Overflying your area radio calls?

saddletramp

saddletramp

Line Up and Wait
Joined
Oct 15, 2015
Messages
736
Location
Walla Walla. WA
Display Name
Display name:
saddletramp
I instruct out of a small uncontrolled field in Eastern Oregon. I've been a CFI at this airport for only four months. The field elevation is 650' & we get very little traffic. I should also add I've been flying for nearly 5 decades & have been a CFI most of that time. So not new to aviation.

Lately I've heard aircraft announce on our CTAF of 122.8 that they're overflying our airport at cruise type altitudes & transiting the area. Today one aircraft was at 5,500'. This seems to be a new thing. I would think with most of us running ADSB these days that this radio call is a bit unnecessary. Is this something being taught these days? Again our airspace is not busy.
 
I only call it out if I am coming in for a landing and need to cross mid field at or slightly above pattern altitude to get to the other side for entry into the pattern. Anything higher than that I usually don't say a word, just monitor the CTAF.
 
We have a busy nearby field that’s also used as an airborne VOR checkpoint, at an altitude only 800’ above patterns altitude. I will definitely make the “overflying” call there. But no, not at 5500. But also a transient plane may not realize that your field is so quiet.
 
Also, the "Podunk traffic, Cessna 123YZ north practice area making left turns over the farmer's field at 1,500- Podunk traffic'" calls are annoying too.

Sometimes the local CTAF is so busy with silly stuff, I don't even bother with the dang radio.
 
scarcherpilot said:
I only call it out if I am coming in for a landing and need to cross mid field at or slightly above pattern altitude to get to the other side for entry into the pattern. Anything higher than that I usually don't say a word, just monitor the CTAF.
Click to expand...
That's exactly what I do. I was taught, 15+ years ago, to make overflight radio calls, but I don't recall discussion on how high is too high to bother. So if I'm 500' or more above the highest published TPA, I don't bother. I am extra watchful, though.
 
I often make the call if I am fairly low and somewhere close off the departure or approach end of the runway. At a lot of non-towered airports, the radio is quiet. I don’t think it hurts anything to let other pilots know you are in the vicinity. That “one time” might save you life. Use your judgment!
 
I’ll call when crossing over just above pattern altitude, usually with intentions to assess the field & join the pattern to land.

Otoh, I suspect the Class D ring prompts this excess radio behavior. It makes people aware that the airport has AIRSPACE restrictions & makes them afraid to “violate” them, even when the wx is far above VFR minimums.
 
I once overflew a towered airport, 800 feet above its ceiling, and made a call to the tower to report my position, because it’s a very busy airport with lots of training being done almost all the time. The tower controller responded with a snippy “That’s not my airspace. I don’t care.” That surprised me because I had done it on earlier flights and the tower had responded with a perfectly pleasant “Roger.” I guessed that the snippy response was because the controller was having a stressful day.
 
As others have said, that seems ridiculously excessive.

Only time I’ve ever done that was if I needed to overfly within 500’ of pattern altitude while maintaining VFR below a layer.
 
This

10.1 Recommended Traffic Advisory Practices. All traffic within a 10-mile radius of a non-towered airport or a part-time-towered airport when the control tower is not operating should continuously monitor and communicate, as appropriate, on the designated CTAF until leaving the area or until clear of the movement area. After first monitoring the frequency for other traffic present passing within 10 miles from the airport, self-announcing of your position and intentions should occur between 8 and 10 miles from the airport upon arrival. Departing aircraft should continuously monitor/communicate on the appropriate frequency from startup, during taxi, and until 10 miles from the airport, unless 14 CFR or local procedures require otherwise.
 
BladeSlap said:
Unless there is skydiving or lots of activity, nah
Click to expand...

I kind of suspect he is flying out of Hermiston (KHRI) which does have a Parachute symbol on the sectional. So someone might be a bit more inclined to make an flying over call than if it didn't have the symbol.
On the other hand I am more likely to just make sure I am monitoring the CTAF frequency and maybe a scan of my ADSB-IN if I have it than to make a flying over call if more than 1500 ft AGL above the feild.

Brian
 
Clip4 said:
This

10.1 Recommended Traffic Advisory Practices. All traffic within a 10-mile radius of a non-towered airport or a part-time-towered airport when the control tower is not operating should continuously monitor and communicate, as appropriate, on the designated CTAF until leaving the area or until clear of the movement area. After first monitoring the frequency for other traffic present passing within 10 miles from the airport, self-announcing of your position and intentions should occur between 8 and 10 miles from the airport upon arrival. Departing aircraft should continuously monitor/communicate on the appropriate frequency from startup, during taxi, and until 10 miles from the airport, unless 14 CFR or local procedures require otherwise.
Click to expand...

I notice that it does not include any suggestion of altitude, although I suppose you could draw a 10 nm sphere around the airport - so, up to FL 600 over the airport should be sure to make the calls...

