I am a HAM radio operator and listen to towers in my car all the time. This helped a LOT while I was in training. It helps to try an visualize where the planes are relative to the airport when the calls come in.
Thank you for this excellent information. As a 71 yr old student pilot, I`ve been struggling with flying and talking at the same time. Now it`s all coming together.
Dr B here, I have been so impressed by your videos, such awesome scenery, I found your "making good radio calls", especially helpful and timely as I just started learning to fly after putting it off almost too long, I took my first lesson last fall at 66, and I'm almost ready to solo after about 9 hrs. I'm detail oriented, too, and sooo inspired by your obvious passion!! Looking forward to seeing more of your awesome videos!!
I like the comments here about older student pilots. I flew somewhat in the Air Force 37 years ago. I'm 65 now, and building two planes, and just last Saturday started my flight training to get current again. You don't lose the feeling of flight control inputs and responses, but oh boy, was I ever rusty. So a young man that could possibly be my grandson is now my CFI. But he's great.
+Phillip Smith Oh yes, that is Donnell Reservoir, 40 nmi east of Jackson (Westover) Airport (KJAQ) on a heading of 077 degrees. One of the most beautiful lakes in CA--and I've never seen another person down there in three over-flights! And I'm going in by boat for some extreme fishing in a few days! See more of Donnell, right here: th-cam.com/video/QGtzJuWGuyE/w-d-xo.html
Great video!!! I'm learning so much from all your videos. It's really helping with my flight training. Can't wait to have my own STING arrive!!! So excited.
I know you must be, Warren! I know how pumped I was the day I got mine home, 1,800 hours ago! Looking forward to seeing you in CA next week during your Sting pick-up.
I work at an FBO and we have a dry-erase board full of "strange" radio calls. "Malibu 123 taking the ramp/taxiway for takeoff" "Meridian crossing mid-base... ...for full stop landing" (Local college): "Diamond Star 1234A 12 miles North of the field, setting up for vor/dme RW 36 afterwards we will be executing a hold at 3,000 ft on the 270 radial after which we will... *insert entire far/aim here* .... Uh... Yeah.. 1234A." That's just to name a few. The last one is actually one we hear a lot. Numerous people will land within one transmission. It's ridiculous but we are not allowed to say anything. Other pilots will and that makes for a good chuckle here and there
This video is very enjoyable for the aerial photography and quite informative for the phraseology for flights into and out of non-towered airports. Per item #9 on your "Hold Short!" list, keep in mind that some local landmarks may actually be depicted on the sectional chart. I'm learning to fly out of Hayward (KHWD), CA. "Report CAL STATE for Rwy 28R" is a local landmark and it is not on the chart. When approaching Reid-Hillview (KRHV) from the south, "...expect Rwy 31R, report UTC." UTC is an old rocket test site owned by United Technologies. (Once you see it from the air, you'll know what it is). And it is on the chart. Google Earth is a wonderful tool for checking out the lay of the land when planning a flight into uncontrolled airports. Anyway, I'm just learning here. Great video! I subscribed! ...Bruce.
As a new pilot using the radio, I don't understand why so many pilots talk so fast that they are very hard to understand? The answer I always get is that other pilots are needing to speak over the radio. That makes no sense! By talking so fast you may cause a fatal accident because another pilot could not understand you. It makes total sense to spend an extra five seconds to speak in clear, concise, words that everyone can understand.
I agree, clarity is an essential; brevity often is too. Busy days not not allow the luxury of a "few extra seconds." Often, I hear pilots failing to achieve good clarity by poor mic positioning, wrong volume setting, or simply speaking like they have a mouthful of peanut butter! If I'm in the pattern and it happens, I am not above "getting out of Dodge," so to speak, until the offender is gone. Follow more here: facebook.com/Sting-Flight-334060526751303/
Great video sir. Another great teaching aid which im sure most of you guys know is LiveATC . I put it on for my drive to work and when im walking the dog.Thanks for posting.
im a new pilot- i was arriving to an Uncontrolled airport that was pretty busy and announced 10 w at 2500 inbound etc but then decided to divert west to another airport- i was about 5 miles out and wasnt sure if i should announce it or not since i was no factor but did so that they knew i wasnt inbound since i had announced it- i said as xxxx 5 W cancelling inbound and leaving area to the west.- i know thats not proper but wasnt sure how else to put it. do you announce diversions like that? and how? do you announce transitions through the area if its pretty far from the field but busy?
plftw 757 I make "diverting," "cancelling," & "leaving" calls like that fairly frequently. Transitions through the area are more condition-dependent, but if I'm down where the action is (pattern area and altitude, or thereabouts) I certainly do.
+Sting Flight Last year I watched two airplanes collide right in front of me in the pattern over in Nevada. They and their planes fell to the desert in a thousand pieces. It was very sobering. Follow that story, here: th-cam.com/video/w1FXSsb2ieI/w-d-xo.html Now, I'm even more cautious about letting other flyers know where I am and what my intentions are, when around non-towered airports. So, if the frequency isn't clogged (like it often is on weekends and holidays), I always report. If it is too clogged to talk, I sometimes just stay away.
