The unicom police

[BCTAv8r]

It's always great to hear people speaking other languages on the practice area frequency.

 

[AviatorGator]

I have corrected people on runway decisions before over CTAF. They Taxi to 25 when the wind is 070 @ 8 to 10 knots (asos) with the wind sock agreeing. Unicom for some reason told them winds Calm. Calm wind runway is 25. This is just a case of people not being able to make a decision for themselves.

What?

You shouldn't. It's an uncontrolled airport; there is no right or wrong runway. An 8-10 knot tail wind is within limitations for most aircraft. They may be comfortable with it or have reasons for doing so. Unless it is blatantly obvious that there is an imminent danger, you should just let it go. And even then, all you can do is politely point out that the windsock indicates a downwind takeoff.

:clap: If it's an uncontrolled field there is no "active" runway. We can takeoff and land on any runway we want.

 

[cmill]

I always like to hear someone say "last call xyz traffic" Then I proceed to order a beefeater martini. By now I have at least 100 racked up. Still waiting...

 

[poser765]

I always like to hear someone say "last call xyz traffic" Then I proceed to order a beefeater martini. By now I have at least 100 racked up. Still waiting...

You know I was just griping with a student the other day when I heard a couple of "last calls." What the hell is the point? Also, I don't care if you are taxing from the ramp at an uncontrolled field with one runway, one ramp, and one fbo...but thanks for telling me.

 

[MFT1Air]

I get tired of those who believe that CTAF is an acronym for "my personal chatline". The left final, slow nervous talkers, and other slips are one thing, people will make mistakes, but gabbing away clogging freq with BS is something best done online, not in the air (or air to ground).

:clap:

 

[MFT1Air]

but apparently all kinds of excuses for being one on the ramp?

you're in a hole, you probably want to stop digging.

. . . but I do understand his point. I've always been told there's a right way for addressing "issues" and there's a wrong way for addressing them as well. Most importantly, there's a third way - effective way.

Sometimes, the effective way is "right." Unfortunately, sometimes, the effective way is dead wrong. You have to decide which choice you make to be effective.

On the airwaves, you can be courteous/cordial, and an idiot will still do dumb activities. . .ok, so that's the right way. . .not effective. Call him a "jerk" and he stops his negative behavior? OK, wrong as it was with what you said, it was effective. You decide what effective consequence is going to help the situation.

Aint saying it's right. . .but I am saying that "sometimes, it is what it is."

PS - Wow! I just got Old Skool status! Let me pull out my "record player," albums, and 45s!

 

[phoenix 23684]

Sometimes you just have to have a little bit of fun.

So I fly in Afghanistan and well let's just say that some of the russian crews are lacking that english proficiency on their ICAO. Anyhow the Departure controller kept trying to get the russian to tell him their destination or first fix, can't remember, and of course the russian crew kept saying other things, after about 10 minutes or so he finally starts to ask: ILXXX what do you want to do!!! with a lot of frustration in his voice.

I took that opportunity to just chime in and say king air XXX we're xxx alt and xxx distance, etc and if that's ok? we would like to land at Bagram, with a very polite voice. He coudn't stop laughing

 

[Douglas]

What?



:clap: If it's an uncontrolled field there is no "active" runway. We can takeoff and land on any runway we want.

You know I was just griping with a student the other day when I heard a couple of "last calls." What the hell is the point? Also, I don't care if you are taxing from the ramp at an uncontrolled field with one runway, one ramp, and one fbo...but thanks for telling me.

Time and a place, time and a place. Use your imagination.

You shouldn't. It's an uncontrolled airport; there is no right or wrong runway. An 8-10 knot tail wind is within limitations for most aircraft. They may be comfortable with it or have reasons for doing so. Unless it is blatantly obvious that there is an imminent danger, you should just let it go. And even then, all you can do is politely point out that the windsock indicates a downwind takeoff.

Say What? We've airplanes in the pattern going one way and he knows they have based their decision on erroneous information and you think he is out of line? Right.

You don't always have to be a D-Bag to correct somebody. Sometimes you can be a helpful D-Bag.

 

[Slugger]

Time and a place, time and a place. Use your imagination.




Say What? We've airplanes in the pattern going one way and he knows they have based their decision on erroneous information and you think he is out of line? Right.

You don't always have to be a D-Bag to correct somebody. Sometimes you can be a helpful D-Bag.

Yeah, if someone is lining up on 7, yet there are planes in the pattern for 25, I'd tell them that everyone is on 25. Nothing is wrong with erring on the side of safety.

 

[TFaudree_ERAU]

Say What? We've airplanes in the pattern going one way and he knows they have based their decision on erroneous information and you think he is out of line? Right.

Out of line or not, nothing says he has to do what everyone else in the pattern is doing. You would hope that you'd never come across a "D-bag" such as that, but they're out there.

