wooo! Look out below, I’m coming through!!! Yeeeha!”

 

[SkyChaser]

Okay @SkyChaser we are expecting the obligatory PoA post flight report on the outcome.

Did it go smooth as silk? Or did you leave the controller a quivering mass of frightened nerve bundles? Is your CFI still speaking to you? Are you planning to do a touch-and-go at KLGA next? Or?
Inquiring minds want to know

I wish I could give one, but I didn't get to go. The plane was grounded due to a rough-running engine, with a suspected issue involving the carburetor.

 

[Rgbeard]

When you leave, I have been taught by Pilawt the most proper phraseology:

“man in the bird to the man in the tower. Give me the word and I’ll bring on the power!”

 

[luvflyin]

When you leave, I have been taught by Pilawt the most proper phraseology:

“man in the bird to the man in the tower. Give me the word and I’ll bring on the power!”

Lol. Here’s another.
Ace at the base, guy in the sky, 180, slats flaps and shoulder straps, three in the green, give me the nod and I’ll hit the sod.

 

[Matthew]

During my PP training days, my CFI took me to a Class C airport (ICT - Wichita) to get used to the business of it all. Turns out it was a 3-day holiday weekend, and must have been the Monday of that weekend. I was switched from approach to tower about 20(?) miles away. Tower just said, "Cherokee xxx, cleared to land Rxx". So much for a busy environment.

 

[luvflyin]

You've been a controller long enough to remember the OJ314 I assume, maybe even the toggle switches. Anyway, the cards on the OJ we used to change ourselves trying to fix things. It was like that Atari or Nintendo or whatever cartridges you had use a pencil eraser and blow on it...essentially the same type of card. MX walked in on us after someone had called it in and found about half a panel's worth of cards sitting around and they expressed their dislike of controllers messing with their stuff.

Yeah, I’ve worked with just about everything. Raised on toggle switches. Don’t remember those kind of issues with the OJ314. Do remember I hated it until I got used to it. The only hassle I remember with the tweeks(that’s what we called the Radar techs because they would get out their tiny screwdrivers and ‘tweek’ those tiny screws to adjust the settings) was that they didn’t want us doing it.

 

[luvflyin]

I wish I could give one, but I didn't get to go. The plane was grounded due to a rough-running engine, with a suspected issue involving the carburetor.

Sorry to hear that. Reference your post #42 above, try thinking of things that could go right. Have positive waves.

 

[Pugs]

I wish I could give one, but I didn't get to go. The plane was grounded due to a rough-running engine, with a suspected issue involving the carburetor.

Welcome to GA The one thing I don't see mentioned here is feel free to tune to tower a lot further out than 10 miles where you usually make your first call. You'll get a feel for how busy they are and insights on how they're having folks from various directions approach and such. I often start listening at 25 miles out if I'm not talking to another controller.

 

[allPrimes]

Funny that you're nervous flying into a towered airport; I'm 22 hours in only have a handful of landings at a non-towered field whereas most of my primary training is at KBZN (Bozeman, MT). I love the fact that I'm told what I need to do by ATC instead of just trying to coordinate with a bunch of other random pilots!

 

[EdFred]

Welcome to GA The one thing I don't see mentioned here is feel free to tune to tower a lot further out than 10 miles where you usually make your first call. You'll get a feel for how busy they are and insights on how they're having folks from various directions approach and such. I often start listening at 25 miles out if I'm not talking to another controller.

This is an example of why I instruct in minutes vs miles. 10 miles is like 3-4 minutes in the plane I fly. 25 is "only" 8-10 ish. I usually pull up approach/tower 15 minutes out. (Of course if you're cranking at 450 kts you might be out of radio range at that point)

Granted trainer planes arent cooking along very fast but if you are in a habit of do X at Y miles then when you do go to a faster plane you may find yourself behind the plane. If you do it all in minutes, you should always be ahead of the plane.

 

[cowman]

One thing I try to tell everyone about dealing with ATC is that while you might occasionally get a grumpy one the vast majority of the time they just want to help you do whatever you need to do. They're not going to rip you a new one for making a mistake or not using the right phraseology nor are you going to get in trouble with the FAA for making a mistake on the radio. We all screw up on the radio I think. Especially as a student most of your brain is focused on flying the plane so you can say dumb stuff or forget the right term/phrase shockingly easily. They know that, you're not the first. If you mess up correct yourself, if you don't understand get clarification.

 

[bobmrg]

" not using the right phraseology....."

From AIM 4-2-1(b):

"Since concise phraseology may not always be adequate, use whatever words are necessary to get your message across."

So, "Tower, Bugsmasher 1234X. Mother and I are planning to take advantage of this nice weather and fly down to Littlefield to visit the grandkids. We're up here at north parking with information Mike and need taxi instructions down to the south end" is a perfectly legitimate transmission. Just plain English.

Bob Gardner

 

[schmookeeg]

So, "Tower, Bugsmasher 1234X. Mother and I are planning to take advantage of this nice weather and fly down to Littlefield to visit the grandkids. We're up here at north parking with information Mike and need taxi instructions down to the south end" is a perfectly legitimate transmission. Just plain English.

The pilot making THAT call is also going to punctuate every other word with a long UMMMMMMM for the non-delight of all on frequency.

