VFR Clearence

[Brown]

When you first talk to ground what should I say I know I need to say like firstly my callsign N25214 we would like taxi to active for VFR clearence at or below 5000ft should I say anything else Thanks

[C]

Something along the lines of....


"Ground, (your callsign) request taxy, solo/dual/X POB*, for VFR N/E/S/W* departure"

*delete as required

If necessary you can also inform them in plain language if you intend to operate in a particular known area, particularly if you think it may have a noticable effect on other traffic.

Short and sweet, gives all the pertinent information without "passing your life story" (ie making an uneccessarily long transmission) over the radio...

[Fozzer]

Have you been listening to your flight instructor, asking him questions, and reading all your flight training manuals, especially in this case; Radio Communication and Air Law......!

Paul.......!

http://www.kingschools.com/productDetai ... %20Courses

[Drake_TigerClaw]

Do you mean VFR flight following?

[beaky]

I'm confused, Brown... you've started your lessons, right ? In that case yo ought to know this already... and the answer depends so much on what type of airport it is, and where it is.
 But I can find out. I'll assume you're talking about  KFSM, so lemme see...

It's a Class D under a TRSA... Class Ds are not all the same, and I don't have any experience with TRSAs.

But I logged many hours at Teterboro (Class D under a class B), so here's what I know:
Listen to the ATIS first. The ATIS will state the requirements for VFR departures, if any.
 At KTEB, for example, yI had to contact Clearance Delivery before taxi. But no altitude was asked for, just direction of flight. Then CD might suggest a turn after takeoff at or below a certain altitude...although sometimes Tower would ask for that right after clearing me for takeoff. Sometimes both.
Then CD gives the ground frequency, and  I'd call them to request taxi. It goes something like this:

Me: "Teterboro Clearance Delivery, Skyhawk XXXXX at Hangar 17 with (ATIS), VFR north."

CD: "Skyhawk XXXXX, VFR departure approved; right turn at or below 900; contact Ground (frequency)".


Me: "VFR departure approved; contact Ground (freq); Skyhawk XXXXX".


Me: "Teterboro Ground, Skyhawk XXXXX at Hangar 17 with clearance and (ATIS); request taxi".

All of these controllers are sitting in the tower cab; Ground now knows I'm VFR and want to go north. They look at the ground traffic situation, then...
Ground: "Skyhawk XXXXX; taxi to and hold short of Runway 24 on Charlie. Contact Tower (freq) when ready for takeoff."

Me: "Taxi to and hold short Runway 24 on Charlie; contact Tower (freq); Skyhawk XXXXX".

Me(at the hold short line): "Teterboro Tower, Skyhawk XXXXX holding short Runway 24 on Charlie; ready for takeoff."

Tower: "Skyhawk XXXXX; clear for takeoff Runway 24; right turn at or below 900."


If I wanted Flight Following, I'd have asked Clearance Delivery
("VFR north; request flight following"). They would give me a freq to contact after takeoff. Otherwise, I'd simply contact whatever Departure or Approach frequency is shown on the chart ("Within 20 miles, contact blah-blah") after Tower tells me to squawk 1200 and turns me loose.

That's what little I know about it, having studiously avoided towered fields for years since I got my little license... so be sure to ask and listen at Fort Smith.

[Mobius]

Me: "Teterboro Clearance Delivery, Skyhawk XXXXX at Hangar 17 with (ATIS), VFR north."

CD: "Skyhawk XXXXX, VFR departure approved; right turn at or below 900; contact Ground (frequency)".

*

Me: "Teterboro Ground, Skyhawk XXXXX at Hangar 17 with clearance and (ATIS); request taxi".

Did you miss a read-back here (* at the asterisk)?  Along the lines of "Skyhawk XXXXX, roger, right turn at or below 900, contact ground (frequency)" then you contact ground, just to acknowledge the hand-off?  Or am I wrong, I'll admit, I'm a bit rusty on ground comms.

[Brett_Henderson]

It's different at every airport.. even of the same airspace type.

Where I've done most of my flying (KOSU).. It's

[Brett_Henderson]

Oh.. and the best way to describe a TRSA is...  It's like Charlie airspace where it's up to you whether or not you acknowledge it.. I do remember planning flying into Fargo, ND and was told, "If you don't contact approach and "participate".. you might end up flying a few circles-for-spacing  (lol) before being allowed into the Delta airspace"..  ;)

[beaky]

Did you miss a read-back here (* at the asterisk)?  Along the lines of "Skyhawk XXXXX, roger, right turn at or below 900, contact ground (frequency)" then you contact ground, just to acknowledge the hand-off?  Or am I wrong, I'll admit, I'm a bit rusty on ground comms.

Dammit, I did...
 Mind you, when I'm talking to controllers, I'm not typing...so I don't forget that one...

And I try to avoid the "R" word when reading back directions... my primary instructors weaned me off that a long time ago.
"Roger" is reserved for when there's no need to read back (like when you get an altimeter setting or whatever) , but I can't remember the last time I used it.  It's usually either my call sign or two clicks of the mic... "Roger" and "Wilco" have gone the way of "Able" and "Baker", I think.

[beaky]

Oh.. and the best way to describe a TRSA is...  It's like Charlie airspace where it's up to you whether or not you acknowledge it.. I do remember planning flying into Fargo, ND and was told, "If you don't contact approach and "participate".. you might end up flying a few circles-for-spacing  (lol) before being allowed into the Delta airspace"..  ;)

I understand the definition, believe me... I just have never flown out from under one (or a Class C for that matter), so I don't know if there's any different pre-taxi procedures.

[Drake_TigerClaw]

I use the "r word" as a prefix to readbacks and to comfirm messages received. I use Able and Baker and other older letter terms for checkpoints and not on the radio. I also use a number of other older terms on the radio because I dont know the new ones. I'm not sure which things are incorrect but the controllers dont get upset with me so I guess its not a horrible sin as of yet.

EDIT: Then again every airport and ATC service within a 300 mile radius of macon FSS knows if they hear the letters HG at the end of a tail number its probably one of us students.

[Mobius]

And I try to avoid the "R" word when reading back directions... my primary instructors weaned me off that a long time ago.
"Roger" is reserved for when there's no need to read back (like when you get an altimeter setting or whatever) , but I can't remember the last time I used it.  It's usually either my call sign or two clicks of the mic... "Roger" and "Wilco" have gone the way of "Able" and "Baker", I think.

I'd agree with that, I had an idiot moment where I couldn't think of how you'd acknowledge a VFR clearance in a radio transmission, but it's quite obvious now. I don't think I've ever really used "roger" either, mostly because 95% of the time I fly out of an uncontrolled airport.  Because of that, ATC comms wasn't an everyday part of my training, so I'm not the most comfortable flying into controlled (required by ATC) airspace, but I know I can do it and do it often enough to stay refreshed.  I have been seriously thinking of taking a refresher lesson in ATC and ground comms sometime soon though, so I can get a bit more comfortable.

[Brett_Henderson]

We oughta do a multi-player session with a voice client, like TeamSpeak..  And conduct periodic sessions stressing radio protocol.

I do it on a regular basis with my cousin and some pilot buddies in Florida. We fly nothing but IMC practice. Believe it or not.. It really keeps you sharp. We'll throw last minute things at each other.. like holds or forced go-arounds.

[Brett_Henderson]

[quote]on Aug 16th, 2006, 8:32pm, Brett_Henderson wrote:  Oh.. and the best way to describe a TRSA is...