Like I said, you can beg and beg and beg a pilot to land the same direction as everyone else, but legally, there is nothing requiring him to do so. The best you can do is point out that everyone else is landing on the opposite runway and hope he follows suit. Getting irate with him on the radio is not going to accomplish anything if they're hell bent on doing it their way. If they don't play nice, make adjustments to YOUR pattern, or just hold short of the runway as long as necessary so that the risk is minimized.

There have been plenty of times that, traffic permitting, I've landed to the south with a 5-10 knot tailwind at a particular DC area airport, simply because I arrive from that direction. On the way out, I depart the north runway because I'm going to fly that direction for a while until ATC can radar identify me.

If someone keyed up and told me that I needed to use the upwind runway for landing, I'd politely remind them it is an uncontrolled airfield and the tailwind is well within my capabilities and the limitations of the airplane.

 

[Douglas]

Out of line or not, nothing says he has to do what everyone else in the pattern is doing. You would hope that you'd never come across a "D-bag" such as that, but they're out there.

Like I said, you can beg and beg and beg a pilot to land the same direction as everyone else, but legally, there is nothing requiring him to do so. The best you can do is point out that everyone else is landing on the opposite runway and hope he follows suit. Sounds like agreement to Maurus original comment. Getting irate with him on the radio is not going to accomplish anything if they're hell bent on doing it their way. If they don't play nice, make adjustments to YOUR pattern, or just hold short of the runway as long as necessary so that the risk is minimized.

There have been plenty of times that, traffic permitting, I've landed to the south with a 5-10 knot tailwind at a particular DC area airport, simply because I arrive from that direction. On the way out, I depart the north runway because I'm going to fly that direction for a while until ATC can radar identify me.

If someone keyed up and told me that I needed to use the upwind runway for landing, I'd politely remind them it is an uncontrolled airfield and the tailwind is well within my capabilities and the limitations of the airplane.

There are many variables to this possible situation. My only point was that Maurus was not out of line in his situation. In your experience your guy could have been.

 

[TFaudree_ERAU]

I have corrected people on runway decisions before over CTAF.

When I think of being "corrected", I have flashbacks of my etiquette teacher smacking me for putting my elbows on the table.

We as pilots have no authority to correct anybody.

I'm only kidding about the etiquette teacher

 

[Maurus]

When I think of being "corrected", I have flashbacks of my etiquette teacher smacking me for putting my elbows on the table.

We as pilots have no authority to correct anybody.

I'm only kidding about the etiquette teacher

*Both aircraft taxiing out at the same time*

"Other pilot: Taxiing runway 25

Me: Uh ASOS says 070 at 8 and the wind sock agrees.

Other pilot: Noise abatement rules say 8 knots and less tailwind is runway 25.

ME: Check your ADF err AFD"

The above definitely wasn't the beat down you had expected was it? If anything it made the pilot safer as they no longer had to follow a fake noise abatement rule. And yes, the guy did taxi to sever after he had already been taxiing to 25.

You shouldn't. It's an uncontrolled airport; there is no right or wrong runway...
...And even then, all you can do is politely point out that the windsock indicates a downwind takeoff.

Eh, I didn't write that correctly as it didn't go down exactly as I said earlier. I wrote that fast. I just don't like people making bad decision because of a noise abatement rule that doesn't exist.

Our Unicom is also crazy. Always have the wrong wind info and even try to predict the wind sometimes. That's fun. "winds are currently variable at 3 knots, but when they pick up they will be from 170". Funny how they were 50 degrees off when they picked up. Unfortunately other pilots on the field think Unicom knows better than ASOS/Wind sock :banghead:

An 8-10 knot tail wind is within limitations for most aircraft. They may be comfortable with it or have reasons for doing so. Unless it is blatantly obvious that there is an imminent danger, you should just let it go.

I do realize that they can use the tailwind if they want, but they were planning on staying in the pattern along with me. Kinda hard to land 7 and 25 at the same time. In the end I'll take the safer option which was 7 to begin with.

The correction was more confusion than a beat down in your face correction. Had they just said IFR straight out like most Bizjets do, I could care less.



Other corrections on CTAF are like,

"Other pilot: Cessna 12345 entering 45 downwind runway 7.

Me: Cherokee ABCDE on the downwind, runway 25."

That is more of a scenario you will find when x-winds are 90 degrees or calm but the entire time you have been touch and goes the wind had been wavering a little toward a certain runway. The pilot going for runway 7 in this case was only doing it for convenience instead of listening for an established pattern.

I get tired of those who believe that CTAF is an acronym for "my personal chatline". The left final, slow nervous talkers, and other slips are one thing, people will make mistakes, but gabbing away clogging freq with BS is something best done online, not in the air (or air to ground).

I only do that at night for the most part. I know some of the 135 cargo and helicopter pilots. That's about all that moves at the airport at night.

 

[AviatorGator]

Out of line or not, nothing says he has to do what everyone else in the pattern is doing. You would hope that you'd never come across a "D-bag" such as that, but they're out there.