Sting Flight ok, bc when i said i was "leaving the area" bc i was "cancelling inbound" a guy made fun of me. i did my training from a class Delta so uncontrolled is still a bit of the wild west to me. i just figured when in doubt telling people where i am and what im doing is safer but im still working on it. thanks for helping me a safer pilot!
Sting Flight wow. to see that must have been terrible. thats my biggest fear which is why im working on my communications in non-controlled areas. i feel spoiled being trained at a bigger class delta. arriving/departing was taught well but transitioning and holding patterns etc around non-towered is newer. -would you call for flight following for short hops like 50NM in a 152? (ex30min hops)
+IncognitoPotat0 Standard practice, Step1 is, as you approach the airport to land, you do so by coming in at a 45 degree angle to the runway you're planning to use.
The short answer is, "You don't!" But most pilots, including me, think it's a pretty good idea. All but one of my "near misses" have been with airplanes with no radio--or on the wrong frequency.
It's not an authorized US air-to-air talk channel. It is assigned to specific entities in some areas--such as Boeing Aircraft at Seattle. 122.75 and 122.85 are the authorized air-to-air channels in US.
I assume you have seen this from some years back from Sun N Fun th-cam.com/video/JYh6TsQXov0I/w-d-xo.html have borrowed from his talk to use in other radio services where the same type of excess and unhelpful information is transmitted
This is the greatest radio call video ever made, period. FAA should pass a rule that all new pilots must watch this video.
Benjamin Damm 😁👍
Great stuff Sting! and I definitely appreciate your "HOLD SHORT" note / disclaimer.
I am a HAM radio operator and listen to towers in my car all the time. This helped a LOT while I was in training. It helps to try an visualize where the planes are relative to the airport when the calls come in.
+fish7days Yes, it sure does! Thanks for commenting.
Thank you for this excellent information. As a 71 yr old student pilot, I`ve been struggling with flying and talking at the same time. Now it`s all coming together.
Roger that! I took my 1st flight lesson on my 65th birthday, exactly 6 years ago--and I struggled Too! Kudos 2 U 4 going for it!
Dr B here, I have been so impressed by your videos, such awesome scenery, I found your "making good radio calls", especially helpful and timely as I just started learning to fly after putting it off almost too long, I took my first lesson last fall at 66, and I'm almost ready to solo after about 9 hrs. I'm detail oriented, too, and sooo inspired by your obvious passion!! Looking forward to seeing more of your awesome videos!!
I like the comments here about older student pilots. I flew somewhat in the Air Force 37 years ago. I'm 65 now, and building two planes, and just last Saturday started my flight training to get current again. You don't lose the feeling of flight control inputs and responses, but oh boy, was I ever rusty. So a young man that could possibly be my grandson is now my CFI. But he's great.
👍😁
Very helpful. Fx were a bit much tho...
Very good post. I found very helpful to hear the wrong way followed by the correct way to make good radio calls. Thank you!
Hey there! Where are you in the video at 7:36? I'd love to fly there!
+Phillip Smith Oh yes, that is Donnell Reservoir, 40 nmi east of Jackson (Westover) Airport (KJAQ) on a heading of 077 degrees. One of the most beautiful lakes in CA--and I've never seen another person down there in three over-flights! And I'm going in by boat for some extreme fishing in a few days! See more of Donnell, right here: th-cam.com/video/QGtzJuWGuyE/w-d-xo.html
Today there are apps for listing to ATC and towers. I just do it from home.
Check! Thanks!
Awesome info thx and 4:21 was a close call to that bird
Great video!!! I'm learning so much from all your videos. It's really helping with my flight training. Can't wait to have my own STING arrive!!! So excited.
I know you must be, Warren! I know how pumped I was the day I got mine home, 1,800 hours ago! Looking forward to seeing you in CA next week during your Sting pick-up.
Folks: Please start by reading the HOLD SHORT statement above.--SF
I work at an FBO and we have a dry-erase board full of "strange" radio calls.
"Malibu 123 taking the ramp/taxiway for takeoff"
"Meridian crossing mid-base... ...for full stop landing"
(Local college): "Diamond Star 1234A 12 miles North of the field, setting up for vor/dme RW 36 afterwards we will be executing a hold at 3,000 ft on the 270 radial after which we will... *insert entire far/aim here* .... Uh... Yeah.. 1234A."
That's just to name a few.
The last one is actually one we hear a lot. Numerous people will land within one transmission. It's ridiculous but we are not allowed to say anything. Other pilots will and that makes for a good chuckle here and there
Evan Hailey Yes, some do make you wonder how they got there.
Video is absolutely stunning.... wow.... Great tips as well. thanks...
He is so great it so hard to stay in focus
This video is very enjoyable for the aerial photography and quite informative for the phraseology for flights into and out of non-towered airports. Per item #9 on your "Hold Short!" list, keep in mind that some local landmarks may actually be depicted on the sectional chart. I'm learning to fly out of Hayward (KHWD), CA. "Report CAL STATE for Rwy 28R" is a local landmark and it is not on the chart. When approaching Reid-Hillview (KRHV) from the south, "...expect Rwy 31R, report UTC." UTC is an old rocket test site owned by United Technologies. (Once you see it from the air, you'll know what it is). And it is on the chart. Google Earth is a wonderful tool for checking out the lay of the land when planning a flight into uncontrolled airports. Anyway, I'm just learning here. Great video! I subscribed! ...Bruce.
