Should Radios Be Required At Non-Towered Airports?

Should Radio calls be required at uncontrolled airports?

  • Yes - Via Regulation

  • Its a great idea, Yes but we do not need more regulations

  • No Radios for me

Results are only viewable after voting.
So I will say that I wish everyone would use a radio. I wish everyone would get ADS-B out too. Based on my own experience of looking for aircraft that I knew were there from radio calls/ATC/ADS-B I do not believe you can spot every plane every time in such a big sky going at the speeds we move at. I simply do not believe everyone’s eyes and observational skills are THAT good.

Probably in the pattern when you know where to look you’ll see someone before you get close enough for there to be an issue... probably. However it should take little imagination to think up likely scenarios where conscientious pilots looking carefully for traffic might miss each other. To be honest it makes me a little nervous out there.

With all that said, I’m not in favor of mandating any of this stuff. There are pretty valid reasons why many pilots may be unable or unwilling to use a radio or install ADS-B and I get that. More importantly though is it an issue? Last I looked midair collisions were somewhere near the bottom of the list when it comes to most common causes of accidents. They’re pretty rare and some that I know of even occurred under the direction of a control tower so maybe this is a solution in search of a problem.

So I ask nicely that other pilots, if they can, use a radio. If you haven’t tried ads-b yet you’d be amazed at how many more aircraft are out there than you thought. These are good safety systems, they do work and I really really don’t want to hit one of you out there.

But please no more mandates.
 
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Here's my $0.02 worth.

1) I fly out of a small grass strip. Everyone on the field has a radio. About half of them listen to the CTAF frequency, but don't actually transmit on it. In essence, then hear the other half that do use the radio and get a general idea which way people are landing on the runway.

That's a bigger than average deal as its an east/west runway with trees on the west end, so pilots sometimes opt to accept a slight tailwind to avoid landing or taking off over the trees, or to avoid looking into a rising or setting. Worse the runway is narrow and each end is constricted and not conducive to doing a 360 on the ground to check for traffic in the pattern before departure. Since about half those pilots don't announce their intentions, it gets interesting when someone turns final for 07 to avoid landing into the sun, and someone else turns onto 25 for departure since it's into the wind, and neither of them are talking on the radio.

In short, the problem with the folks who just listen and don't announce is that they think they are only ones who are doing that, and here's hoping they keep their eyes open.

2) I'm not a huge fan of ADS-B, mostly because it encourages people to keep their head in the cockpit rather than actually looking for traffic. At uncontrolled airports non ADS-B aircraft will be a common occurrence, and even if everyone had ADS-B, it wouldn't always be functioning properly.

3) I started flying in 1982 in a big flat state out west with 150' wide 6000' WWII era runways and very few aircraft in the sky. Pilots still mostly had radios, and made calls on Unicom if they had one, even if it was just a scratchy old Narco Mk III with a handheld mike. And pilots still did 360s on the ground to check the pattern for traffic. As an aside, there were also very few towers and scud running and special VFR were actual things that could be done prudently.

But times have changed. There are towers everywhere and scud running is pretty close to a death wish. Similarly, like it or not, progress has arrived and airports tend to be busier now than they were 40 years ago, so we need to suck it up and use the radio, even at uncontrolled airports.

4) The fact that there is more traffic also underscores the need for better radio discipline. Here on the east coast where it's common to have 3 airfield within 20-25 miles using the same CTAF frequency, long winded reports create a hazard on nice afternoons when those patterns are busy. Keep it short and sweet: "South Oaks traffic, Citabria six eight tango, downind 25, South Oaks".

But use the friggin radio.
 
smv said:
Then there are those fools who think announcing how many minutes away from some reference point is so much safer than reporting an actual location.

:rolleyes:
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Lol, I did this on one of my last flights. I was flying a typical Cirrus pattern, you know, straight in final. I announced 6 miles out, and a Cessna was holding at the threshold, he asked if he had time to get out. I told him go for it, I'm 3 minutes out. He got out, I didn't have to circle around to a normal pattern entry, every one was happy.
 
The Navion is REAL slow on approach (the gear speed is 87 knots, the typical pattern speed is 70knots). I usually keep it in tight. On a longer pattern you can probably depart a few planes ahead of me. I had an instructor once who was throwing a fit about someone being on the runway while I was on final. I pointed out he will certainly be gone by the time I get there.
 
