check gear down

[cotejy]

Hello all,

I was wondering about some post on this forum talking about ATC asking for a "check gear down" when an airplane is final. I flown a little (about 10 hours) on a Piper Aztec and the ATC never asked me this question. Is this a standard procedure in the US (I'm flying in Canada)?

[undatc]

You most likely heard ATC talking to a military jet of some kind.  I cant find the exact chapter, though I know its in Chapter 3 somewhere of the 7110, but for all military jets/props we have to on initial call up to tower must give give them permission to enter our airspace as well as, "SAMP 1235 check wheels down."

Thats it.  If you request us to check, most tower guys when you're on your down wind will, but we don't have to.

[cotejy]

OHHH, I got it the other way. I read this from other topics and taught the tower was asking the pilot to check if thier gears were down.   

I think I havent flown for too long and my pedestrian cells are taking control of my brain.

[Gulfstream Driver]

The end of the runway in Riverside, CA has "WHEELS" spelled out in 6' white letters on the ground.  I asked the ground controller if it helped that much, and he said he wasn't sure, but that it had been a while since the last gear up landing.

[undatc]

Well, its two fold.  On one hand, we are reminding them to re check that their gear is down and locked, and at the same time if we're able, we are supposed to also visually check.

[chuckar101]

What runway in Riverside is that sign.  I've flown in there a couple of time lately and didn't see it.  Have to check it out next time I fly in.

[TheSoccerMom]

It has been many YEARS ago, but in Canada they told us Check gear down as part of the clearance to land.

Military controllers (U.S.) also told us that (on our descent) when we were transiting the restricted area to go into an uncontrolled, civilain airport nearby for landing.

[undatc]

It has been many YEARS ago, but in Canada they told us Check gear down as part of the clearance to land.

Military controllers (U.S.) also told us that (on our descent) when we were transiting the restricted area to go into an uncontrolled, civilain airport nearby for landing.

Yea military controllers are a little weird.  For us, there are portions of the 7110 that only apply to when we are working with military airplanes of certain branches.  However if youre a military controller, you have to apply all procedures to everyone.  IE for us we only apply navy procedures for navy airplanes, but an Air Force controller talking to a Delta for instance has to apply navy, air force, marine etc to it.  They have a lot of weird rules.

[TheSoccerMom]

We found they have a good sense of humor, too.  I wrote this a few nights back, but my computer coughed and the post apparently went somewhere else.

While doing an ocean survey off southern California, we had to get clearance from the military to extend into their area.  It had been a long day and the copilot was flying (on surveys, there are two pilots, unlike the fire stuff).  We were to check in with Beaver Control, and since he was flying, I had the radios. 

So, mental giant that I am, I called in to "Badger Control, blah blah blah..."  Well, the copilot (whom I barely knew) was HORRIFIED that I had screwed up.  He sputtered, "But you just called them the wrong name!"  So, I keyed the mike again and said "Hey, this is So-and-so again, if I just called you the wrong animal, I'm sorry."  The controller just pleasantly answered, "Oh, no problem" but the copilot was clearly mortified at this casual lack of professionalism.  He rolled his eyes at me and I am sure he would have said something rude, if he had only known me better.        

We flew and flew..  miles and miles..  back and forth.  At the end of our lines, we called the controllers to let them know we were coming up on a course reversal.  This went on for hours...  and hours..  or, was it weeks?     

Anyway, we were finally done, and it was time to exit their airspace.  The copilot had the controls once again, and we were headed to shore.  I told him (trying to not be a complete BONEHEAD), that I was going to thank these guys, for all their help.  They had made our work much easier, after all.  I keyed the mike and, as politely as I could, told them our intentions, and that we surely (there's that darned Shirley again!) appreciated their assistance on the mapping. 

There was a slight pause, then a loud, happy voice answered "Roger, Twin Otter So-and-so, SQUIRREL Control, no problem at all!  Good day!" 

We ALL got a good laugh out of that, and the copilot was especially pleased that they GOT ME.  There was even a long discussion after landing of the various identifying characteristics of short, four-legged furry mammals....  all for my benefit, of course. 

                                                   

[undatc]

So today as im looking for our merging target procedures in the 7110, I found the wheels down check section, 2-1-24 reads:

2-1-24. WHEELS DOWN CHECK

USA/USAF/USN

Remind aircraft to check wheels down on each approach unless the pilot has previously reported wheels down for that approach.

NOTE-
The intent is solely to remind the pilot to lower the wheels, not to place responsibility on the controller.

a. Tower shall issue the wheels down check at an appropriate place in the pattern.

PHRASEOLOGY-
CHECK WHEELS DOWN.

b. Approach/arrival control, GCA shall issue the wheels down check as follows:

1. To aircraft conducting ASR, PAR, or radar monitored approaches, before the aircraft starts descent on final approach.

2. To aircraft conducting instrument approaches and remaining on the radar facility's frequency, before the aircraft passes the outer marker/final approach fix.

PHRASEOLOGY-
WHEELS SHOULD BE DOWN.

[Nottoohinortoofast]

The Swiss Air Force use the same procedure, but as pilots don't like being bossed around by controllers. The "check wheels down" is avoided by calling something like " Hornet 23 Final 3 greens " at first radio contact. (Just kidding about the being bossed around part...) 

[happylanding]

Hehehe, another Swiss here in the forum! welcome compatriot!  |:)\where are you from precisely?

[tundra_flier]

I commercial pilot friend relayed this to me about 10 years ago.  A Piper Arrow ran out of fuel and crashed after departing Galena and forgetting to raise it's gear.  So the Galena tower (the airforce manned it most of the time back then) started letting every departing plane know if their gear was down.  Since a large number of aircraft operating out of there are fixed gear the standard response became "confirmed, gear down and welded!".

Phil

[undatc]

I commercial pilot friend relayed this to me about 10 years ago.  A Piper Arrow ran out of fuel and crashed after departing Galena and forgetting to raise it's gear.  So the Galena tower (the airforce manned it most of the time back then) started letting every departing plane know if their gear was down.  Since a large number of aircraft operating out of there are fixed gear the standard response became "confirmed, gear down and welded!".

Phil

Yea it was really dumb, they made us do a final check before landing, which consisted of, "boost pump on, mixture rich, props forward, gear down and locked".  Only thing is were flying warriors here, no retractable gear, and no prop control.  Always felt dumb when i took check rides and had to say that.

[Gulfstream Driver]

UND doesn't trust students to think for themselves, so they force rote memorization on them.

KRAL was the airport at Riverside.  I came in on 27.