tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10000144.post4745856016686928281..comments2024-03-13T09:47:40.487+00:00Comments on Cockpit Conversation: "My Frequency" ConfessionAviatrixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13634111275860140084noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10000144.post-12571063669933188052015-08-19T01:50:14.592+00:002015-08-19T01:50:14.592+00:00As a controller at a busy Class D tower I will tel...As a controller at a busy Class D tower I will tell you I always like to know that a pilot got the freq change ahead of time, it saves the possibility of you dialing the wrong frequency and not being able to respond to an instruction 30sec -1min later.dantheman99https://www.blogger.com/profile/00078680142223082265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10000144.post-59263288445659207582015-08-19T01:35:17.531+00:002015-08-19T01:35:17.531+00:00As a controller in a busy class D airspace, I issu...As a controller in a busy class D airspace, I issue this instruction on a regular basis, but typically paired with another instruction. "N12345, left traffic RY12L, change to my frequency 119.1". The pilot replies "left traffic RY12L, call you 19.1".<br /><br />If working ground and clearance combined, May tell an A/C on clearance "N12345, XXX clearance, change to my frequency 121.3". The pilot will typically read back just ".3" or "call you .3" <br /><br />As many other posters have said, I prefer to know that you got the freq, I have pilots read back the wrong frequency often enough that it would be a factor.dantheman99https://www.blogger.com/profile/00078680142223082265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10000144.post-16206984352978248322015-07-26T07:10:59.503+00:002015-07-26T07:10:59.503+00:00As to your question, "Do You?", I think ...As to your question, "Do You?", I think that you are asking "Do you skip the acknowledgment and just change frequencies?" In which case, obviously I don't, and the majority of the guys I fly with do not, and majority of the other pilots I hear on frequency do not.Andrewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14094166531970694056noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10000144.post-18295774627079619862015-07-26T06:48:26.833+00:002015-07-26T06:48:26.833+00:00I acknowledge all frequency changes, even "co...I acknowledge all frequency changes, even "contact me on ... " instructions. The delay between the instruction being issued and the pilot contacting them on the new frequency may be fairly brief, but in most cases, it will be longer than the time required for a prompt acknowledgment of the instruction. Whatever that additional time is, it leaves the controller sitting there with the question "did N123xy hear the instruction and hear it correctly?" unanswered, not knowing whether to continue listening for your response or to move on to their next piece of business. Add to that the possibility of you mishearing the frequency and dialing the incorrect one, the new frequency suddenly becoming busy just as you tune to it, you being juuuust outside of contact range on the new frequency because the controller was a little optimistic on how far your radios would carry on that RCO, and it may be a while before you are able to check in on the new frequency and the controller can drop the "did they hear the frequency change correctly" question from their mental list of unfinished business they're carrying in their head. The other consideration is that there may have been someone on the original frequency waiting to contact the controller, and they are waiting for you to read back the frequency change, so that they know your exchange with ATC is complete, and they can transmit without stepping on your transmission. I have, on occasion waited a considerable time for another pilot to read-back instructions, wondering if they are going to respond, or they're done talking. A quick read-back of the frequency change doesn't take much time or effort, and it does let the controller know immediately that you have heard and understood, and it lets others on frequency know immediately that you've heard the last instructions and the frequency is not clear for others to use. Yes, it is somewhat redundant, but the same can be said about almost all other aspects of ATC communication. It's redundant, it's designed that way to make it more positive. It is true that most of the time any redundancy could be omitted, but the redundancy isn't built into the system for the times that things are going perfectly, it's there for the times that things aren't going perfectly. <br /><br />FWIW, the US AIM specifies a readback of frequency changes, but makes no exceptions for frequency changes to the same controller. They do however note that when changing to a frequency with the same controller, the initial callup phraseology (Full call sign, altitude, etc) may be omitted. One could speculate that it is intended that a frequency change to the same controller does not require the normal initial callup phraseology (full call sign, altitude maintaining, etc. ) ay be omitted. One could speculate that the direction to read back frequency assignments does not extend to changes to the same controller, but the text does not support that speculation. <br /><br />Does the Canadian AIM address this situation?Andrewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14094166531970694056noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10000144.post-34828330771752702682015-07-25T02:36:24.733+00:002015-07-25T02:36:24.733+00:00 I just discovered this last week! Oddly enough, i... I just discovered this last week! Oddly enough, it was also flying over northern Alberta... Maybe we heard the same person do it!5400AirportRdSouthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05361820216221900639noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10000144.post-81015608607304644802015-07-23T17:17:24.878+00:002015-07-23T17:17:24.878+00:00No, but I will from now on! Thanks for the tip!
No, but I will from now on! Thanks for the tip!<br />D.B.https://www.blogger.com/profile/16311812701887962320noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10000144.post-78595944106182060432015-07-20T03:07:20.318+00:002015-07-20T03:07:20.318+00:00Also, it's good to read back to make sure you ...Also, it's good to read back to make sure you heard the frequency correctly (same idea as with the IFR clearance readbacks, I guess, though not as safety-critical).airfiercehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14584488174984786886noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10000144.post-13278594202633254822015-07-20T01:33:03.695+00:002015-07-20T01:33:03.695+00:00Like Steven said, it depends on how quick I am to ...Like Steven said, it depends on how quick I am to dial in the new frequency. Most of the time I am paying enough attention that I can come up on the new frequency without a delay, but I don't want to leave the controller hanging if it is taking too long, so I will read it back and THEN switch. Colinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16656070367444324340noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10000144.post-90516006438933814552015-07-20T00:25:55.114+00:002015-07-20T00:25:55.114+00:00I think it would depend on how quickly I could tun...I think it would depend on how quickly I could tune the new frequency. Having the frequency already in standby would be easiest of course, but if not, some of the older planes I've flown have rather finicky dials that like to skip a digit and take longer to get right.Steven Barnetthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03425763415089756650noreply@blogger.com