I hate the radio.

[Shiny Side Up]

Seriously people, lets get this fixed. Lets make a concerted effort to spread the word and fight the infection of stupid shit people say. Its getting worse by the day. If you do one of these things stop it immediately. If you know someone who does these things, take it upon yourself to make sure they are re-educated and see the error of their ways. The following list is not exaustive.

Currently. Every one is now currently doing something. We don't need the adverb. Someone the other day was currently 20 miles north, currently at 3500 feet, currently heading 320... You get the picture. On that note...

Super precise numbers You don't need to take up time with your distance measured to the third decimal place and no one cares what your specific heading is. Heading West, East, North or South will do. No one is going to be doing some triangulating in their head to determine if you're at 52.35 jmiles north on a heading of 231 degrees, flying 124.1 knots to figure out if their going to "conflict".

The long AND start. If you must start every radio call you make with AAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNDDDDDDDD, do the rest of us a favour and key the mike after you've done it and have figured out what you're going to say.

In the vicinity of. If you're going to tell us where you're at, be specific and to the point or don't bother. And for your God's sake, you definitely don't need to repeat the phrase.

Calling up people to tell them you're not conflicting with them. This is different than telling someone you got visual on them or the like, but if you figure out that you have 50 miles between the two of you or that you're not even in the same province, you don't have to tell the other person that. Do we really need confirmation of the obvious that badly?

Last of all but not least since it seems to need repeating and the avcanadians aren't getting out there to press the point enough:

Any conflicting traffic please advise. This includes any and all variations there of. Of which pilots seem to be creative in coming up with more ways to fit more words in. A few times, some people out there were Starting their transmissions and ending them with this bullshit. What the hell people?!

If anyone is in the military, I'll also say that it seems anyone flying a Harvard II is one of the worst offenders for some of the above, especially, the "ACTPA" bit. Its making me angry that my tax dollars are being wasted that way. If it doesn't stop I'm going to start writing letters to the minister. Flying around Moose Jaw shouldn't be that painful on the ears. And no, more radio calls ain't an increase in safety. Some of those harvard IIs are making a call every 3 minutes to update their position. They're going to and from their own designated areas FFS. Is this some sort of training thing to irritate enemy SIGINT operators? Some sort of hot-mike jamming tactic I don't know about?

[mike123]

I know an instructor who talks on the radio just like that ..... and another instructor who tells her students: "This is what PROFESSIONAL radio calls sound like."

[Jet Stream]

Have a beer, it's Friday Mate

[digits_]

And what's up with the altitude reporting ?
2500 ft is two thousand five hundred feet, not two point five.

You are all (or almost) so lucky to be able speak your native language in the air. The least you could do is try to stick to the standard ICAO phraseology...

Nice url: http://contentzone.eurocontrol.int/phraseology/
Developed by the Europeans, but should be all ICAO based.

[photofly]

If someone tells me "got you on TCAS", what should I make of it? Should I care? Does it mean I can stop looking out for them?

[imac0960]

+1 SSU. Hearing this nonsense on 122.8 drives me insane

[Colonel Sanders]

Listening to the drivel on the "CYRO Overshoot"
video is enough to make me want to turn the
frikken comm off.

At a recent fly-in - we had 234 aircraft movements
before noon at a tiny, uncontrolled one-runway
airport - on a sunny weekend, we had a doofus
land on runway 06, when everyone else was
landing on runway 24. What a goat rope. He
never looked at the windsocks, or noticed the
THREE aircraft in the circuit for 24, that he went
head-to-head with, when he landed.

He was relying on his comm for separation,
and he was either on the wrong freq or had
his audio panel buttons screwed up.

Turn that crap off, and

LOOK OUTSIDE

[azimuthaviation]

If someone tells me "got you on TCAS", what should I make of it? Should I care? Does it mean I can stop looking out for them?

They paid a lot of money for that TCAS, they want everyone to know it.

[Rookie50]

The regular AV Can monthly radio procedures forum. Yes, SSU, it's worthwhile, cause some tie up the radio for an hour, or so it seems.

My $0.02. On the two-point five, I think that's cool with terminal controllers, especially say in the toronto TCA where that altitude restriction is very common and and a QUICK acknowledgement -- yes not required but I think appreciated by controllers that instruction is followed -- (yes) "direct lakeshore, down to 2.5, GABC". Zero chance of misunderstanding. I wouldn't use 2.5 on 126.70, though.

Now for those who say only a call sign is required to acknowledge -- I've actually been asked to directly acknowledge an instruction -- even while VFR but in the TCA -- so I do so --- briefly!

Compose what you are going to say to terminal or uncontrolled, before you key. Some of them go on for 30 seconds plus. Practice cutting adverbs, adjectives......Controllers are human beings and there to help --- with practice it does become comfortable.

