Bad Radio Procedures

[Guest alpipete]

Sure doesn,t hurt to make all your calls as I believe these are like another pair of eyes.Seen and be seen

 

 

[Roundsounds]

Sure doesn,t hurt to make all your calls as I believe these are like another pair of eyes.Seen and be seen

Not so, the recommendations in CAAP 166 have been developed over many years of experience and research into incidents. Making more than the recommended calls creates a situation whereby busy airports (or airports in close proximity using a common frequency) leads to over-transmissions and a lack of "airtime" to make necessary calls.

It also makes flight training difficult - I stop talking to students when radio transmissions are made by other aircraft so both me and student can hear and react to them. More and more I'm hearing routine multiple unessessary calls being made by pilots. Unfortunately this is being taught by both GA and RAA.

 

 

[ben87r]

Too much talk on the radio also reduces the attention of the receiving station and there's no point making a call if no one hears it.

 

 

[mike_perth]

I regularly fly from YMUL and it shares frequency with YSEN and it can be difficult at times when everyone is out flying, but I still have to say the biggest issue I have is the relaxed nature of some comms and the complete disregard to standard radio calls. In the last 2 weeks I have had to ask 3 times if the station calling was at YMUL or YSEN (every time they were at YSEN) which to add to confusion has the exact same runway directions.

 

I don't feel it is any more difficult to use the correct phrases or to include the airfield you are operating out of especially when you are on the same CTAF as a field that is so close and has the same characteristics - there is no excuse - In my opinion this only degrades my situational awareness as I feel like i'm thinking about traffic that isn't even at the same field!

 

 

[REastwood]

I once had an aircraft call "joining mid-field cross wind" while I and another aircraft were doing circuits. I was just airborne, and in my mental map had the calling aircraft directly above me and a little over half a circuit in front. On turning downwind (and calling such, with no reply) I completed some checks and was looking for the traffic to follow on downwind when I suddenly saw an aircraft coming from my left on a direct collision course. The plane was starting to bank left to join mid downwind and the other pilot would not have been able to see me under his upturned wing. I took immediate and abrupt evasive action and the collision was avoided. This was the plane that called "joining" over a minute earlier and was a student pilot with instructor on board.

A "joining" call at the time of joining, or a response to my "turning downwind" call or the other pilot looking up the downwind leg could have avoided the near tragedy. I now always visually check to the left when joining downwind, something that was not taught in ab-initio training.

Certainly the student pilot or instructor should have made a response to your "turning downwind" call, obviously not listening. But it also may have been appropriate on your part not to turn downwind until you had the location of the other aircraft established, extend upwind or crosswind until you are sure. Watch the youtube videos of the F16 C150 and the Sabreliner C172 midairs, See and Avoid is extremely difficult, correct and targeted use of the radio should be used and if you are not certain of the position of another aircraft in the vicinity don't just keep on doing what you are doing, and if you do make a call i.e. "Aircraft joining midfield cross wind please advice when you are on downwind." but get no response then it is probably safe to assume that they are not listening so stay clear until you either hear a response or you can verify their position visually.

 

There is no hard and fast rule of when or when not to make a call, it is "to avoid the possibility of a collision (CAR166)", too many calls will block or override other transmissions so is not safe, too few will not alert other pilots in the vicinity so is not safe, and not listening or acting upon another transmission is also not safe. The correct use of the radio is an integral part of being a pilot and as much effort as you put into getting your landings right or other flight manoeuvres you should put into getting your calls right. Just as in landings, every situation is different, for what radio calls to make and listening and acting upon them.

 

 

[turboplanner]

While there is a balance between to many calls and too few calls, the more important issue is whether you are using correct phrases, or dictating a novel.

 

With the correct phrases, there are often quite big gaps between transmissions with six aircraft in the circuit.

 

Twelve aircraft in the circuit takes some practice; you have to get ready for your turn, wait for a transmission to end then snap the button down, spit it out, and let the button go, and on most occasions you'll get the message through.

 

Radio is much more important in the 6 - 12 aircraft/circuit bracket because the aircraft will mostly be on different tracks and a surprising number will not be able to stick to their altitude within a couple of hundred feet.

 

 

[Yenn]

Arron What do you mean?