I do note that it says "as appropriate" without defining it.

Personally, I think passing through the area 5-10 nm away from an airport is a little too far away to bother making UNICOM calls.
 
I only make "transiting the area" calls when I'm passing busy airports and I'm at or below 3,500 ft. Maybe it's not entirely necessary, but I like knowing when there are airplanes in the area and knowing that other pilots know I'm there.
 
RussR said:
I notice that it does not include any suggestion of altitude, although I suppose you could draw a 10 nm sphere around the airport - so, up to FL 600 over the airport should be sure to make the calls...

I do note that it says "as appropriate" without defining it.

Personally, I think passing through the area 5-10 nm away from an airport is a little too far away to bother making UNICOM calls.
Click to expand...

10.1, as quoted above, ends by referring to arriving or departing traffic, which makes sense. But it opens by appearing to apply to all traffic within 10 miles, which doesn't make sense.
 
SkyChaser said:
I only make "transiting the area" calls when I'm passing busy airports and I'm at or below 3,500 ft. Maybe it's not entirely necessary, but I like knowing when there are airplanes in the area and knowing that other pilots know I'm there.
Click to expand...
Even passing through at 3500’, a “transiting” call is overkill. Class D towered airspace usually tops out at 2000-2500’ AGL… I’m thinking that if a tower guy doesn’t care about a crossover at 3500’, surely the pattern crowd down at 1000’ won’t care either. I certainly wouldn’t want to hear it, it’s just more radio clutter.
 
brcase said:
I kind of suspect he is flying out of Hermiston (KHRI) which does have a Parachute symbol on the sectional. So someone might be a bit more inclined to make an flying over call than if it didn't have the symbol.
On the other hand I am more likely to just make sure I am monitoring the CTAF frequency and maybe a scan of my ADSB-IN if I have it than to make a flying over call if more than 1500 ft AGL above the feild.

Brian
Click to expand...

ADSB is a cool toy, but I don’t trust it over my eyeballs, also never wished I communicated less on the radio, doesn’t cost much to pull the trigger and make a quick call going over a drop zone or other type of field.
 
saddletramp said:
I instruct out of a small uncontrolled field in Eastern Oregon. I've been a CFI at this airport for only four months. The field elevation is 650' & we get very little traffic. I should also add I've been flying for nearly 5 decades & have been a CFI most of that time. So not new to aviation.

Lately I've heard aircraft announce on our CTAF of 122.8 that they're overflying our airport at cruise type altitudes & transiting the area. Today one aircraft was at 5,500'. This seems to be a new thing. I would think with most of us running ADSB these days that this radio call is a bit unnecessary. Is this something being taught these days? Again our airspace is not busy.
Click to expand...
I’ve seen it occasionally over the years. I always just assumed it was a result of some busy body instructor that made stuff up to feel like they were doing something.
 
Lon33 said:
I once overflew a towered airport, 800 feet above its ceiling, and made a call to the tower to report my position, because it’s a very busy airport with lots of training being done almost all the time. The tower controller responded with a snippy “That’s not my airspace. I don’t care.” That surprised me because I had done it on earlier flights and the tower had responded with a perfectly pleasant “Roger.” I guessed that the snippy response was because the controller was having a stressful day.
Click to expand...

Opposite experience here. I was VFR practicing under the hood following the localizer about 1.5k ft above Class D listening to Approach. They got on the radio and cold called us and said the Tower was looking for us and were irritated that we didn’t let them know. A business jet was climbing like an elevator off the field and we were potentially in their way. We were in the right, but courtesy and safety might have presumed we would have informed them.
 
I only announce overflying an uncontrolled airport when I see traffic in the pattern and like others have posted, when I am close to pattern altitude.
 
brcase said:
I kind of suspect he is flying out of Hermiston (KHRI) which does have a Parachute symbol on the sectional. So someone might be a bit more inclined to make an flying over call than if it didn't have the symbol.
On the other hand I am more likely to just make sure I am monitoring the CTAF frequency and maybe a scan of my ADSB-IN if I have it than to make a flying over call if more than 1500 ft AGL above the feild.

Brian
Click to expand...

I am indeed flying out of HRI. I don't believe there's been parachute activities over Hermiston for years. My complaint is that there are so many airports in our area on 122.8 it's very frustrating. I like to monitor the frequency while in the training area instructing but sometimes it's almost impossible to get a word in. I heard a freight airplane headed to Lagrande the other day that made at least five call outs before he got there. Again it's not the Seatac area.
 
Lon33 said:
I once overflew a towered airport, 800 feet above its ceiling, and made a call to the tower to report my position, because it’s a very busy airport with lots of training being done almost all the time. The tower controller responded with a snippy “That’s not my airspace. I don’t care.” ...
Click to expand...
I had the same experience overflying KOLM (Class D, Olympia, WA), except it was a lazy day in the airspace. I suspect I interrupted a nap.
 
