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 Post subject: Lost Comm!!
PostPosted: Mon Apr 23, 2007 9:37 am 
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Joined: Thu Feb 23, 2006 3:42 pm
Posts: 466
Location: San Francisco, California
Lost comm can be a little overwhelming, but it does happen. Any stories out there? This podcast specifically addresses Class D, but there are other situations that come up and some of them, it might not be so obvious what to do.

Our local Class C airspace, as per conversation with the tower control, has lost comm procedures to accommodate local landings. This is something that local pilots/instructors know. If you frequent an area, it is worth talking to the local pilots and find out procedures regarding that or anything else specific to an airport. (of course with a grain of salt :) )

Any thoughts?


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon Apr 23, 2007 12:17 pm 
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Joined: Fri Jul 21, 2006 4:22 am
Posts: 84
I've never lost Comm in the air, though I've had electrical failures -- the battery just lasted long enough for me to get on the ground.

The closest thing I've experienced happened on the ground at a Class D airport during one of my solo cross-countries. I called Ground after exiting the runway, but got no response. So I sat there a few seconds and called again. No response, so I figured there was probably only one controller working and he/she was busy on the tower frequency. Then I heard Ground calling me to ask where I wanted to go. I replied, then got no response. After a few more go-arounds -- ground calling me, me replying, etc., I heard Ground tell another taxiing plane to stay clear of the intersection where I was sitting because I was incommunicado and he didn't know where I was going to go. The "transmit" light worked when I called, so it appeared I was transmitting. I tried Comm 2, but no difference. I even pulled out my handheld to see if that made a difference, but Ground still couldn't hear me although I could hear the controller calling me and getting frustrated. Finally, I switched to the Tower frequency and got an immediate response.

I sat there the whole time because my instructor drilled it into me that you DON'T MOVE THE PLANE AT A CONTROLLED AIRPORT WITHOUT THE CONTROLLER'S PERMISSION. Other than the controller getting a little frustrated with me, there was no harm, but.... My guess is that I was just in some kind of a "dead zone" where the signal from my comm just wasn't hitting the ground controller's antenna?

I'm curious, though. Assuming I hadn't been able to contact the controller on the tower frequency, should I have taxied or just kept sitting there until they sent someone for me?


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed Apr 25, 2007 12:17 pm 
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Joined: Thu Feb 23, 2006 3:42 pm
Posts: 466
Location: San Francisco, California
Interesting that ground frequency couldn't receive you but tower could? Radio unfortunately belong to the electrical family which sometimes have "gremlins", however, it is so often pilot error. The handheld and T sounds like you did some trouble shooting.
When you are operating at a busier airport, the other consideration is the flow of traffic around you. Identify the problem, troubleshoot for pilot error, and accept that you have communication failure. Looking back on this, you can see that trying tower sooner would have been an option. On the ground, in the air, always try the frequency you just came from.
But, light gun signals are printed for taxing aircraft too. Check them out, and technically, ground control should have identified you as comm problem and given you the appropriate light gun signals which would come from the tower.
I wouldn't hesitate to call the tower and tell them about your experience, you might be surprised by their response. By the regs, you cannot taxi, but sometimes to help them expedite traffic they might want you to do otherwise. Let us know what you find out.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed May 02, 2007 12:06 am 
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Joined: Fri Jun 30, 2006 9:56 pm
Posts: 40
Location: Alameda & Nevada
Long ago I was running up at Reno in an Aeronca for some patterns. All it had was a handheld taped to the strut. My CFI had said that if the tower didn't hear me then I should move a bit to get out of a dead zone. We only talked to the tower, it was a dial-tune receiver so we didn't want to move it around.
After runup I called "Aeronca 0 ready for takeoff 16". No response. Couple more tries, no response. So I started to move around the runup area, repeating the call a couple times again.
That's when I noticed a pilot in another GA single looking at me, thought to look up at the tower, and saw the solid green light. I didn't know if they figured I'd be coming back in on the light too, but I did figure they heard me (from the way the other pilot was looking at me) and wanted me the hell out of the way, so I took off.
Once in the pattern, I discovered the receiver dial had been nudged, and was able to re-tune and hear the tower again. They had been hearing me all the time. Maybe it's good I didn't hear whatever they might have been saying to me!
I remember thinking on the way down the runway that maybe I shouldn't have taken off even though they were showing me the green light. If it happened now I think I'd tell them I'd changed my mind.
Let's hear it for digital tuning!

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Aviation in itself is not inherently dangerous. But to an even greater degree than the sea, it is terribly unforgiving of any carelessness, incapacity, or neglect.


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