Radio Pet Peeves
I had my handheld radio on today listening to the local traffic at a nearby airfield. This is what I heard.
Airport Unicom, what is your active runway?
For some reason I get all worked up whenever I hear someone ask this. Let’s lay down the situation. This airport has no control tower. There is an ASOS on the field. So why do I hate hearing this so much?
There is no such thing as an “active” runway at an airport without a control tower. You are free to use whatever runway you choose. Normally speaking you should use the runway most closely aligned with the current winds. In this case the airport has an ASOS so why not just tune in, listen to the winds, and figure out on your own what the best runway is?
So what he meant to say was something closer to “Which runway is most of the local traffic currently using”? Perhaps he just wanted to go with the flow so to speak.
Perhaps…. someone should break the chain if the majority of the local traffic isn’t using the runway most closely aligned with the winds. So many times I’ve approached an airport and everyone is using the runway that was aligned with the winds an hour ago…. but not any longer. Everyone just keeps following along.
In my opinion, you just need to break the cycle. There shouldn’t be any reason to ask the local Unicom what the “active” runway is in most cases. Listen to the ASOS and figure out where you should land. If everyone else is going for a different runway, break the chain and help out everyone arriving behind you.
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POSTED IN: General Aviation, aviation
5 opinions for Radio Pet Peeves
Steven Murtagh
Feb 2, 2007 at 15:26 \32\u\Friday\u
I suppose you ought to be happy that they are using the radio at all. I have to agree it can be stunning to hear some of the things people say over the radio. I’m not sure asking about the “active” runway gives me the gas it does you though. On my list of TIRT (Truely Idiotic Radio Technique) its just not that high. Unless you are familiar with the airport, there may be any number of reasons why the “best” (i.e., most wind alligned) runway is not in use. Local terrain, wierd wind patterns, noise abatement, airspace considerations, other users (gliders, ultralights)and so on. I guess in the end I would much rather have a pilot ask something in a silly way and get the information he needs to make a safe, efficient pattern entry than make an assumption based on other factors and end up in a smoking pile of aluminum.
I guess the things that make me cringe most are the silly terms people use to sound cool. “With you”, “On the meter”, “Double oh” (license to kill?). Be interesting to hear other folks’ radio peeves.
Vinnie Falcone
Apr 11, 2007 at 14:47 \100\u\Wednesday\u
I have to agree 100% with Steven Murtagh.
I recently witnessed a local airport where the ‘flow’ to, perhaps not the ‘best’ runway (based on wind), continued due to high weekend traffic where one individual decided to break-the-chain and land on an intersecting runway. It had all off us on the ground cringing thinking about all the potential outcomes. I can only imagine how those in the pattern were trying to accommodate his decision.
Unless the wind factor is significant enough, I’d be inclined to take the lesser preferred runway - given that I am 100% sure the increased landing speed and subsequent increased runway length is not a safety factor.
I also recently saw a high performance plane take off opposite to the ‘better’ runway direction and incoming traffic - because that was the direction he was departing the area. Again, without a control tower, it was his choice - not one that I would have made.
I’m inclined to feel this is more of a concern than folks not choosing the best words.
Vinnie Falcone
Vinnie Falcone
Apr 11, 2007 at 15:00 \100\u\Wednesday\u
Sorry … my last response had me focused on the wrong part of the story, RADIO PET PEEVES.
When it comes to radio communications, I would have to say the thing that bothers me the most are some of the more seasoned pilots that take a nonchalant attitude towards radio communications.
We’ve all heard them. The ones that use a soft, monotone, run-all-the-words-together, as-fast-as-you-can approach. The kind that leaves most of us listening saying ‘what did he just say’?
PLEASE take an extra second or two, and perhaps even a breath or two and ensure clear, clean, understandable transmissions.
Whew … that felt good to get off my chest. Good Therapy.
Thanks
Vinnie
David
Apr 12, 2007 at 13:33 \101\u\Thursday\u
Asking for the “active” doesn’t bother me so much - I too understand it to mean, “hello, I’d like to be courteous to existing traffic and local unpublished procedures, if there is a current “active” or suggested runway to use, I’ll gladly use it if you tell me.. and if someone chooses to answer by giving me the wind direction, or nobody answers at all, then I’ll use standard procedures of checking the windsock and using published procedure.”
Perhaps I assume too much when I hear someone ask for the active, but since it’s a call that leads to safety one way or another, it doesn’t bother me.
Quite honestly, the type of radio chatter that does bug me are the old friends that happen to hear one another making calls and decide to start talking about their families, trips, all kinds of things. Absolutely ridiculous. If this is ever you, please take a minute to tell your friend to switch to another frequency and chat all you want there. 122.75 is the official and 123.45 is the unofficial air-to-air channel. Please get off the 122.7, 8, and 9s. I really don’t need such chatter in my cockpit unless its related to situational awareness and/or safety.
Jason
Apr 17, 2007 at 06:54 \106\u\Tuesday\u
This is not just a problem with people calling up Unicom. Today everyone was flying the pattern with a 10kt tailwind at my local towered field. Nobody bothered saying, “Hey, windcheck please, can I get a clearance for the other direction?”.. It was kindof fun to watch everyone doing the pattern work as with the tailwind.
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