Confession: Selling a house this month + flying a full schedule = Not enough time this month to produce a Radar Contact Show. Please enjoy this long-form article on CTAF at uncontrolled airports. I plan to convert what follows into a complete Radar Contact Show as soon as the manufactured furball in my life settles down. Onward.
Listening for Situational Awareness
In the past I’ve talked about the importance of listening to the aircraft radio to build situational awareness. Nowhere is this more important than in an uncontrolled airport traffic pattern.
Here’s an example radio call you might hear in an uncontrolled pattern.
“Town and Country Traffic, Piper 525 Yankee Golf, four mile straight-in, Runway 17, full stop, Town and Country.”
Let’s say you are on the downwind leg at Town and Country, approaching the turn to base leg for Runway 17, when this radio call hits the airwaves. What does it do for your situational awareness?
If I were in your shoes and I heard that radio call, I’d be thinking, “Hmm. If things continue as they are, there’s a pretty good chance I’m going to be flying wingtip formation with Piper 525 Yankee Golf on a 1-mile final approach. Time to do something to avoid that.”
Here’s another example. You are on a 1/2 mile final for Runway 17 at Town and Country. There’s a Cirrus aircraft holding short of Runway 17. You hear:
“Town and Country Traffic, Cirrus 3491 Mike, entering Runway 17, departing to the north, Town and Country.”
Would that radio transmission raise the hairs on the back of your neck? I know it would on mine. Time to do something to avoid that irritating sound of metal screeching against metal.
Here’s one last example. Again you are on the downwind leg for Runway 17 at Town and Country. You hear:
Nothing. Six seconds of silence. One potato, two potato, three potato, four potato, five potato, si . . .
Suddenly, a Piper Cub appears from behind the right support pillar of your forward windscreen, 1000 feet ahead!
The Cub’s tracking right to left towards your 12 o’clock. After a second’s hesitation due to shock, you react by climbing and turning right to avoid a collision.
Where did that guy come from?! You’re determined to find out. You regroup, re-enter the pattern at downwind, and bring it in for a full stop landing.
As you taxi in after, you see the Cub parked at the FBO. You pull into a parking spot at the FBO, determined to stalk inside and read that pilot the riot act for jumping onto the base leg without announcing his position or intentions.
Radio? We Don’t Need a Stinkin’ Radio
Wait a minute. Before you do that, let’s go to the AIM to see if you have a leg to stand on. First, what does Part 91 of the Consolidated Federal Regulations say about radio requirements at an uncontrolled airport?
You can look all day in the regs for radio requirements at an uncontrolled airport, but you aren’t going to find a thing. It is perfectly legal to fly into or out of an uncontrolled airport without using a communication radio or even having a one on board.
Let’s check the AIM. Yes, the AIM has extensive guidelines for self-reporting on the radio at uncontrolled airports, but that guidance only applies if you happen to have a radio on board; and you care to use it.
The Takeaway
The radio is a great device for building situational awareness. The radio can also be a trap if you rely on it to do all of the clearing for you in an uncontrolled pattern. There are pilots out there who either don’t have a radio on board. Others have a radio, but refuse to use it. Or, and this may be the worst of all, some pilots have a radio, use it, but make inaccurate or untimely position reports.
My best advice is, listen to the radio to build situational awareness, but take everything you hear with a grain of salt. Don’t rely entirely on the radio to determine where other aircraft are in the traffic pattern. Visually clear for the pilot who speaks on the radio, but also clear for the pilot who either chooses to remain silent or unwitting transmits misleading information on the frequency.
Common Traffic Advisory Frequency
While we are on the topic of self-announce procedures in an uncontrolled traffic pattern, I want to talk for a minute or so about what the AIM means when it describes a Common Traffic Advisory Frequency, or CTAF (pronounced See-taff).
I bring this up because a pilot named Michael recently sent this comment to me by email:
“A call to the Unicom might be helpful to learn the active runway or if there was some activity which might be of concern to you – should someone answer the frequency, but we were told [by our instructors] that all traffic in the vicinity of an uncontrolled airport with a designated CTAF should make all their self announcements on that CTAF rather than on the Unicom frequency.”