 

[Half Fast]

" not using the right phraseology....."

From AIM 4-2-1(b):

"Since concise phraseology may not always be adequate, use whatever words are necessary to get your message across."

So, "Tower, Bugsmasher 1234X. Mother and I are planning to take advantage of this nice weather and fly down to Littlefield to visit the grandkids. We're up here at north parking with information Mike and need taxi instructions down to the south end" is a perfectly legitimate transmission. Just plain English.

Bob Gardner

You left out, “Mom, say hello to the nice controller in the tower.”

 

[SkyChaser]

Today, I finally got to go! We went, despite the weather being forecasted as an unpleasantly gusty crosswind, and were pleasantly surprised with winds almost right down the runway, 4-8kts. I got the rest of my dual cross country completed and my three solo, full-stop landings at a towered airport done, too. All the pictures I have are from my instructor, who took them while I was flying my solo landings.

Run-up check on the FBO ramp right before I took off by myself:

All by myself, take-off number #1:

This one was crazy - right away, the controller asked me to extend my upwind. Then she cancelled that, and told me to make right traffic, instead of left. It occurred to me as I was making a somewhat reasonably-shaped right pattern that I had never done right traffic before. It seriously messes with your mind. The landing wasn't super duper pretty, but it wasn't bad, either.
Take-off #2:

The second two landings were easier. I got to make left traffic, and I was more comfortable with the tower at that point, which helped a lot.
Taxiing back to Maverick after my last landing:

And yes, there were jets coming and going the whole time! It was kinda wild to be hear "Delta XXXX, cleared to land runway 15, #2 behind a Cherokee on short final", and know that you were that Cherokee!

As a whole, it wasn't as freaky as it seemed like it would be, but it was still really weird. It was very hard to refrain from calling in pattern positions. It just seemed very wrong to fly around without saying much of anything! LOL The runway was three times longer and twice as wide as I was used to, but it didn't seem to matter much. We were on flight following all the way out, then went over to FSD approach, and they handed us over to tower. Tower and ground were on the same frequency today, which was nice, and they were pretty nice, too. I forgot to say, "student pilot", but I am sure they figured it out. LOL I did almost all of the radio work - except for one call, that I couldn't make heads or tails of for a good five minutes, as we were climbing out and departing to go home. The controller was just telling us we were out of his area and to squawk VFR, but I think my brain had reached critical overload at that point. Thankfully, that only lasted a short time, as I was doing hood work the whole way home.

When we got back, my instructor told me that the only other dual hours she needed to give me were my night cross country and the checkride prep, and that I could come down the airport even if she wasn't there and go fly. I am going to try to get some solo time knocked out this week, and start hitting the books hard-core to prep for the oral. Assuming the weather cooperates, I might be done in three or four weeks! That is absolutely crazy. How did that happen?!

 

[luvflyin]

Today, I finally got to go! We went, despite the weather being forecasted as an unpleasantly gusty crosswind, and were pleasantly surprised with winds almost right down the runway, 4-8kts. I got the rest of my dual cross country completed and my three solo, full-stop landings at a towered airport done, too. All the pictures I have are from my instructor, who took them while I was flying my solo landings.

Run-up check on the FBO ramp right before I took off by myself:

All by myself, take-off number #1:

This one was crazy - right away, the controller asked me to extend my upwind. Then she cancelled that, and told me to make right traffic, instead of left. It occurred to me as I was making a somewhat reasonably-shaped right pattern that I had never done right traffic before. It seriously messes with your mind. The landing wasn't super duper pretty, but it wasn't bad, either.
Take-off #2:

The second two landings were easier. I got to make left traffic, and I was more comfortable with the tower at that point, which helped a lot.
Taxiing back to Maverick after my last landing:

And yes, there were jets coming and going the whole time! It was kinda wild to be hear "Delta XXXX, cleared to land runway 15, #2 behind a Cherokee on short final", and know that you were that Cherokee!

As a whole, it wasn't as freaky as it seemed like it would be, but it was still really weird. It was very hard to refrain from calling in pattern positions. It just seemed very wrong to fly around without saying much of anything! LOL The runway was three times longer and twice as wide as I was used to, but it didn't seem to matter much. We were on flight following all the way out, then went over to FSD approach, and they handed us over to tower. Tower and ground were on the same frequency today, which was nice, and they were pretty nice, too. I forgot to say, "student pilot", but I am sure they figured it out. LOL I did almost all of the radio work - except for one call, that I couldn't make heads or tails of for a good five minutes, as we were climbing out and departing to go home. The controller was just telling us we were out of his area and to squawk VFR, but I think my brain had reached critical overload at that point. Thankfully, that only lasted a short time, as I was doing hood work the whole way home.

When we got back, my instructor told me that the only other dual hours she needed to give me were my night cross country and the checkride prep, and that I could come down the airport even if she wasn't there and go fly. I am going to try to get some solo time knocked out this week, and start hitting the books hard-core to prep for the oral. Assuming the weather cooperates, I might be done in three or four weeks! That is absolutely crazy. How did that happen?!

Yea!! Ya got er done. Hope you have this image of Tower controllers expunged from your mind

 

[champ driver]

Congrats! Sounds like a successful learning experience.

 

[Half Fast]

OUTSTANDING! Go, girl!

Sounds like you had a very busy day.