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Is it safe to fly through a Military Operations Area (MOA)? It depends. A pilot named Drew recently asked me if I had any advice about how to contact ATC to check the status of a MOA. Here’s what I told him. Show Resources Yankee 1 and 2 are controlled by Boston Center. Aeronautical Information Manual 3−4−5. Military Operations Areas c. Pilots operating under VFR should exercise extreme caution while flying within a MOA when military activity is being conducted. The activity status (active/inact...
If you have ever felt butterflies in your stomach when faced with contacting Ground Control for taxi clearance, you have experienced something I call Taxi Clearance Anxiety. It’s a made-up term but the phenomenon has real consequences. Some pilots go out of their way to avoid controlled airports with complicated taxiway layouts. Even high-time pro pilots feel Taxi Clearance Anxiety prior to calling for taxi instructions at the nation’s biggest baddest airports. I’m talking about places such as C...
If you can get all the aviation weather data you need online, do you really need to know how to contact Flight Service on the radio? It depends on who you ask. I say yes. A Flight Service agent can save time and point you in the right direction. An agent can quickly sift through weather data and give you exactly what you need. You won’t need to sort the wheat from the chaff. In this show, we’ll walk through the steps from leaving your current ATC frequency, contacting Flight Service, to returnin...
In this episode, we’ll talk about why you make mistakes on the radio and what it says about your performance as a pilot. I think my analysis will surprise you (in a good way). Also, some pilots have asked interesting questions about the details of reporting your position in an uncontrolled airport pattern. Just when I think we’ve covered it all, someone brings up a question we haven’t covered before. Show Notes: Controller Pilot Data Link Communications (CPDLC) A text-message based system for co...
“Town and Country Traffic, red and white Skyhawk, 4-mile final, Runway One Seven, Town and Country.” “Town and Country Traffic, blue and white Warrior, turning base, Runway One Seven, Town and Country.” “Town and Country Traffic, red and white Skyhawk, final, Runway One Seven, Town and Country.” Do you think saying your aircraft’s color scheme in place of your aircraft’s registration when making position reports is a great idea? The truth is, this tactic has the potential to get you into deep se...
This edition of the Radar Contact Show consolidates the previous 3 articles about using a Common Traffic Advisory Frequency (CTAF) and about ATC as customer service organization. If you would rather read about CTAF, you can find the full articles using these links. How to Select and Use the Correct Common Traffic Advisory Frequency It’s What You Don’t Hear on the Radio that Can Get You ATC is a Customer Service Organization Your Question of the Week You are preparing to depart VFR from Martha’s ...
“Cessna 9130 Delta, Pensasoda Tower, make right closed traffic. Runway 11, cleared for takeoff.” What has ATC just authorized you to do? More importantly, what has ATC not authorized you to do? The answers are not as straight-forward as you would think. You have declared an emergency with ATC. Then, it occurs to you. You might not have a situation that requires emergency status. If your emergency turns out to be a false alarm, or if you resolve the emergency before landing, are you permitted to ...
I’ve spent a lot of time at this website talking to you about how to format your call sign when transmitting on the radio. While focusing on tiny details, I failed to recognize the bigger problem. Many pilots do not even use their call sign when talking to ATC. Time to slay that dragon. There you are, whizzing around an uncontrolled airport pattern, surrounded by who-knows-what in other aircraft. If it’s your unlucky day, someone is going to try and swap paint with you on the downwind leg. What ...
Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, or if you prefer, Seasonally Adjusted Greetings. I come bearing gifts of good cheer, ATC tips, techniques, and other goodies. Special Type 12X-mas de-icing fluid. 12-day holdover time before reapplication required. Normally, I’d tell you what’s in store for this edition of Radar Contact. Instead, slip off the ribbon, tear away the wrapping paper and look inside. Show Notes: Rudolf is fully equipped and rated for IFR. Donner and Blitzen are still working on their ...
The results of the survey about aviation headsets costing less than $400 are in. The survey asked, is there an economical headset that feels good on the head, provides good audio quality, and holds up over time? The answer in this week’s show. Questions asked in reader and listener email “Tiring of hearing “tally ho” and “no joy” on ATC [frequencies], my wife and I are on a quest to find the real word on this slang. I love that you always reference the docs –the AIM, the FARs, maybe a chart — an...
