[Dave W]

Just been flying again today - blissful!

One thing struck me, though, and that is how few people are stating the airfield where they are flying at both the beginning and the end of the transmission.

I'd estimate that fewer than 10% of the transmissions I've heard since we began flying again in March do this (as CAP413 advises), and it was also noticeable how often people did not mention the airfield at all.

Why is it necessary? Well, one reason is that it keeps the hearts of people like me in their shirts like today when I am just about to make my own downwind call when I hear somebody else calling downwind at what sounded like the same airfield, with the same runway orientation!

I didn't catch the full name (transmission clipped) and I could not recheck at the end of the call - which is the reason CAP413 advises it as good practice.

As it happens, the other aircraft was at a strip over 50 miles away, as I found out on a subsequent unclipped call. But it got me going for a while.

So it'd be great if everyone would:

• Top and tail every call with the airfield name as the first and last things said.
• Take care not to clip their own transmission.
• State the airfield name every time.

It's easy to forget, I know - but e.g. "Final 08" alone on SafetyCom is in reality completely useless to anybody hearing it.

Whilst "Much Binding traffic, Foxtrot Sierra Final 08, Much Binding" might take a bit longer to say it does ensure that people will get the info they need.

Thanks - this has been a Public Service request!

[PeteSpencer]

You read it here first! I had always been keen on a common frequency since flying extensively with the late Keef in USA and experiencing Unicom/CTAF first hand.
I posted the post below before Safetycom was a twinkle in the CAAs eye and the stuffed shirts on here were harrumphing at the idea of a common frequency a la Unicom in USA

Interesting insight into attitudes in 2004 here:

https://forums.flyer.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=8486&hilit=safety+com

(I guarantee you'll smile at the first few posts: well worth reading till the end of the thread!! )

And even when safety com arrived a few years after my post CAA CAP413 made no mention of ‘tailing’ the calls : it was another five years before
CAP 413 recommended topping and tailing Safetycom calls

Petespencer wrote 26 July 2004

Unicom/Safetycom//General

Just announce where you are: I don't care what you call it:

If its available I'll use it and one day the bimblers will realise that if you're flying in to an uncontrolled airstrip in the middle of nowhere then to have a common frequency to announce your intentions can only be a good thing.

So long as its used properly as in USA with a station identifier at the beginning and end of every transmission it can only increase safety.

Do you really believe that there isn't a teensy weensy frequency that the CAA couldn't allocate for real if they could be *rsed to extradigitate and give it some thought.

And please don't compare the average GA pilot to CB anoraks.

So come on you Luddites: move into the 21st century.

I'd like to think that this situation isn't going to repeat itself with Unicom in UK.
Ho hum[/quote -]

edit to repair link

[aerial]

I have never understood why there is only one safetycom frequency as on a good day there are calls coming in that are 100 miles away.

Now we have a box full of 8.33 channels would it be a good idea to have regional safetycom channels even if it were only one north and one south?

[cotterpot]

..but what about us in the middle?

[Rob P]

... would it be a good idea to have regional safetycom channels even if it were only one north and one south?

No

It would confuse the Brummies and the Scots would want the dividing line just above Edinburgh.

Rob P

[PeteSpencer]

I have never understood why there is only one safetycom frequency as on a good day there are calls coming in that are 100 miles away.

It took over five years to get the single frequency we have now

[Genghis the Engineer]

I'd be happy if people would mention where they are once!

G

[Iceman]

It’s one of those CAP413 features that has been introduced since a lot of pilots originally trained for their licence. Consequently, some of those pilots who choose not to keep up to date have little idea how to use such a facility. If a pilot has ever flown in the US, then they’re a lot more used to this mode of RT ops at uncontrolled fields, and the necessity to top and tail each call with the name of the airport. It’s common sense really to include the airport at the start of a call, and good airmanship to end the call with the name of the airport. Sadly, all too many pilots lack these qualities.

Iceman

[Flyin'Dutch']

I have never understood why there is only one safetycom frequency as on a good day there are calls coming in that are 100 miles away.

Now we have a box full of 8.33 channels would it be a good idea to have regional safetycom channels even if it were only one north and one south?

Or you could give each place their own frequency and at times that no service is provided it reverts to SafetyCom on that very same frequency.

I know, a mind boggling concept, it will never catch on.

[Flyin'Dutch']

It’s one of those CAP413 features that has been introduced since a lot of pilots originally trained for their licence. Consequently, some of those pilots who choose not to keep up to date have little idea how to use such a facility. If a pilot has ever flown in the US, then they’re a lot more used to this mode of RT ops at uncontrolled fields, and the necessity to top and tail each call with the name of the airport. It’s common sense really to include the airport at the start of a call, and good airmanship to end the call with the name of the airport. Sadly, all too many pilots lack these qualities.

Iceman

And then there are those who reckon that the two year training flight has nothing to offer......

Clearly aeroplanes fly due to Bernoulli's law but if people are sloppy with the radio how is the rest of their flying?

[ChampChump]

IIRC, it was WKW who reminded the powers that be that tailing each transmission should be incorporated into CAP413 after SafetyCom's introduction. He was quite chuffed when they said 'good idea' and did at the next update. It should have been there throughout, of course.

A thought: why do some pilots call 'safetycom' and not 'traffic'? Do they call other airfields in like fashion? Not that important, if the name is there, of course. Just wondering.

[Straight Level]

Clearly aeroplanes fly due to Bernoulli's law but if people are sloppy with the radio how is the rest of their flying?

None sloppy aeroplanes due to Bernoulli's principle

[peter272]

And then there are those who reckon that the two year training flight has nothing to offer......

I would doubt many doing the training flight will be doing an approach into an airfield using SafetyCom, so the instructor is unlikely to speak about it.

[Flyin'Dutch']

@Straight Level Good to sea you're paying attention!

[IMCR]

I think the same applies to unmanned airfields. I often hear pilots on an unmanned frequency self announcing but you dont always know if they intend to be on that frequency, and indeed what their intentions actually are.

(Edited to say I am referring to an unmanned frequency where the airfield has been allocated a frequency and you are not therefore using Safetycom to keep DavidW happy )