As with many things, it depends.
Flying at home in the rural NW(not far from OP), FF can be tough due to terrain. I'm often scanning local CTAF as I fly XC, and if radio congestion isn't bad I'll make position/direction reports. There's a fair amount of non ADSB traffic so anything that might calibrate eyeballs for see and avoid is good in my book.
Truth be told I find it more annoying when skydive traffic on a common frequency at 12k+ feet makes calls every 90 seconds blanketing half the state or when a pilot makes 6 calls per pattern at an airport they've had to themselves for 15 minutes or more. Not saying either pilot is wrong, just a relative level of annoyance.
I know to look for airplanes around the pattern, having an occasional call direct my attention to somewhere I less expect to hit someone can't hurt.
 
Clip4 said:
This

10.1 Recommended Traffic Advisory Practices. All traffic within a 10-mile radius of a non-towered airport or a part-time-towered airport when the control tower is not operating should continuously monitor and communicate, as appropriate, on the designated CTAF until leaving the area or until clear of the movement area. After first monitoring the frequency for other traffic present passing within 10 miles from the airport, self-announcing of your position and intentions should occur between 8 and 10 miles from the airport upon arrival. Departing aircraft should continuously monitor/communicate on the appropriate frequency from startup, during taxi, and until 10 miles from the airport, unless 14 CFR or local procedures require otherwise.
Click to expand...

RussR said:
I notice that it does not include any suggestion of altitude, although I suppose you could draw a 10 nm sphere around the airport - so, up to FL 600 over the airport should be sure to make the calls...

I do note that it says "as appropriate" without defining it.

Personally, I think passing through the area 5-10 nm away from an airport is a little too far away to bother making UNICOM calls.
Click to expand...

The AIM version does mention altitude:

4-1-9c. Recommended Traffic Advisory Practices

1. Pilots of inbound traffic should monitor and communicate as appropriate on the designated CTAF from 10 miles to landing. Pilots of departing aircraft should monitor/communicate on the appropriate frequency from start-up, during taxi, and until 10 miles from the airport unless the CFRs or local procedures require otherwise.

2. Pilots of aircraft conducting other than arriving or departing operations at altitudes normally used by arriving and departing aircraft should monitor/communicate on the appropriate frequency while within 10 miles of the airport unless required to do otherwise by the CFRs or local procedures. Such operations include parachute jumping/dropping, en route, practicing maneuvers, etc.

[emphasis added]​
 
Speaking of annoying--how about those who announce their distance from the airport to the tenth of a mile? I don't know why I find it annoying, but I do. Press the button, read the screen, follow the magenta line.
"Field traffic, Spamcan 1234, 5 point 3 southwest inbound for 01."
 
Jeeze, a guy announces he's overflying an airport at 5500 feet and the next day there's a thread with 30 critically analytic comments on POA. Are we just searching for a reason to get tweaked about something?
 
Domenick said:
Speaking of annoying--how about those who announce their distance from the airport to the tenth of a mile? I don't know why I find it annoying, but I do. Press the button, read the screen, follow the magenta line.
"Field traffic, Spamcan 1234, 5 point 3 southwest inbound for 01."
Click to expand...
It tells me that it's probably from navigation equipment and is thus more likely to be correct than if the pilot is just eyeballing it.
 
Silvaire said:
Jeeze, a guy announces he's overflying an airport at 5500 feet and the next day there's a thread with 30 critically analytic comments on POA. Are we just searching for a reason to get tweaked about something?
Click to expand...
We're just happy to have something to talk about.
 
Domenick said:
Speaking of annoying--how about those who announce their distance from the airport to the tenth of a mile? I don't know why I find it annoying, but I do. Press the button, read the screen, follow the magenta line.
"Field traffic, Spamcan 1234, 5 point 3 southwest inbound for 01."
Click to expand...

This is a nitpick, but there is no runway 01 in the US.
 
Silvaire said:
Jeeze, a guy announces he's overflying an airport at 5500 feet and the next day there's a thread with 30 critically analytic comments on POA. Are we just searching for a reason to get tweaked about something?
Click to expand...

I'm the OP & was just wondering if this was a new thing being taught. I'm recently back to instructing full time & thought maybe it was a new procedure that should I should be aware of. Plus it's fricking annoying.
 
sarangan said:
This is a nitpick, but there is no runway 01 in the US.
Click to expand...
I must be missing something. Are you nitpicking about putting the zero in front?
 
Silvaire said:
Jeeze, a guy announces he's overflying an airport at 5500 feet and the next day there's a thread with 30 critically analytic comments on POA. Are we just searching for a reason to get tweaked about something?
Salty said:
Are you? ;)
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
We're all just sharing our life experiences in this "safe space." ;)
sarangan said:
This is a nitpick, but there is no runway 01 in the US.
Click to expand...
You are correct. I slipped into the Euro convention.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top