No, that is why we have windows! Use all sources of information.
 
Yes. Carry a handheld if you don't have an electrical system. We don't need CPM happening again.
 
N1120A said:
Yes. Carry a handheld if you don't have an electrical system. We don't need CPM happening again.
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Not all planes without electrical systems can use handhelds either. Often the ignition system is so electrically noisy as to make the crapola AM comm radio useless.
 
Can we start with a law to make proper position reports first? Closest I ever came to a midair was a Cirrus repeatedly reporting he was "2-3 miles north of the runway" who suddenly filled my entire windscreen while I was making my 45 to enter left downwind to 25, south of the field. I would've rather he had just been NORDO.
 
Todd82 said:
Can we start with a law to make proper position reports first? Closest I ever came to a midair was a Cirrus repeatedly reporting he was "2-3 miles north of the runway" who suddenly filled my entire windscreen while I was making my 45 to enter left downwind to 25, south of the field. I would've rather he had just been NORDO.
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I've often wondered if not allowing radio reports at airports might not be safer, considering the unintended consequences of relying on them.
 
dtuuri said:
I've often wondered if not allowing radio reports at airports might not be safer, considering the unintended consequences of relying on them.
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Consider, too, how the ambiguities of English can lead to disaster in these situations. Shouldn't they require that a more precise language be used on CTAF?

I, for one, can't wait to have my pilot's license endorsement, "Klingon Proficient."

Ron "Puvhlu’meH QaQ jajvam"* Wanttaja

*= "Today is a good day to fly"
 
wanttaja said:
I, for one, can't wait to have my pilot's license endorsement, "Klingon Proficient."

Ron "Puvhlu’meH QaQ jajvam"* Wanttaja
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DubelmoHchugh qeS mIchHom traffic vay'

Nauga,
who will not buy this tobacconist, it is scratched
 
Stewartb said:
My planes have radios but I don't use them half the time. Aircraft radios remind me of television news. The illusion of useful information.
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You remind me of someone who has turn signals in his automobile but refuses to signal turns because you already know when and in which direction you will turn. Radios are not the solution to any problem but a single radio transmission may be the only thing that prevents a midair collision. Visual lookout is not the solution, nor is ADSB, transponders, flashing lights, bright colored vinyl wraps, etc. but each one increases the chances that two airplanes don't occupy the same space at the same time. Should radios be mandatory? Any pilot who wants to increase his survival chances should consider a radio a cheap way of increasing situational awareness. Will it work perfectly? No, because there will always be that person who refuses to transmit his position and intentions just like there are drivers who don't bother to signal turns or lane changes, but I'm sure most of us have avoided a collision because someone signalled and you were able to act accordingly and avoid trading paint.
 
flyingron said:
Not all planes without electrical systems can use handhelds either. Often the ignition system is so electrically noisy as to make the crapola AM comm radio useless.
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Cop out.

dtuuri said:
I've often wondered if not allowing radio reports at airports might not be safer, considering the unintended consequences of relying on them.
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No.

Witmo said:
You remind me of someone who has turn signals in his automobile but refuses to signal turns because you already know when and in which direction you will turn. Radios are not the solution to any problem but a single radio transmission may be the only thing that prevents a midair collision. Visual lookout is not the solution, nor is ADSB, transponders, flashing lights, bright colored vinyl wraps, etc. but each one increases the chances that two airplanes don't occupy the same space at the same time. Should radios be mandatory? Any pilot who wants to increase his survival chances should consider a radio a cheap way of increasing situational awareness. Will it work perfectly? No, because there will always be that person who refuses to transmit his position and intentions just like there are drivers who don't bother to signal turns or lane changes, but I'm sure most of us have avoided a collision because someone signalled and you were able to act accordingly and avoid trading paint.
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This.
 
Witmo said:
You remind me of someone who has turn signals in his automobile but refuses to signal turns because you already know when and in which direction you will turn. Radios are not the solution to any problem but a single radio transmission may be the only thing that prevents a midair collision. Visual lookout is not the solution, nor is ADSB, transponders, flashing lights, bright colored vinyl wraps, etc. but each one increases the chances that two airplanes don't occupy the same space at the same time. Should radios be mandatory? Any pilot who wants to increase his survival chances should consider a radio a cheap way of increasing situational awareness. Will it work perfectly? No, because there will always be that person who refuses to transmit his position and intentions just like there are drivers who don't bother to signal turns or lane changes, but I'm sure most of us have avoided a collision because someone signalled and you were able to act accordingly and avoid trading paint.
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Some of you guys imagine we all fly in the same conditions as you. I promise you some of us don’t. Look at my subsequent post after the one you quoted and maybe you’ll understand that. Honestly? Many of the radio calls I hear in uncontrolled airspace are a waste of time.
 
