tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10000144.post8903528996483490411..comments2024-03-13T09:47:40.487+00:00Comments on Cockpit Conversation: In My EarsAviatrixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13634111275860140084noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10000144.post-13150737973016437392009-06-17T19:17:38.054+00:002009-06-17T19:17:38.054+00:00On "St. John", it isn't common to dr...On "St. John", it isn't common to drop the fort, but it is common to chop the name of who you're talking to down to one or two syllables. I imagine that the pilot figured that the "fort" part was the most superfluous.<br /><br />OTOH, about half the airports in California have a "San" in front of them, and we never chop that off, so go figure.Guyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07500493389248967742noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10000144.post-34228314868525931302009-06-16T17:14:50.308+00:002009-06-16T17:14:50.308+00:00I remember getting chewed out by McMinnville fligh...I remember getting chewed out by McMinnville flight watch for calling them "flight watch" and I think I was on Portland Center at the time. Would they or someone else have answered to "Portland Flight Watch" in that area?<br /><br />Alaska's system sounds more like Canada's.<br /><br />I imagine in the future that Canada will give separate names to the en route and aerodrome FSS functions. The separation only happened about six or seven years ago.Aviatrixhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13634111275860140084noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10000144.post-55160932778322397802009-06-16T12:44:28.958+00:002009-06-16T12:44:28.958+00:00Dear Trix:
The reason that it is helpful to prefa...Dear Trix:<br /><br />The reason that it is helpful to preface "Flight Watch" with the name of the appropriate Center is that when you are working close to the border between Centers there can be more than one Flight Watch facility hearing your call on the common duplex 122.0 MHz freq. At the time of the call, you know where you are but they don't, so there can be confusion about who should answer you.<br /><br />If you call on their receive-only freq and say "...listening on ABC (VOR)" then the Center name in the call up is probably redundant as the Flight Watch owning that VOR will know to respond.<br /><br />One thing I have noticed is that the Flight Watch specialists don't spend a whole lot of time talking on the radio, so I try to be careful with phraseology, and say "Over." and such stuff when I talk to them. They are cool but they aren't ATC.<br /><br />Regards,<br /><br />FrankFrank Van Hastehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10821687850881538546noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10000144.post-15244707009884135452009-06-16T02:52:02.854+00:002009-06-16T02:52:02.854+00:00Thanks for the info. Can't help you on "...Thanks for the info. Can't help you on "Flightwatch" - We don't really have that in AK. I just find a FSS freq (usually remoted - an RCO) and say "Podunk Flight Service, Socata 850 (I wish!) N59AK on the Evenmorepudunk RCO 122.5, do you know why these F-16s are following me?" <br /><br />I'd ask them "What should I call you guys?" if they seemed put out. But then again, I'm not in CLB... lolDave Earlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05868347118278136736noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10000144.post-7405869951342067492009-06-15T19:53:53.578+00:002009-06-15T19:53:53.578+00:00Glad you explained that the US term "FSS"...Glad you explained that the US term "FSS" can mean both the aerodrome service and the en-route one; I thought it was me that was confused. In the UK they have separate acronyms: FIS - Flight Information Service and AFIS - Aerodrome Flight Information Service.Ednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10000144.post-24156643591573340122009-06-15T18:02:59.605+00:002009-06-15T18:02:59.605+00:00I doubt US flightwatch cares if you omit 'whic...<i>I doubt US flightwatch cares if you omit 'which' flightwatch they are on callup ... do they, dpierce?</i> ...<br /><br />Not at all, but I was trying to provide the correct-estest answer to the question. Civilian ATC functions in the (especially southern) US can be rather casual, and as long as your intent is unambiguous and you don't happen to run into the guy's Personal Tripwire of the Day, they're mellow. But you never know what the tripwire will be!<br /><br />(This isn't to say mil radio can't be casual, too. But their tripwires are more consistent.)<br /><br />Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy rules apply when it comes to sweat, sunblock, and blowing particulate matter: Always bring a towel. Also useful for impromptu lumbar support, de-funkification of oily surfaces, or helmet anti-chaffing duty.dpiercehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03397601206317363858noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10000144.post-45400909779075928982009-06-15T16:03:43.304+00:002009-06-15T16:03:43.304+00:00Nice post. Isn't summer delightful? Minus th...Nice post. Isn't summer delightful? Minus the bugsplats I have to keep cleaning off the trailing edges of <b>my</b> slow airplanes. Soap & water in a spray bottle is the way to go, especially if you keep your wings lightly waxed. If only grease came off the belly that easily.<br /><br />I only made the mistake of putting sunscreen above my eyebrows <b>once</b>, and the resulting eye stinging when I sweated it into my eyes is memorable. And rubbing doesnt' help.<br /><br />I doubt US flightwatch cares if you omit 'which' flightwatch they are on callup ... do they, dpierce? From experience, though, I know Green Bay FSS gets snippy when I make multiple callups with the volume turned down on the radio so I can't hear them answering. :}<br /><br />In the US midwest, it seems airfields are either towered ( active control tower ) or uncontrolled completely. The ones with unicoms that do any more than pre-arrange car rental or refuelling are rare in my limited experience.Sarahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09991660841701835065noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10000144.post-64247191478223401052009-06-15T15:19:59.317+00:002009-06-15T15:19:59.317+00:00Runway behind you
