Flight Training - June 2015 - 37

you and approve a frequency
change to the ground control
frequency, in which case he
or she will read off the ground
control frequency to you; he or
she may say, "Taxi to the ramp
with me," meaning you should
stay on the tower frequency
while you taxi; or you may
hear nothing. It all depends
on how busy the controller is.
If the controller is busy and
doesn't contact you, simply
turn off the runway at your
first safe opportunity, tune to
the ground control frequency,
and make your call.
Your call: "Central City
Ground, Cessna One-TwoThree-Four-Five, clear of
Runway 9, taxi to the FBO."
Ground control response:
"Cessna Three-Four-Five, taxi
to the FBO via taxiway Delta
and Foxtrot."
And that's it. You have
successfully flown into a
tower-controlled airport, made
all the calls required of you,
and you're now taxiing to the
FBO.
Departing from the FBO
involves the same process, but
in reverse order. First, listen
to the ATIS broadcast. Then
contract ground control to
ask permission to taxi from
the FBO to the active runway.
Once you're at the hold-short
line for the active runway
with your run-up completed,
contact the tower and ask
permission to depart in the
direction you would like to go,
and follow the instructions the
controller gives you.
Keep in mind that at some
larger airports, you may have
to make one more call. If the
airport has a published clearance delivery frequency, call
that-in the same way-before
you call ground for a taxi clearance. Clearance delivery wants

IN A NONTOWERED ENVIRONMENT, PILOTS
REPORT WHAT THEY ARE DOING IN THE TOWERED
ENVIRONMENT, THEY REQUEST A CLEARANCE TO
PERFORM THE SAME ACTIONS.
to know your aircraft type, whether you're flying VFR or IFR, your direction of
flight, and requested altitude; usually the controller will give you a transponder code-go ahead and enter it. Sometimes the clearance controller will give
you instructions for what to do after takeoff, and perhaps a radio frequency for
departure control (who you would talk with after the tower controller hands
you off ); write it down where it will be handy.
HELPFUL TIPS. On the ground or in the air, if you hear a radio call addressed
to you that you don't understand, just ask the controller to repeat it or explain
it. Generally speaking, controllers value order over all else. They have no
problem repeating or explaining instructions if it means they'll have a more
orderly traffic pattern. The same is true on the ground. If the ground controller issues you a string of instructions that you don't understand or assigns
you to a taxiway you don't see, you can always use the magic words, "Cessna
Three-Four-Five requests progressive taxi."
There is no shame in asking for a progressive taxi. Plenty of airline pilots
do it. Some airports are so large and confusing that the controllers prefer the
request to having a baffled pilot taxiing around erratically, lost and causing
confusion on the airport. If you have even the slightest concern that you may
not know how to get where you're going, just ask. The controllers will be
happy to help you.
Ironically, flying at a towered airport can be easier than flying at a nontowered airport. The radio work isn't particularly demanding, and there is very
little chance of an aircraft that isn't on the tower frequency being in the traffic
pattern or in the vicinity of the airport. You also won't find another airplane
taking off on an intersecting runway while you're accelerating down the runway you thought was active. Plus, there is always at least one extra pair of eyes
involved in assuring collision avoidance.
There is no reason to avoid towered airports just because you haven't flown
to one in a long time. So brush up on these simple radio skills and add a towered airport to your list of destinations. You'll be a better pilot for it. You just
might have some fun, too.
Jamie Beckett is a writer, flight instructor, and AOPA Ambassador who lives in Winter
Haven, Florida.
JUNE 2015 FLIGHT TRAINING

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Flight Training - June 2015

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Flight Training - June 2015