I notice in Toronto, (and I've started doing this) the airlines don't even call up "Toronto Terminal" -- they just call "terminal, GABC, level 7000" Of course -- who else is it going to be?

Lastly, Photo, Porter I think says that to reassure the other AC in proximity....can't see the harm.

Suppose it does depend on common sense and how busy things are that day, too. If center says good morning, suppose I can too....

CS is right, both NYC and DC are busier than anywhere up here ( that I've heard anyway). No good mornings.

[Colonel Sanders]

It's really very simple.

Low-time pilots love to talk on the radio.
They love the sound of their own voice.
They feel important. They feel just like
airline pilots.

BARF

I say as little as possible on the radio.

The fewer syllables you use to convey
the same information, the more efficient
you are, and efficiency matters, regardless
of what all the low-time pilots think, as
they drivel on endlessly about useless
crap that no one cares about.

SHUT UP AND FLY

[PilotDAR]

+2 SSU.

[Big Pistons Forever]

Using the radio effectively is just another skill on your way to the PPL. It can be taught well, satisfactorily, kind of OK, badly, or very badly. I am a radio Nazi with my students. I insist they make the proper calls at the proper time and be efficient, accurate and effective with their radio communications. If they are not I correct the faults. I make a point with my students of remarking when in I hear bad calls on the radio and I end with the tag line "don't be that guy ! ".

Using the radio well enhances safety and is a non optional skill when flying in busy terminal airspace. Saying just turn off the radio is IMO a cop out. Instructors can and should do a better job.

Finally repeat after me: I (insert name hear) do solemnly swear that I will never, ever,ever say "will conflict traffic please advise"

[Rookie50]

Using the radio effectively is just another skill on your way to the PPL. It can be taught well, satisfactorily, kind of OK, badly, or very badly. I am a radio Nazi with my students. I insist they make the proper calls at the proper time and be efficient, accurate and effective with their radio communications. If they are not I correct the faults. I make a point with my students of remarking when in I hear bad calls on the radio and I end with the tag line "don't be that guy ! ".

Using the radio well enhances safety and is a non optional skill when flying in busy terminal airspace. Saying just turn off the radio is IMO a cop out. Instructors can and should do a better job.

Finally repeat after me: I (insert name hear) do solemnly swear that I will never, ever,ever say "will conflict traffic please advise"

+1 BPF. My home airport is right under a low shelf of the Toronto TCA, under the arrival path to Pearson, about 60 seconds flying time to the Hamilton zone, and surrounded by at least 6 other busy controlled and uncontrolled fields within 10 or 15 minutes.

Uhhhh...ignoring using the radio -- not the wisest course of action in my area. Lookout first, listen carefully to capture the traffic in the area, then announce --

I enjoy northern Ontario flying --- it's so quiet up there!

[Shiny Side Up]

Using the radio well enhances safety and is a non optional skill when flying in busy terminal airspace. Saying just turn off the radio is IMO a cop out. Instructors can and should do a better job.

By all means. But I really don't think this is something we can completely pin on instructors. People seem to be able to blab when they push that tx button, and most of the time they don't have their brain in gear. In terminal airspace its a different matter - pilots are usually very practiced at talking to the controller, its their ability to make a blind broadcast outside of there that's in question. I spent the last week or so transiting across a good part of the country, 99% of my time spent in uncontrolled airspace. I noted 9 conflicts which I resolved visually - and I wonder if the other pilots seen me since I was in front of them. In all of those, the radio factored not at all, though I suspect some of the blind calls I heard were from some of these guys, you couldn't tell. Half the pilots out there make radio calls that are absolutely worthless - and I should say that they account for way more than their percentage of the calls you actually hear. You get the idea that these guys have the same theory about flying as my grandma's driving theory: keep your hand on the horn from the driveway to the destination so people stay out of your way. In other words transmit long and often and hope everyone sees you coming.

I really wish pilots would clue in to the most important thing that gets across in your transmission: Where you are at. No one cares who you are, no one cares what the precise direction you're going. No one cares how fast, what your destination is, or (my new favorite) that you're going for the "flight levels".

The rest of the pilots who do convey something useful, still fill the transmission with so much useless stuff, and order it with the important where they are at somewhere in the middle. Only the smallest fraction of pilots make a reasonable, useful radio call, but lets face it, the amount of planes within reception distance is so large, the idea of receiving anything useful is almost a negligible probability. One might as well turn it off.

Even when one is within an aerodrome traffic area, half the received calls are worthless, with the only help being that someone is likely within the 5 mile radius. Sometimes you wonder that how their voice raises an octave in these areas if you communicating to them is actually causing them more problems...

[Pop n Fresh]

Poor innocent radio.