Altitude above you
Fuel still in...Runway behind you<br />Altitude above you<br />Fuel still in the FBO's tankJimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11726267862761677407noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10000144.post-22397864310367320712009-06-15T12:17:52.310+00:002009-06-15T12:17:52.310+00:00It's been decades since I listened to aviation...It's been decades since I listened to aviation radio while in an airplane, so I wouldn't notice anything odd procedure-wise no matter who said it. But I find the Canadian callsigns always draw attention to themselves just because of the alphabet soup. :)Anoynmoushttp://anoynmous.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10000144.post-39321489899688198582009-06-15T06:12:31.017+00:002009-06-15T06:12:31.017+00:00"(Center) Flight Watch", ie "Atlant..."(Center) Flight Watch", ie "Atlanta Flight Watch". You might be interpreting their bearing as being snippy. Then again, they might be snippy.dpiercehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03397601206317363858noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10000144.post-61246173760041515432009-06-15T05:45:31.318+00:002009-06-15T05:45:31.318+00:00Finding the FSS frequency for en route weather:
O...Finding the FSS frequency for en route weather:<br /><br />On a chart, look for a box called out with a line from a nav aid near the airport. If it has a frequency listed above it that is not crossed out, and is not the same as the MF frequency for that airport, that will get you a briefer who will take your flight plan/give you weather. If there's more than one frequency fitting that description, use the one that is not 126.7. If there's a place name clinging onto the box by a pair of brackets, that's the name you'll use to call the FSS by, e.g. "Edmonton Radio."<br /><br />In the CFS COMM section for the aerodrome, you are looking for the frequency tagged "FISE" - Flight Information Services Enroute. There isn't one attached to every airport, but usually if there is an FSS responding to the MF, there is also a discrete FISE frequency.<br /><br />If you can't find one, you can call the quasi-tower guy and ask for the FSS frequency for en route weather, or call on 126.7 and if your call is more than a quick position report ask if he has a "discrete frequency," so you're not sharing your life story with everyone on 126.7.<br /><br />Now, in return, what's the best way to find whom I should address calling Flight Watch? They get snippy if I just say "Flight Watch," as if I was supposed to know who was going to answer.Aviatrixhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13634111275860140084noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10000144.post-40263047375771572402009-06-15T05:30:38.828+00:002009-06-15T05:30:38.828+00:00I'm not sure anybody ever drops the "fort...I'm not sure anybody ever drops the "fort" from names down here. If anything, nicknames can make the names longer. Fort Worth turns into "Fort Worthless", Fort Leonard Wood turns into "Fort Lost in the Woods", etc.<br /><br />There's a certain bliss in being in a foreign culture -- you always have an excuse for your ignorance. The problem is when you get comfortable and want to be treated like a native, and then make a rookie mistake ...dpiercehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03397601206317363858noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10000144.post-71359254044277444502009-06-15T05:08:22.137+00:002009-06-15T05:08:22.137+00:00Dave, as a Canadian pilot I often have the same qu...Dave, as a Canadian pilot I often have the same question!? Standing by for Aviatrix' reply...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10000144.post-8328717533970735212009-06-15T03:41:50.776+00:002009-06-15T03:41:50.776+00:00Ummm... as an AK pilot that flies through Canada.....Ummm... as an AK pilot that flies through Canada.... I've done just what you described (and they ARE nice)... Where do I find the "weather/flight plan" freq instead of bugging the 'quasi-tower' folks? Thanks, <br /><br />Dave<br /><a href="http://www.palmerdave.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow"></a>Dave Earlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05868347118278136736noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10000144.post-9652116753480598812009-06-15T03:19:07.599+00:002009-06-15T03:19:07.599+00:00I sweat a lot in the summer from doing practically...I sweat a lot in the summer from doing practically nothing. Therefore I was so pleased to recently have have found SPF 50 "Xtreme Sport Sunblock" that really works well, is water and sweat resistant and doesn't run in my eyes. You can check it out at www.oceanpotion.com. This might spare you from wet shirts and seats. Keep up the great blog entries...I look forward to them everyday.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10000144.post-27242130925943055432009-06-15T02:31:50.701+00:002009-06-15T02:31:50.701+00:00A good number of giggles was had :-) Nice post, al...A good number of giggles was had :-) Nice post, although I think, flying around in a wet shirt and on a wet seat wouldn't be very high up on my funny list, but so wouldn't sunblock in my eyes. <br />Linked the story about the November plane, wonder wether he/she was on the way to the lower 48.Sir Lukenwolfhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01544339905924593918noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10000144.post-82834511063819294382009-06-15T02:25:04.355+00:002009-06-15T02:25:04.355+00:00Humorous and interesting. Excellent post once aga...Humorous and interesting. Excellent post once again!Geekzillahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02228239470545006258noreply@blogger.com