Secrets to Good Radio Calls at Non-Towered Airports

Folks: Please start by reading the HOLD SHORT statement above.--SF

Great stuff Sting!  and I definitely appreciate your "HOLD SHORT" note / disclaimer.

I'm good in the pattern, iffy when approaching the area. I tend to forget the direction when announcing "over flight midfield 2000' to check windsock"

Great video as usual,  very informative.  You do a nice job editing and using the scenery  

why not 123.45?

This video is very enjoyable for the aerial photography and quite informative for the phraseology for flights into and out of non-towered airports. Per item #9 on your "Hold Short!" list, keep in mind that some local landmarks may actually be depicted on the sectional chart. I'm learning to fly out of Hayward (KHWD), CA. "Report CAL STATE for Rwy 28R" is a local landmark and it is not on the chart. When approaching Reid-Hillview (KRHV) from the south, "...expect Rwy 31R, report UTC." UTC is an old rocket test site owned by United Technologies. (Once you see it from the air, you'll know what it is). And it is on the chart. Google Earth is a wonderful tool for checking out the lay of the land when planning a flight into uncontrolled airports. Anyway, I'm just learning here. Great video! I subscribed!  ...Bruce.

Great video!!!  I'm learning so much from all your videos.  It's really helping with my flight training.  Can't wait to have my own STING arrive!!!  So excited.

im a new pilot- i was arriving to an Uncontrolled airport that was pretty busy and announced 10 w at 2500  inbound etc but then decided to divert west to another airport- i was about 5 miles out and wasnt sure if i should announce it or not since i was no factor but did so that they knew i wasnt inbound since i had announced it- i said as xxxx 5 W cancelling inbound and leaving area to the west.- i know thats not proper but wasnt sure how else to put it. do you announce diversions like that? and how? do you announce transitions through the area if its pretty far from the field but busy?

My nearby class C goes Class E at night. There is still a good bit of traffic mostly airline and air transport (Fedex,  DHL, UPS...) real pros.

I work at an FBO and we have a dry-erase board full of "strange" radio calls.
"Malibu 123 taking the ramp/taxiway for takeoff"
"Meridian crossing mid-base... ...for full stop landing"
(Local college): "Diamond Star 1234A 12 miles North of the field, setting up for vor/dme RW 36 afterwards we will be executing a hold at 3,000 ft on the 270 radial after which we will... insert entire far/aim here .... Uh... Yeah.. 1234A."

That's just to name a few.
The last one is actually one we hear a lot. Numerous people will land within one transmission. It's ridiculous but we are not allowed to say anything. Other pilots will and that makes for a good chuckle here and there

Nice video, subscribed! :)

They keep saying "45" what does that mean?

I am a HAM radio operator and listen to towers in my car all the time. This helped a LOT while I was in training. It helps to try an visualize where the planes are relative to the airport when the calls come in.

Great video sir. Another great teaching aid which im sure most of you guys know is LiveATC . I put it on for my drive to work and when im walking the dog.Thanks for posting.

Thank you for this excellent information. As a 71 yr old student pilot, I`ve been struggling with flying and talking at the same time. Now it`s all coming together.

Video is absolutely stunning.... wow.... Great tips as well. thanks...

Very good post. I found very helpful to hear the wrong way followed by the correct way to make good radio calls. Thank you!

What model handheld radio do you use?

unique

This is the greatest radio call video ever made, period. FAA should pass a rule that all new pilots must watch this video.

Great tips...thank you...i always like to say “pilot controlled field”...i know its not technically correct, but it seems more accurate.

He is so great it so hard to stay in focus

Very helpful. Fx were a bit much tho...

I like the comments here about older student pilots. I flew somewhat in the Air Force 37 years ago. I'm 65 now, and building two planes, and just last Saturday started my flight training to get current again. You don't lose the feeling of flight control inputs and responses, but oh boy, was I ever rusty. So a young man that could possibly be my grandson is now my CFI. But he's great.

Beautiful camera work.

Nice country down there

As a new pilot using the radio, I don't understand why so many pilots talk so fast that they are very hard to understand? The answer I always get is that other pilots are needing to speak over the radio. That makes no sense! By talking so fast you may cause a fatal accident because another pilot could not understand you. It makes total sense to spend an extra five seconds to speak in clear, concise, words that everyone can understand.

Today there are apps for listing to ATC and towers. I just do it from home.

why do i need a radio at a no tower fbo