Radar Contact is back! In the first show after a months-long break, we’ll talk about when to make position reports in an uncontrolled pattern. You may think you already know the answer, but if you look at the confusing mess in the Aeronautical Information Manual, your confidence may be shaken. No matter. I’ll give you the definitive when, how, and why of position reports. Now that’s a wing flash. Are you in the market for an aviation headset? Do you have a headset you love, or one you hate with ...
In this month’s edition of the Radar Contact Show we are going to look at how the FAA’s NextGen version of air traffic control will affect you. We’ll also look at what it means to be off your assigned altitude and what to do if ATC calls you out for being off altitude. I’ll tell you the real life story of how two airliners departing from Midway Airport would have collided had ATC not intervened. The cause was not that unusual. In fact, you may be vulnerable to it the next time you fly. Advise wh...
“Cessna 9130D, caution wake turbulence for the departing Boeing 757, Runway 25, cleared for takeoff.” Gulp! Never fear, ATC is here to protect you against the hazards of wake turbulence. No kidding. ATC uses very specific rules to help you remain clear of wake turbulence. We’ll look at those rules and how to work within them in today’s show. (Notice how I never mention the Boeing 777 in today’s show. I have no idea why I left it out.) Next, a short story about a pilot called Mr. Stupid. He had w...
Hey Air Traffic Control, I think I might have a big problem but I’m not declaring an emergency. Standby for further information. In today’s show we are going to discuss aircraft problems that fall into gray areas. We’ll discuss how to break through the fog of indecision and determine whether you need to declare an emergency. A radar vector direct to a navigation fix, offered by ATC, is a good deal. I’ll explain why. More importantly, we’ll examine when and how to ask your controller for a vector...
Or, you could use an airplane. Reporting your position on the radio, while in an uncontrolled airport pattern, is a little bit like playing a game of Marco Polo. Other pilots in the pattern rely on your timely and accurate reports to help maintain awareness of your position. Miss a required report or state your position incorrectly and you’ve instantly become part of a game of blind tag. In this week’s show we’ll talk about how to recover from a missed or screwed up position report on the aircra...
If you are a pilot who hates to work with ATC because you feel doing so would restrict your flying freedom, I’ve got surprising news for you. Working with ATC can actually lighten your load and help you enjoy your flight. This is especially true when you have to fly around Class B and other airspace closed to VFR aircraft. In today’s show, we are going to talk about how to work with ATC in and around Class B. That’s right, you heard me correctly, I said we are going to cover flying VFR inside of...
My airplane has a problem. A big problem. I think I can handle it. No, I’m sure I can handle it. Maybe I can handle it. Can I handle it? I’m not sure.I had better declare an emergency with ATC and get some help. But what if this turns out to be nothing? What if I declare an emergency and it isn’t really an emergency? What will the FAA say? I’m sure they will want to investigate and that will not turn out well. I’ll just handle this on my own and see what happens. In today’s Radar contact show, w...
Daher-Socata TBM-850. Source: fr.wikipedia.orgEarlier this month, a single-engine turboprop aircraft crashed into the ocean near Jamaica. Early indications are the airplane’s cabin pressurization system failed and the pilot lost consciousness due to hypoxia. The plane continued flying on autopilot until fuel ran out and the engine quit. Could ATC have helped prevent this accident? The answer is probably, if the pilot had said one word. In this episode of Radar Contact, I’ll tell you the one word...
See no ATC. Hear No ATC. Speak no ATC. As pilots we are trained to respond to ATC each and every time ATC talks to us. Did you know there are times when you should not talk to ATC? It’s true. In this 40th edition of Radar Contact, you and I will cover those times when you had better keep your mouth shut and pretend ATC doesn’t exist. Traffic Collision Avoidance System. Does your airplane have it? Even if you think yours doesn’t, your transponder still provides TCAS information. We’ll give TCAS i...
Two people speaking to each other at the same time does not communication make. It’s true in a face-to-face encounter and it’s true when trying to communicate with ATC. When 2 pilots try to transmit at the same time, the result is just a bunch of noise on the radio. In this show, we are going to discuss techniques for getting your timing right when communicating with ATC. The times they are a-changing. The FAA published changes to the Air Traffic Controller’s Manual on April 3. What’s in there t...