This was my reply. “Michael, Should pilots make position reports on the CTAF? The answer is yes. The confusion arises because Unicom may be a CTAF.
Here’s the definition from the AIM: “The CTAF may be a UNICOM, MULTICOM, FSS, or tower frequency and is identified in appropriate aeronautical publications.”
Take this Frequency and Use It
There are general rules in the AIM for selecting the appropriate CTAF frequency. You’ll find those rules in Table 4-1-1, which is kind of hard to find in the AIM. Look for the table just below Section 4-1-9 which is titled “Traffic Advisory Practices at Airports Without Operating Control Towers”.
If you look in the left column of this table, you will see the column heading “Facility at Airport”. The choices in that column talk about whether the airport uses Unicom, a dedicated Flight Service Station frequency, or the frequency of a tower that is closed.
There is also one oddball listing covering an airport with no facility of any kind. In that case, you are expected to self-announce on the Multicom frequency of 122.9.
CTAF in Real Life
Let’s look at 2 of the most typical radio setups for uncontrolled airports. We’ll check the AIM’s table, and proceed from there.
Let’s say today we are going to fly into the Socorro Municipal Airport near Socorro, New Mexico. We look at our Albuquerque sectional chart and find Socorro centered on the left third of the chart. The data next to the airport includes an AWOS-3 frequency of 118.325 and a Unicom frequency of 122.8. Notice next to the Unicom frequency there is a letter C inside a filled-in magenta circle. That letter C stands for CTAF. It means Unicom frequency 122.8 is the CTAF.
Just to double-check, because that’s what the AIM tells us to do, we go into the Airport/Facility Directory’s listing for Socorro. Sure enough, under the heading Communications, the Directory shows Socorro’s CTAF/Unicom frequency is 122.8.
Let’s Fly and Talk
Armed with this information, let’s head towards the airport. As we are flying inbound, some distance from Socorro, we’ll dial up the AWOS-3 frequency and get the automated weather report for the airport.
Soccoro Municipal Airport automated weather observation, 1755 Zulu. Sky clear, visibility 10 miles, wind 300 at 10 knots. Temperature 4, dewpoint minus 4, altimeter 30.08. Remark AO2 Sea Level Pressure 17371040. Check density altitude.
Next, about 10 miles from the airport, we’ll make this radio call on Unicom, “Socorro Unicom, Cessna 9130 Delta 10 miles west of the airport, inbound for landing with the numbers, request an airport advisory.”
Adding the remark “with the numbers” means you have listened to the weather report on AWOS. This tells the person manning Unicom you don’t need him to say the wind direction or altimeter setting at the airport. If you don’t say “with the numbers” the person at the other end of the radio should give you this basic information.
You make your request, and hopefully, the person manning the Unicom station will answer with something that sounds like this.
“Aircraft calling Socorro, Socorro is using Runway 33, left traffic. There are 2 aircraft in the pattern.”
What if No One Answers?
But, let’s say you make that radio call requesting an airport advisory and you don’t get a reply. You know you have the correct frequency dialed in and your radio is working. You hear other aircraft reporting their position at Socorro.
Not to worry. Going back to the AIM’s Table 4-1-1 we look at the row next to the heading UNICOM (No Tower or FSS). In the column labeled “Frequency Use”, it says “Communicate with UNICOM station on published CTAF frequency (122.7; 122.8; 122.725; 122.975; or 123.0). If unable to contact UNICOM station, use self-announce procedures on CTAF.”
Wait a minute. What does that last sentence mean? “If unable to contact UNICOM station, use self-announce procedures on CTAF.” That doesn’t make sense if you take it to mean Unicom and CTAF are 2 different entities.
That’s not what it means. Focus on the word “station” in that sentence and it makes more sense. Read it like this, “If unable to reach the person who is manning the Unicom’s base station to get an airport advisory, simply begin self-announcing on the Unicom frequency.”
I should also add, and these are my words, not the AIM’s, continue to listen on the Unicom frequency to get a sense of who is in the traffic pattern and determine what runway they are using.
Of course, if no one is talking on the frequency, pilots or Unicom station operator, then it’s a good idea to survey the airport pattern before entering. Your flight instructor can advise you how to do this and add his or her own techniques.