It's not it's fault some pilots use it to fearfully express their concerns that someone else is going to suddenly try to fly into them.

[donnybrook]

Also, repeat the aerodrome or area you are referring to at the end of your transmission. So many pilots think they are being a pro by blurting shit out as fast as possible that the transmission is useless. Don't try to be fast, try to be accurate and concise. Then tell me again where you are because you talked so fast I missed it...

[iflyforpie]

I do it at the beginning and the end. Beginning lets people ignore it or pay attention if it concerns them, at the end in case they missed it. Still doesn't add as much as ACTPA....

[trampbike]

If anyone is in the military, I'll also say that it seems anyone flying a Harvard II is one of the worst offenders for some of the above

We are quite terrible indeed.
A com failure on a good VFR day is considered by many in Moose Jaw to be an emergency...

Some of those harvard IIs are making a call every 3 minutes to update their position. They're going to and from their own designated areas FFS.

To be fair, every three minutes, those Harvard are 12NM from their previous position.
When you hear Harvards on 126.7, they are doing navigation flight, out of the MTCA. Many of the pilots are sent solo on a low level nav trip (240 kts groundspeed, 500' AGL eyeballed) with less than 70h TT.

[iflyforpie]

12NM? I'll do a 700 track mile trip and maybe talk on the radio once outside of a control zone....

[trampbike]

That is very irresponsible and dangerous.
As if leaving a controlled airspace wasn't pushing it already...

[Colonel Sanders]

solo of a low level nav trip (240 kts groundspeed, 500' AGL eyeballed) with less than 70h TT

If so, it's incredible that they have time
to waste making long radio calls.


Radio work is really easy. Boggles the
mind that people could screw it up. All
you have to remember is the 4 W's:

Who you're talking to
Who you are
Where you are
What you are going to do

<Airport Name> Traffic (or Tower)
<Type> Fox Alpha Bravo Charlie
Ten South
Inbound Two Two

How do people manage to so badly screw
up something so simple?

When it's uncontrolled and busy, drop the
aircraft type. No one could give a sh1t if
you were a Piper or Beech. Honest. The
radio is NOT your facebook page, for
you to preen on.

[cgzro]

Many years go I flew to an aerobatic contest in the Us at some little uncontrolled airport.
The weather had been crappy but was just lifting so 20 fast little aerobatic planes all arrived within a few minutes from various directions. The radio work was impressive, short sweet simple and what i really appreciated were calls like "yellow biplane", "red and white bipe" etc... i learned a lot in 5 minutes.

[Shiny Side Up]

Poor innocent radio.

It's not it's fault some pilots use it to fearfully express their concerns that someone else is going to suddenly try to fly into them.

The bad thing is that the poor radio is something that if everyone did use it properly, there would probably be a substantial increase in both safety and the efficiency of flights. But only the smallest fraction of pilots do. I suspect that part of it is that a majority of pilots train in and love to stay in controlled airspace, so that its terrifying to venture into somewhere that you don't have your hand held.

Low-time pilots love to talk on the radio.

Its not just low time pilots, and hence part of the problem. I refuse to believe that the guy flying the STARS helicopter is low time (yes I'm calling you out if you're reading this! stop the ACTPA!) or all the other guys flying King Airs, 1900s, ATRs and everything else. Guys flying beavers, otters and twotters were doing it. And FFS, the students at Moose Jaw are getting it from someone, or at least the instructors aren't doing anything to correct it. Are those instructors low time guys?! Frig, I hope not.

Who you're talking to
Who you are
Where you are
What you are going to do

I'll repeat printing that for people, since no one seems to get it. Incidentally the first bit, Who you're talking to, is part of the "where you are" information that needs to get across to other pilots so they can listen up or ignore you as their situation dictates. On the other hand, if you start your call with "One-Two-Six-Decimal-Seven traffic" you tell the other pilots nothing useful, unless they were so dense they forgot which frequency they were on, in which case you'd better hope that a pilot of such mental capacity isn't in close proximity.

Of the above, "who you are" is the least important part, so make it short. You don't need to know it if you do want to call the traffic back as long as they got the first part right. Hell, 99% of the time there is no need to call them back for anything unless it makes you feel more secure. You also don't need to be Captain obvious and call them back and tell them they aren't conflicting.

I've already posted my Anti-ACTPA sign in plain view of all itinerant pilots who frequent my home field (and have recieved some protests about it too oddly enough) I encourage the rest of you to do your part and do likewise.

[iflyforpie]

Can I have a copy of your sign SSU?

Better yet, we should make up one that looks official... like one of those Take Five For Safety posters and distribute them.

[Shiny Side Up]

Damn, Pie... That's an even better idea. Be back in a bit, I got something to keep me occupied with the rain now.