The closest I've ever had to a near mid-air was with a hot air balloon. I saw the whites of his eyes...:eek:
 
Watch out, if they make radios required pretty soon they'll want to track our every move by requiring special transponders!

I presume every one of you mandatory radio advocates is already geared up with ADS-B out and in?
 
Can anyone advocating for mandatory radios please identify some accidents caused by an aircraft not having a radio? All the midairs I can think of off the top of my head involved aircraft equipped with radios.
 
AKBill said:
radios like any other piece of equipment can be useful. in a busy airspace or when coming and going from an airport could possibly turn sour quickly without announcing ones intentions they should be used

as others have said regulations are not the answer, common sense and good airmen ship should used
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Yeah but then self righteous *******s can’t tell you how to fly because they are smarter than you and know what’s best for you and everyone around you.

oh and no mandate for radios.
 
Tusayan said:
It is unreal, I agree. The end result of this short sighted view might be like what already exists in Germany in relation to hand held radios used at uncontrolled fields:

There has to be a knowledgeable person on the ground to watch and hear, but not control your flight. If he’s not there to listen, you can’t land. So no landing at night.
Your handheld needs to be an government approved model.
Your handheld needs to have a sticker issued by the proper authority to approve it for use in your plane.
You need to have a certificate of German language proficiency to use your handheld, or you can’t legally land. This does not come with your Pilot Certificate, it is separate.

That’s where this sort of nonsense takes you, and you don’t want to go there.
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Liking this is not good enough. Everyone please read this again.
 
Lindberg said:
Can anyone advocating for mandatory radios please identify some accidents caused by an aircraft not having a radio? All the midairs I can think of off the top of my head involved aircraft equipped with radios.
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The last I know of was Aeromexico 498 in 1986, but that was technically attributed to not having a transponder...radio, but not a voice radio.
 
smv said:
Then there are those fools who think announcing how many minutes away from some reference point is so much safer than reporting an actual location.

:rolleyes:
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Yep. "Coming up on" is not information but I hear it ALL the time. Many times I've heard a position report saying they were precisely where I was. I'd notify tower and they'd tell me the other guy was 2-3 miles away. How about the guys that announce a 10 mile final and then go silent? Should I go on? Yesterday I heard a guy's position report on 122.8, which is one of 3 CTAF freqs in my local area. I replied to the guy that he was on 122.8 (I hate guys who play radio police but where he was is my back yard so I took interest.) He responded that he'd switch over after he crossed a specific island. He was only 20 miles inside the 122.9 boundary in a congested spot for a remote area. Yah, that radio is a tool. Sometimes so is the operator.
 
OMG! Can you imagine if Foreflite had an app to make your pattern position reports for you?

Those Cirrus pilots with their right hand on the handle would love that!

:p:p:p
 
Stewartb said:
Yep. "Coming up on" is not information but I hear it ALL the time. Many times I've heard a position report saying they were precisely where I was. I'd notify tower and they'd tell me the other guy was 2-3 miles away. How about the guys that announce a 10 mile final and then go silent? Should I go on? Yesterday I heard a guy's position report on 122.8, which is one of 3 CTAF freqs in my local area. I replied to the guy that he was on 122.8 (I hate guys who play radio police but where he was is my back yard so I took interest.) He responded that he'd switch over after he crossed a specific island. He was only 20 miles inside the 122.9 boundary in a congested spot for a remote area. Yah, that radio is a tool. Sometimes so is the operator.
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One of my peeves is reporting "approximately ____ " on the radio.

You are either there, or you ain't!
 
IK04 said:
One of my peeves is reporting "approximately ____ " on the radio.

You are either there, or you ain't!
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If a pilot is not confident that his/her position report is accurate, I would prefer to know that.
 
Stewartb said:
Snuck up on you, did it?
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Well it was 25 years ago, and I must say it had to be my fault. TO from a non towered field in SD.

