Non-Towered Airport Actions
Posted by Jeffrey on October 22nd, 2009
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Even flying for a regional airline, we occasionally fly into airports that are non-towered or the airport tower is closed when we get there or leave.
Personally, in my old age, I prefer going into towered airports as opposed to non-towered airports because it gives me an added level of defense against the other aircraft. But as we all know, if conditions are VFR, even if you are on an IFR flight plan, you, the pilot, are ultimately responsible for maintaining visual separation from any aircraft near you.
So what can you do when going into an un-towered airport?
First of all, start listening on the Common Traffic Advisory Frequency (CTAF) when you are within 20 miles of the airport. Get a feel for what is going on. Try to determine how many different aircraft seem to be operating there and what runway they are using.
At some point I know you picked up the weather via the Automatic Terminal Information Service (ATIS) or the Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS) or Automated Weather Observing System (AWOS).
Next, consider talking on UNICOM, if available. UNICOM is useful tool to get any information that may be omitted from the ATIS but remember, the people monitoring this frequency are not certified air traffic controllers and the information they provide is advisory only.
So, now you know the weather, which runway is the preferred runway, and how many airplanes are in the traffic pattern. What now? Well now is the time to plan your entry into the traffic pattern and start talking on the radio. Talking on the radio can be more of a challenge in a busy non-towered airport because of radio congestion. So plan what you are going to say and when you are going to say it. This is not a time to be lazy or unprofessional or long-winded. You have to state who you are, where you are, and what you plan on doing. If you need to brush up on your radio technique, consider picking up the Comm1: VFR Radio Simulator CD-ROM and Comm1: IFR Radio Simulator CD-ROM. Whatever you do, don’t get into a discussion on the radio. It is annoying to other pilots and a waste of time.
Now each airport situation is unique and there may be times when you shouldn’t talk on the radio. There, I said it! I’ve had students get so worried about talking on the radio wanting to broadcast their position and intentions that they forget to aviate and keep their situational awareness. If the radio is so busy that you can’t get a word in, then don’t! Keep your head on a swivel and your ears open and work your way into the traffic pattern. But, if the airport you are flying to is that busy—unless they have the best hamburger IN THE WORLD and you will die if you don’t get it—then consider moving on to another airport. Your call!
Finally, remember, there are still a lot of no-radio (NORDO) airplanes around. The last time I checked, the FAA hadn’t made radios mandatory and a lot of people still enjoy the freedom of flying for the sake of flying (and without radios). Two-way radio communication isn’t mandatory either but it is good operating procedure. So don’t get upset when that airplane in front of you didn’t make a radio call, cut you off in the pattern and landed in front of you. Just be glad that you were keeping a diligent scan going and saw them early enough to slow down, make an S-turn, land, and park your airplane by your favorite airport restaurant with that awesome hamburger.
To Your Flying Success…
Jeffrey
P.S. Leave a comment below about any experiences you had while flying into an uncontrolled airport. I bet you have some good ones!
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