Like I said, you can beg and beg and beg a pilot to land the same direction as everyone else, but legally, there is nothing requiring him to do so. The best you can do is point out that everyone else is landing on the opposite runway and hope he follows suit. Getting irate with him on the radio is not going to accomplish anything if they're hell bent on doing it their way. If they don't play nice, make adjustments to YOUR pattern, or just hold short of the runway as long as necessary so that the risk is minimized.

There have been plenty of times that, traffic permitting, I've landed to the south with a 5-10 knot tailwind at a particular DC area airport, simply because I arrive from that direction. On the way out, I depart the north runway because I'm going to fly that direction for a while until ATC can radar identify me.

If someone keyed up and told me that I needed to use the upwind runway for landing, I'd politely remind them it is an uncontrolled airfield and the tailwind is well within my capabilities and the limitations of the airplane.

I wouldn't be that nice.

 

[Speed Pilot]

The one that gets me at our uncontrolled field is people flying right traffic because they think they can. Had a guy the other day fly right traffic. I called him out on the radio because there were two of us in left traffic and we're a left traffic airport. Ignores me and turns right base going head to head with another airplane that was already on the left base. I got inside and asked him what was up. Here's the answer I got. "Left traffic looked full so I decided to fly right traffic." I wish I was kidding.

 

[BrewMaster]

One day I was up with a student for a local training flight. We have a 121 carrier. So after making my "XYZ traffic, cessna 1234 taxiing to runway 36 via Alpha" call, we head out. Once at the approach end of the runway, we taxi into the ramp area to do our run-up. After run-up is complete we make our "XYZ traffic, cessna 1234 holding short of runway 36." After doing our flows we are ready to depart. So I say "XYZ traffic, cessna 1234 departing runway 36, northwest departure." As we are rolling down the runway I see the regional plane taxiing down the main taxi way, huh, never heard them announce they were taxiing. After we reach 700 feet we start our turn and say "XYZ traffic, cessna 1234 1 mile north at 2800, departing the pattern to the northwest." That is immediately followed by the regional chastising us and saying it would be beneficial to our health if we made radio calls because they departed literally right on our tail and left far less than a safe amount of space.....really?

So not only did they not make the "required" calls, they get on and start scolding us over UNICOM for not making the calls that we actually did make. I didn't respond to any of it mostly because my student was with me and the UNICOM plays out loud in the FBO. If one or both of those wasn't a factor I more than likely would have shared a few kind words with that CA.

A few days later my buddy was in the pattern witth a student in a 152 and told the same airline in a brasilia to go around becuase they were in the pattern first. It was amazing to see a 152 continue on final while the brasilia on the other end initiates a go around while landing the opposite way. That was good enough for me.

 

[rd757]

Gotta make it clear, UNICOM or CTAF.... two different things

 

[TheresaPilot]

I once had an instructor who insisted on pulling up to the edge of the ramp before running checks. Not my preference because it blocks other aircraft from getting to the taxiway - but there is another entry point not far away.

Anyways, one day we're delayed checking just a bit running instrument checks. After three or four minutes we call up ground with ready to taxi. After the clearance I here:

"It's about time" in the most snide manner possible. Look behind me and there's a 172 waiting to taxi behind us.

So naturally I open the window, give the one fingered salute, and call ground...

"St. Pete Ground - Cessna 52633 has a stuck parking break - will need a short delay to resolve it".

Murdoughnut never passes up a chance to put a d-bag in his place

I love this. It's 100% something I would do... Except I'd try to use both hands and make my instructor do the same. :laff:

 

[rd757]

I love this. It's 100% something I would do... Except I'd try to use both hands and make my instructor do the same. :laff:

Were you in a 4-G inverted dive?

 

[MikeD]

One day I was up with a student for a local training flight. We have a 121 carrier. So after making my "XYZ traffic, cessna 1234 taxiing to runway 36 via Alpha" call, we head out. Once at the approach end of the runway, we taxi into the ramp area to do our run-up. After run-up is complete we make our "XYZ traffic, cessna 1234 holding short of runway 36." After doing our flows we are ready to depart. So I say "XYZ traffic, cessna 1234 departing runway 36, northwest departure." As we are rolling down the runway I see the regional plane taxiing down the main taxi way, huh, never heard them announce they were taxiing. After we reach 700 feet we start our turn and say "XYZ traffic, cessna 1234 1 mile north at 2800, departing the pattern to the northwest." That is immediately followed by the regional chastising us and saying it would be beneficial to our health if we made radio calls because they departed literally right on our tail and left far less than a safe amount of space.....really?

So not only did they not make the "required" calls, they get on and start scolding us over UNICOM for not making the calls that we actually did make. I didn't respond to any of it mostly because my student was with me and the UNICOM plays out loud in the FBO. If one or both of those wasn't a factor I more than likely would have shared a few kind words with that CA.

A few days later my buddy was in the pattern witth a student in a 152 and told the same airline in a brasilia to go around becuase they were in the pattern first. It was amazing to see a 152 continue on final while the brasilia on the other end initiates a go around while landing the opposite way. That was good enough for me.

Did you tell them you still make more money than them?