The balloon took off and must have drifted across the runway between the time I did my run up and final checks for TO. To this day I still think I looked both ways for traffic and announce my departure on CTAF. I saw him at about 200 ft, right hand turn to miss him, he was center line with the runway.

If he had a handheld he did not use it.
 
Todd82 said:
Can we start with a law to make proper position reports first? Closest I ever came to a midair was a Cirrus repeatedly reporting he was "2-3 miles north of the runway" who suddenly filled my entire windscreen while I was making my 45 to enter left downwind to 25, south of the field. I would've rather he had just been NORDO.
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So at least you knew there was another aircraft nearby. I don't necessarily trust every radio call I hear as many have been inaccurate but at least it warned me that somebody was out there. One poster asked to cite one midair where one of the aircraft was without a radio.I can't but I personally have experienced countless times where a radio call was accurate, timely and enhanced my safety by increasing my situational awareness. I have personally experienced countless times where having AND USING a radio allowed myself and other pilots to coordinate our arrivals/departures to deconflict and enhance the safety of all concerned. But there will always be those who argue that mandating radios encroaches on our freedom to pretend like his aircraft is the only one in the sky and the next mandate will be for all aircraft to be equipped with air to air radar for collision avoidance since GPS/ADSB is not infallible. I defended this country to protect our freedom but sometimes I question my choice when I hear people killing security guards trying to enforce mask-wearing in a dollar store because someone saw it as enfringing on his "freedom" to be an a**hole.
 
I have always thought distance reports are good for the tower to help them spot a plane in the air, time reports are much more accurate than distance reports for pilots given the great variation in speed of different aircraft for example Cessna Citation xyz is approximately 10 miles to the north, inbound for a straight in approach (by definition you can not know exactly where you are in a Citation unless you are parked) is not nearly as precise as saying the exact same transmission but saying Cessna Citations is on a 2 minute final (10 miles out) This as compared to a Piper Cub saying that they are Exactly 10 miles out, inbound at 5000 msl, (while they are flying directly into a head 50 knot headwind) they will be 10 miles out for next 10 minutes.

Anyway, I think that a radio with position reporting should be required at any airport with an instrument approach. No instrument, approach no radio required.
 
dtuuri said:
Where do your eyes go on a 45°entry to downwind when somebody calls a two mile final? Should they go there? Do radios just turn you into Pavlov's dog?
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You have to use your mental and physical pictures together, even with a tower helping.
 
Witmo said:
Radios are not the solution to any problem but a single radio transmission may be the only thing that prevents a midair collision. Visual lookout is not the solution, nor is ADSB, transponders, flashing lights, bright colored vinyl wraps, etc. but each one increases the chances that two airplanes don't occupy the same space at the same time.
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As I stated earlier I'm not about mandates but I do believe radios can be an extremely important part of safety. The airport I fly from is usually pretty quiet but in the last few months that has changed. The county has two airports and one is much closer to the big city and has more commercial & general aviation traffic ... so they have sent the guys that want to fly paramotors and ultralights over our way for safety reasons. Yesterday I arrived to find a gathering of a dozen cars and probably eight or so paramotor guys flying and preparing to fly. These guys don't go too far and generally like buzzing around the field and doing "foot drags" down the runway.

I went to talk with them and see what I could learn. I found most don't but some do carry radios. One guy was especially impressive when he pointed to his helmet radio and said, "we are professional aviators" and then confessed his radio wasn't working because the batteries were dead. LOL! I also learned that they generally have communications between themselves and a spotter on the ground with a radio. I make radio calls leaving and returning as well as using my bright LED wig-wags as seen here:


So I agree that safety is not a single piece of equipment but the combination of all available technology along with a diligent and proper scan.
 
Brad Z said:
Wow, no shortage of opinions here. If the FAA were to propose such a rule, they'd have to show how the benefit in terms of the monetary value of a human life) outweighs the cost of implementing such a rule.
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When have they ever had to do that?

You’re kidding right? ADS-B ... cough...

Anecdotally the closest I’ve come to a midair wasn’t anywhere near an airport.

And more times than I can count, the aircraft on the radio wasn’t where they said they were. Not even lined up for the runway end they said they were on. LOL.

Trusting a radio call from another airplane is like trusting a fart today, after finishing last night’s heavy drinking off with Taco Bell at 3AM. :)

And the position reports from people doing practice approaches who were already lost five miles prior to the FAF... those are fun... and even more useless... hahaha.
 
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