“Dice right, ice cream, alert, 654 Jose. . . Brown Richmond 96 double . . . hut hut!” What?! I’ll give you a hint: Football and air traffic control. Here’s another hint: trying to understand Tower’s instructions does not have be painful if you know what is coming next. If that still doesn’t make any sense, hang in there. It will make sense when we open up ATC’s playbook and look inside. What makes a good headset? No, really. What does make a good headset? I can’t answer that. Each pilot has a pe...
My article, “Walk the Talk” is in the March issue of Flight Training magazine. Pilot (calling Tower): “Cessna 9130 Delta, request left closed traffic.” Tower: “Cessna 9130 Delta, make right closed traffic. Report a midfield right downwind.” Pilot: “Cessna 9130 Delta, right closed traffic. We’ll report a midfield right downwind.” Then, talking to himself, “What’s wrong with a left downwind? There is no one in the traffic pattern. What was Tower thinking?” Excellent question! Let’s answer it in to...
Proximity of Clark Downtown (Taney County) Airport to Branson Airport, Missouri. Last week a listener wrote to tell me about an incident in which a general aviation aircraft landed at the wrong airport . He said this reminded him of other incidents in which airplanes ended up landing at the wrong airport . He asked me what I thought causes pilots to land at the wrong airport. I said that sounded like a question I should answer in a Radar Contact show. Wouldn’t you know it? Two days later, Southw...
Cessna 9130, move rook to King 1. I’m afraid I can’t do that Dave. Air traffic control is voice-activated flying. Don’t believe me? Consider this. You’re about to enter a tower-controlled airport pattern. Tower says, “Cessna 9130 Delta enter a right base, Runway 36.” In response, you fly towards the entry point for a right base leg to Runway 36. He says it. You do it. That’s voice activated flying. Sometimes there is a disconnect between what Tower tells you to do and what you do in response. So...
“Shhh! I’m trying to use the phone radio” Borrowed from “Pee Wee Herman’s Big Adventure.” In this week’s show, we are going to talk about something called sterile cockpit and how it helps you communicate with ATC. No, Paul Reubens, aka Pee Wee, will not be making an appearance, but we can learn something from him. Never thought I’d say that in an article. We will also have the results from your test of the Aircraft Radio Simulator’s speech recognition module.You did test the module didn’t you? I...
This photo has nothing to do with this article. A photo of an A-10 just increases the overall quality of the website. You are approaching an uncontrolled airport traffic pattern and you need to know where other pilots are in the traffic pattern. How do you get that information? Two ways. You call on the radio for an airport traffic advisory. You also listen to the flow of position reports from other pilots established in the airport pattern. What you do not do is say, “Traffic in the area, pleas...
Round dial versus glass. Boeing 767-300 (top) and Boeing 767-400 (bottom). Learning to talk to air traffic control on the radios can be tough. Learning to talk to ATC on the radios while learning to fly a new airplane is even harder. Learning to talk to ATC, while learning to fly a new airplane, in a foreign country is possibly the most difficult of all. In this week’s Radar Contact Show, we are going to look at that most difficult situation. We will crack the code on how to talk to ATC even whe...
“Chestnut 372 Victor Charlie, you’re six miles north of the airport. Contact Propinquity Tower on 119.6.” That is how the switch from Approach Control to Tower Control should sound. Does it always happen that way? We’ll rip it apart in this week’s show and see what the pieces tell us. Last time in our story, I asked you some important questions about how you would use the Aircraft Radio Simulator. Yeah, I’m talking about the software I’ve had in development since the Late Pleistocene Epoch. I’ve...
Hi-yo Silver! In this week’s show we are going to saddle up with the Lone Ranger and break out a lasso, I mean, LAHSO. I know, we should quit horsing around and get down to business. We’ve got masked heroes on horseback; we’ve got fireworks and exploding software; we’ve got your question of the week. I ask you, where else can you go for such fired-up enthusiasm over something as routine as talking on the aircraft radio. Right here, that’s where. Hi-yo Silver! Away! Show Notes: Here’s hoping for ...
This episode discusses the FAA's proposed changes to pilot certification standards, emphasizing the importance of using standard radio phraseology. It explores the challenges of enforcing these standards among experienced pilots and provides guidance on radio procedures in Terminal Radar Service Areas (TRSAs). The episode also addresses common unprofessional radio communication habits and introduces a new workbook for improving radio skills.
