Question (for my seasoned Chicken Wings friends)

[Yuppie01]

Get it....seasoned chicken wings... ......seriously though, I do have an actual question about flying, believe it or not.

I got my primary flight instruction at an untowered field and have done most of my flying to them as well. I have been reading some of the FAA rags on safe surface ops and I noticed that they recommend making a radio call to taxi at an untowered field.  Do you guys actually do that?  I would think that it would make the freq. really confusing if not only was I getting air calls from pilots at other airports on the same freq. as me, but also trying to figure out if they were on the ground or not?

I was not taught to do that, but wanted to poll the coop to see what others think.

Thanks and keep the blue sky on top....

-Yuppie

[RagDragger]

To me, it's sort of a discretionary thing.  If the airport I'm at is real busy, as in people in the pattern, on the ground and all over, then yeah, I'll probably make a call to let everyone know I'll be taxiing to the active.  If it's just me, then I'll probably skip the taxi call and just give a hold short or taking off call as needed.  Never a bad idea, but not truly necessary.  Do it on a checkride though, the FAA loves that kind of stuff. 

[FlyboyGil]

WHADDUP?!?

Although not in the States, here we always announce our activities when theres no tower. We always address the traffic in our area though. I'm in Sarnia so we address "Sarnia Traffic"

ie "Sarnia Traffic, Cessna 172 golf golf zulu hotel now taxiing alpha to hold short runway three-two."

And you announce when your taxiing buy addressing the Sarnia area. All announcemenst start by addressing the traffic buy the area you are in.

 

[gibbo_335]

We are the same here for non-tower controlled airfields...CTAF(r), we have another 2 local airfields on our frequency, but Taxying calls are always made. Actually they are much the same as Gils posted call.  It was confusing when i first started but now it's alot clearer.

[Rooster Cruiser]

Its a good idea to make taxi calls no matter what because if you just turned on your radios you may not have heard about someone who is coming in to land.  They may hear you and give out a radio call to let you know they are inbound.  My home base is an uncontrolled field with plenty of T-hangars that I need to taxi past on my way to the active runway.  There could be some guy getting ready to taxi out of a blind area who may just decide to take a look for me if he hears my taxi call.  Otherwise, he has no idea I am on my way out and he may decide to do a fast-taxi out onto the taxiway and into me.

The other scenario is when I make my taxi call, someone else who may be taxiing my way after landing will hear my call and announce his position and intentions.  I can then stop and wait for him to pass on the taxiway in order to avoid a head-on confrontation.

In the end, if the frequency is busy you might forego the taxi call but that is at your discretion.  It never hurts to make that extra call if you are not going to add extra noise to a busy frequency.

[Yuppie01]

Great stuff.....I guess that was just an oversight in my training?  All of your arguments for it make a lot of sense, though.  I think I just added a new pre-taxi checklist item!!!! 

Thanks.