Uncontrolled field

frfly172

frfly172

Touchdown! Greaser!
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So I’m flying into an uncontrolled field, with heavy training traffic. Pilots are giving position reports. One pilot decides to do a practice approach, and is giving his position by identified fixes on an approach plate.As I report my position and intention,he notifys me of his position on the approach and asks me exactly where I am . After giving my altitude and position,I reminded him that his IFR reports aren’t much good to all us VFR pilots.
 
frfly172 said:
So I’m flying into an uncontrolled field, with heavy training traffic. Pilots are giving position reports. One pilot decides to do a practice approach, and is giving his position by identified fixes on an approach plate.As I report my position and intention,he notifys me of his position on the approach and asks me exactly where I am . After giving my altitude and position,I reminded him that his IFR reports aren’t much good to all us VFR pilots.
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Those fixes are not useful even for IFR-rated pilots unless they happen to be flying that same approach and are somehow familiar with the fix names. I make it a point to announce 5-mile final, or 3-mile final instead of fix names. Having said that, I've been admonished by an over-zealous pattern police that straight-ins are not allowed in the traffic pattern. I had to struggle to keep my mouth shut.
 
sarangan said:
Those fixes are not useful even for IFR-rated pilots unless they happen to be flying that same approach and are somehow familiar with the fix names. I make it a point to announce 5-mile final, or 3-mile final instead of fix names. Having said that, I've been admonished by an over-zealous pattern police that straight-ins are not allowed in the traffic pattern. I had to struggle to keep my mouth shut.
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If I hear someone in the pattern say something like that I’ll break off, if I need to, and do a normal pattern entry. If I’m in the pattern and hear someone announce a straight in I’ll extend or do a short approach, which ever makes sense.
 
frfly172 said:
So I’m flying into an uncontrolled field, with heavy training traffic. Pilots are giving position reports. One pilot decides to do a practice approach, and is giving his position by identified fixes on an approach plate.As I report my position and intention,he notifys me of his position on the approach and asks me exactly where I am . After giving my altitude and position,I reminded him that his IFR reports aren’t much good to all us VFR pilots.
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How did he respond? Did learning take place?
 
After the reminder he did start to give accurate position reports.
 
If the IFR pilot doesn't know that the fix is "5 miles northeast of the field" he should go missed and come back VFR. :):(
 
Pilot 1: "Cirrus XYZ is FUBAR inbound on the RNAV 36"
Pilot 2: "Where is FUBAR?"
 
Even as a IFR pilot, if Im not looking at the same plate he is, unless its a airport Im super familiar with, I get nothing out of saying random waypoints.



dbahn said:
If the IFR pilot doesn't know that the fix is "5 miles northeast of the field" he should go missed and come back VFR. :):(
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Youd be surprised, Ive seen it a good bit where people think IFR is something you evolve to vs a different tool, like a flat head vs a phillips, and will go IFR ALL THE TIME, not thinking VFR skills can erode too.
 
That’s ok. 2 weeks ago I was sitting on the end of runway 21 preparing for takeoff when a Barron on CTAF as for an airport advisory. Have a full ASOS on the airport I thought that a bit odd so just broadcast 21 was in use. The Barron announced a 5 mile final.

After doing my checks, I expected to see the Barron final. When I didn’t I requested his distance. He responded he was on a 2.5 mile final as a Barron in a 60 degree bank made a turn RT base from a right downwind (left at this airport) at about 1/2 mile and then final.
 
James331 said:
Even as a IFR pilot, if Im not looking at the same plate he is, unless its a airport Im super familiar with, I get nothing out of saying random waypoints.

Youd be surprised, Ive seen it a good bit where people think IFR is something you evolve to vs a different tool, like a flat head vs a phillips, and will go IFR ALL THE TIME, not thinking VFR skills can erode too.
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You are making me think of a pilot I checked out at a new-to-him airport years ago. Had just gotten his instrument rating. I pointed out a highly visible intersection of an Interstate and a major crossroad as where the altitude of the overlying Class B changed. He immediately did a VOR cross-radial check so he could find it again.

Edited because the original was gobbledygook.
 
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jordane93 said:
Cirrus would just announce he’s landing. Everyone else should move out of the way.
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Every time I hear that on the radio my instinctive reaction is to start scanning the sky directly overhead the center of the airport...
 
Clip4 said:
He responded he was on a 2.5 mile final as a Barron in a 60 degree bank made a turn RT base from a right downwind (left at this airport) at about 1/2 mile and then final.
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Just a little dog leg on the final.
 
frfly172 said:
So I’m flying into an uncontrolled field
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This is one time where I would agree that this, indeed, was an uncontrolled field. If the pilot on final doesn't even know where he is relative to others in the pattern, there is no control.

Normally, these fields are pilot-controlled, but that requires competent pilots. ;)
 
I tend to use the term pilot-controlled rather than uncontrolled. Because that's really what they are, pilots control the flow of traffic, not the tower...but that's just my opinion.

To be fair, it can be difficult sometimes for newbie IFR pilots (or anyone really) to transition from speaking "IFR" to "VFR". I did a few approaches into pilot-controlled fields and after you get your handoff from approach and the go ahead to switch to CTAF (which sometimes is a wordy handoff) sometimes it takes a moment to switch your brain back to calling out position reports. For heavily populated pilot-controlled fields having a diligent safety pilot or instructor with you makes all the difference for when people cut in front on short final or are NORDO/wrong freq.

But yes, reminding him that he's not talking to approach anymore and to use landmarks, not checkpoints was a good thing.
 
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