Primarily for general aviation discussion, but other aviation topics are also welcome.
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#1891816
Mz Hedy wrote:In UK there ain't no chat frequency in air band, and just because you can't hear somebody on frequency, it doesn't mean your "Hello Fred, where are you" call doesn't blat through someone else's squelch when they're trying to make a legitimate call. I recall, long ago, trying to get a student used to circut making calls but being continually blocked out by "hello Fred" chatter from 30-odd miles away. Fortunately they heard me complain and shut up.

There is a microlight frequency for airborne situational awareness calls, but that would only work if Fred is on that channel and not Teesside Tower.

PS. Overlapped with @lobstaboy

PPS. What does the CAA think situational awareness is? They give us the long and the short of it in this tome (see page 71 et seq). In short: 'A colloquial definition of situational awareness is “knowing what is going on”. It also appears synonymous with the colloquial idea of ‘mental models’. Situational awareness is deemed to be at its highest when the person is able to anticipate how a situation is likely to continue into the immediate future.' No mention of setting up a cuppa with Fred at Jim's airfield, I'm afraid.

While on a training flight, we kept hearing someone say "Tom, Tom, can you hear me Tom"
Was repeated about 3 times before Instructor and I burst into a verse of Space oddity
#1891817
So from what I can gleam from this thread, there is no real suitable way to contact another aircraft in the air.
So best to possibly use bluetooth and give them a call, hoping they also have bluetooth.
Failing that get along side them and give them a wave
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By JAFO
#1891851
Dman wrote:So from what I can gleam from this thread, there is no real suitable way to contact another aircraft in the air.
So best to possibly use bluetooth and give them a call, hoping they also have bluetooth.
Failing that get along side them and give them a wave


Apart from the fact that neither is legal.
User avatar
By Rob P
#1891854
Dman wrote:So best to possibly use bluetooth and give them a call, hoping they also have bluetooth.


It would probably work, but it's a bit gung ho for my tastes

The range of the Bluetooth® connection is approximately 30 feet (10 metres)


Rob P
#1892189
I’m curious what those of the opinion of “thy shalt not use thy mobile in flight” feel about the use of mobile data to update weather, notams etc enroute? To ignore in-flight safety data is to me, far less forgivable than using a mobile in flight (especially in IMC, when looking out of the window is not the safest thing to do, but up to date METARs are not only quite handy, but also normally quite different to when you took-off several hours earlier on my experience). Do you regularly get updates on this from London Info (or other service), rely on the data available on departure, or have another source?
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By Tall_Guy_In_a_PA28
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1892197
All of the options to obtain pertinent flight data that existed before it is was available via mobile still exist and work perfectly well. e.g. an update on weather at destination via FIS. I cannot think of a possible reason I would be interested in a NOTAM that was not active prior to departure.

I have sat in Le Touquet watching weather radar for a break in storms over the Channel, but would not typically cut things so fine that I need live updates. But then I fly for fun and if I HAVE to get to my destination, will use alternative means.
JAFO, lobstaboy, mick w and 1 others liked this
#1892204
Fair point. I guess for me (regularly flying from the south of France to northern England) it’s the simplicity and speed of simply tapping the weather tab on SD and getting updates for every metar along my route, confirming the expected trends (or otherwise) vs getting a smaller number dictated via radio less often. I don’t feel that this is a question of pushing boundaries; it’s simply assistance with decision-making about whether I’ll be landing VFR at my farm strip home base, or an instrument approach/cloud-break at an alternate (and which alternate that should be).

There are the cellular based EC apps (ok, I know of one), are these also illegal/inappropriate? I’m not a user, being well aware of the limitations of airborne cellular data connections and also better equipped with approved EC, but that could be a significant limitation to their product.
#1892470
Big Dex wrote:Do you regularly get updates on this from London Info (or other service), rely on the data available on departure, or have another source?


I use VOLMET when it might make a difference (eg. early decision making about diversions when the weather is marginal near my destination) or just a local aerodrome ATIS frequency. No need for anything more than a second radio then.
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