Here is your sample Tip of the Week:
"3 Things You Should NEVER Say to ATC"


Featuring John Krug and Bob Adelizzi - view profile

John Krug and Bob Adelizzi have over 50 years combined experience with Air Traffic Control and are experienced pilots and flight instructors.

You'll gain valuable insights from their tips.

This is a segment from a roundtable discussion that Bob Martens hosted with John Krug and Bob Adelizzi on the subject of ATC, and mistakes pilots make when speaking to controllers.

Note: The focus of this discussion is primarily IFR Communications, however these tips can be applied to many typical VFR scenarios as well.

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Bob Martens: 

"We are going to give you gentlemen a chance to talk to the pilots and tell us some of the major headaches that pilots inflict on you, and what are some of the major mistakes you see on a regular basis. John, why don't you start us off." 

John Krug: 

"Well, probably one of the biggest ones is just not listening. This is all about communications, and it is all about two-way communications. And it's making a transmission, and no answer. Then you are -- okay, did he hear it and maybe did not respond? Did he not hear it? Is the radio turned down? Is he NORDO? Is he high-jacked? You just do not know. So, not listening is -- I do not know if it is number one, but it is definitely way up there. 

Another one that you hear a lot today, and is really kind of a useless response is: "Got him on the fish finder." "Got him on Discovery channel." When you call traffic, you hear the response that they are on the TCAS or they are on the TIZ or whatever. Nice to know, but it really does not do anything for the controller. If you are responsible for getting two airplanes to see each other for a visual approach, or you are trying to apply visual separation, or you are trying to make a traffic call, you have to have the visual. So, save that for the hangar flying session or something like that." 

Bob Adelizzi: 

"I think something that gets to us, sometimes, is we have to work in a very structured environment, with IFR and sometimes even VFR. And you get some pilots who say "We see the airport and we have seen it since Albany; we've seen it since Kennedy..." That's great but we can't do anything right now. The controllers just say "fly such and such a heading" - and again, for a reason. This is your sequence. And then as you get close to the final, we will start turning you in and start pointing out traffic for the visual. 

And the other one is, "If it helps you..." "If it helps, we have ____." It usually would help but we can't do anything right now. You have to understand, there are certain times that we can't do anything." 

John Krug:  

"And if we could, we would have done it." 

Bob Adelizzi: 

"Yes, we don't need to delay anybody -- we don't need to load the scope up. We don't need to load up the frequency with people that we don't need to talk to."
 

Here is your free audio gift...

In-Flight Emergencies: Engine Failure

Bob Martens is a nationally known speaker, consultant and aviation safety expert. He retired from the FAA after spending 17 years as a Safety Program Manager. In this role, he delivered hundreds of live seminars devoted to General Aviation safety. Bob retired from the USAF (rank of Colonel) in 2000 after 30 years of active and reserve duty. He was an Aircraft Commander in a C-5A and also served as Flying Safety Officer and Chief of Safety with the 439th AirWing. Bob has logged thousands of flight hours in both military and GA aircraft.

In this MP3 audio you'll learn:

  • Water vs. trees vs. roads - which is preferable when?
  • Statistics...likelihood of it happening to you
  • Military's approach to emergencies (the "big 3")
  • What to do when your engine quits
  • Simple A-B-C framework
  • Stretching a glide to an airport...should you try?
  • Best off-field landing sites -- evaluating the choices
  • Things you must do to survive (or even walk away)
  • Wind and flap management
  • Engine failure on takeoff - why pilots turn back
  • 10 second procedure that can change the outcome
  • How you can train for emergency landings on every flight

Right click here to download onto your desktop. 14 meg MP3.

  Press play to listen right now. 20 minutes.  

 

Comments from fellow pilots about the Tip of the Week:

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