Self-Announce on CTAF
Make your 10 mile out position report on Unicom. Report entering downwind, entering base leg, and entering final approach. If making a full stop, report clear of the runway.
That’s all there is to radio work when approaching an airport that uses a dedicated Unicom frequency for CTAF.
Sorry Folks, Wally World Tower’s Closed. Moose Out Front Should’ve Told You.
Let’s now look at another typical situation you’ll find at an uncontrolled airport.
This evening, you are flying towards your destination of Redding Municipal Airport near Redding, California. The local time is 21:40 and Redding’s part-time tower is closed.
A check of the Klamath Falls sectional chart shows a Unicom frequency at the airport of 122.95, but the circled C symbol is next to the control tower frequency of 119.8. This means the tower’s frequency is the CTAF when the tower is closed. A check of Redding’s listing in the Airport Facility Directory confirms this information.
Next, let’s go into Table 4-1-1 in the AIM and look at the row with the heading, “Tower or Flight Service Station Not in Operation”. The listed procedure is to self-announce on the CTAF frequency. We’ll use 119.8 for self-announce at Redding.
What about the listed Unicom frequency? Should you use that to get an airport advisory? It’s unlikely anyone will answer you on Unicom because the Airport Facility Directory says the airport is attended only from dawn till dusk. So why is there even a Unicom frequency listed for this airport? Likely it’s there as a backup frequency in case the primary CTAF is NOTAM-ed out of service.
In this situation, how are you going to get a weather update for the airport? The answer is to call Flight Service. Flight service will be able to give you the current weather, but don’t expect a full airport advisory because Flight Service does not play an airport advisory role at Redding.
Let’s Fly and Talk at Redding
So in actual practice, here’s how I’d handle my arrival at Redding. Some distance from the airport, I’d contact the nearest Flight Service Station for a weather update. In this area, Rancho Murieta Radio handles that request.
Next, I’d dial up the CTAF (119.8) and report inbound when 10 miles from the airport.
“Redding Traffic, Cessna 9130 Delta, 10 miles northwest of the airport, inbound for landing, Redding.”
As I proceed inbound, I’d listen carefully for any reports from other aircraft. If I don’t hear anything, I would not, I repeat would not make this radio transmission. “Redding Traffic, traffic in the area please advise.”
Why wouldn’t I make this call? Because the AIM is very specific when it says, “’Traffic in the area, please advise’ is not a recognized Self−Announce Position and/or Intention phrase and should not be used under any condition.” In an manual that is supposed to be collection of best practices, it’s rare for the FAA to say something with a foot stomp as severe as this. Too bad so many pilots ignore it.
After my 10-mile report, I would make my standard reports entering downwind, entering base, entering final, and clearing the runway.
The Takeaways on CTAF
To summarize, CTAF is a common traffic advisory frequency that may be a Unicom frequency, a Tower frequency, or a Flight Service Station frequency. Check your sectional chart and the Airport Facility Directory to see which one applies for your airport. Use Table 4-1-1 in the AIM to determine the correct procedures for the frequency in use as CTAF. If there is no dedicated frequency of any kind for the airport, self-announce your position on the Multicom frequency of 122.9.
Finally, as I said earlier, don’t assume a quiet radio means there is no traffic in the airport pattern.
Questions? Comments? Write what’s on your mind in the comments section below. I monitor and reply to all incoming comments. Or, if you would like to write to me directly, you can reach me at Jeff@ATCcommunition.com. I also hang out in the Twitterverse at twitter.com/ATC_jeff.
Here’s your Question of the Week
You are preparing to depart VFR from Martha’s Vineyard Airport. It’s November 2 and the current local time is 05:30. According to the Airport Facility Directory, Martha’s Vineyard’s part-time tower opens for operation at 11:00 Zulu or 06:00 local time this time of year. Using the Airport Facility Directory listing for Martha’s Vineyard Airport that I’ve included below, describe the radio drill you would use to depart from Martha’s Vineyard, beginning from your parking position on the ramp through your departure from the traffic pattern heading northwest.
When you think you have the entire radio drill figured out, go to ATCcommunication.com/answers. There you will find a complete solution for this situation, along with a full explanation of how that answer was derived.