Thanks, Bruce! Good points--literally!
As a new pilot using the radio, I don't understand why so many pilots talk so fast that they are very hard to understand? The answer I always get is that other pilots are needing to speak over the radio. That makes no sense! By talking so fast you may cause a fatal accident because another pilot could not understand you. It makes total sense to spend an extra five seconds to speak in clear, concise, words that everyone can understand.
I agree, clarity is an essential; brevity often is too. Busy days not not allow the luxury of a "few extra seconds." Often, I hear pilots failing to achieve good clarity by poor mic positioning, wrong volume setting, or simply speaking like they have a mouthful of peanut butter! If I'm in the pattern and it happens, I am not above "getting out of Dodge," so to speak, until the offender is gone. Follow more here: facebook.com/Sting-Flight-334060526751303/
Great video sir. Another great teaching aid which im sure most of you guys know is LiveATC . I put it on for my drive to work and when im walking the dog.Thanks for posting.
+Michael John Roger that, thanks!
I'm good in the pattern, iffy when approaching the area. I tend to forget the direction when announcing "over flight midfield 2000' to check windsock"
I hear you. It took me forever to firmly grasp runway number in relation to direction I'd be landing. I still have to really think about it.
Great tips...thank you...i always like to say “pilot controlled field”...i know its not technically correct, but it seems more accurate.
Great video as usual, very informative. You do a nice job editing and using the scenery
Thanks, David. Yes, I taught myself some new editing skills with this one, but it sure takes time--at my age!
The scenery around the 7:50 mark is incredible.
Yes, I nailed the lighting for this segment!
Beautiful camera work.
👍✔
My nearby class C goes Class E at night. There is still a good bit of traffic mostly airline and air transport (Fedex, DHL, UPS...) real pros.
What model handheld radio do you use?
I have an Icom IC-A14, about $209-$218.
im a new pilot- i was arriving to an Uncontrolled airport that was pretty busy and announced 10 w at 2500 inbound etc but then decided to divert west to another airport- i was about 5 miles out and wasnt sure if i should announce it or not since i was no factor but did so that they knew i wasnt inbound since i had announced it- i said as xxxx 5 W cancelling inbound and leaving area to the west.- i know thats not proper but wasnt sure how else to put it. do you announce diversions like that? and how? do you announce transitions through the area if its pretty far from the field but busy?
plftw 757 I make "diverting," "cancelling," & "leaving" calls like that fairly frequently. Transitions through the area are more condition-dependent, but if I'm down where the action is (pattern area and altitude, or thereabouts) I certainly do.
+Sting Flight Last year I watched two airplanes collide right in front of me in the pattern over in Nevada. They and their planes fell to the desert in a thousand pieces. It was very sobering. Follow that story, here: th-cam.com/video/w1FXSsb2ieI/w-d-xo.html Now, I'm even more cautious about letting other flyers know where I am and what my intentions are, when around non-towered airports. So, if the frequency isn't clogged (like it often is on weekends and holidays), I always report. If it is too clogged to talk, I sometimes just stay away.
Sting Flight ok, bc when i said i was "leaving the area" bc i was "cancelling inbound" a guy made fun of me. i did my training from a class Delta so uncontrolled is still a bit of the wild west to me. i just figured when in doubt telling people where i am and what im doing is safer but im still working on it. thanks for helping me a safer pilot!
plftw 757 For sure! I always do it, if the CTAF radio frequency traffic allows.
Sting Flight wow. to see that must have been terrible. thats my biggest fear which is why im working on my communications in non-controlled areas. i feel spoiled being trained at a bigger class delta. arriving/departing was taught well but transitioning and holding patterns etc around non-towered is newer.
-would you call for flight following for short hops like 50NM in a 152? (ex30min hops)
Nice country down there
...and, stellar flying weather most of the time, but waaay too many people is the downside✔🎆
Nice video, subscribed! :)
They keep saying "45" what does that mean?
+IncognitoPotat0 Standard practice, Step1 is, as you approach the airport to land, you do so by coming in at a 45 degree angle to the runway you're planning to use.
Ah I see, thanks!
why do i need a radio at a no tower fbo
The short answer is, "You don't!" But most pilots, including me, think it's a pretty good idea. All but one of my "near misses" have been with airplanes with no radio--or on the wrong frequency.
why not 123.45?
It's not an authorized US air-to-air talk channel. It is assigned to specific entities in some areas--such as Boeing Aircraft at Seattle. 122.75 and 122.85 are the authorized air-to-air channels in US.
unique
I assume you have seen this from some years back from Sun N Fun th-cam.com/video/JYh6TsQXov0I/w-d-xo.html have borrowed from his talk to use in other radio services where the same type of excess and unhelpful information is transmitted
+elfaroproductions Negative--hadn't seen that, thank you!