Flight Training - March 2019 - 27

ASI NEWS

BY BOB KNILL

MAKE CONTACT

HOW TO BE HEARD IN BUSY AIRSPACE
HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU SAT THERE, FINGER ON THE PUSH-

to-talk button, ready to go with your request to ATC-only to
find no opening to talk? You've rehearsed what you're going to
say but can't seem to squeeze in amongst all the other chatter
out there. How do you get ATC's attention when you're fast
approaching their airspace?
The AOPA Air Safety Institute sat down with controllers
to ask them this question. As it turns out, there's a simple,
one-word announcement that'll help move you to the front of
their focus. In this Ask ATC episode, controllers reveal how to
efficiently get their attention when the airwaves are buzzing.
As you know, in busy airspace with a lot of traffic, controllers are keeping track of a lot of information. If you've not been
in contact with them previously, you have to introduce yourself
and your intentions, thus adding to the workload. In certain
airspace, it's also a requirement that you be "in contact" with
air traffic control before entering that airspace. Remember that
having ATC simply reply back with your N number meets this
requirement.

The simple introduction presented in this video opens the
door to the legal communication requirement, but it also gives
you the added benefit of relaxing a bit, knowing that ATC is
aware of you and that you want to talk to them. You no longer
need to be ready to blurt out everything you have to say as fast
as you can, only to have them ask again for the same information because they weren't ready for you. It works for you
as a simple way of getting on ATC's radar, both literally and
figuratively.
For much of the country, flying season is coming upon us.
It's an opportunity to knock the rust off our flying skills, but
also our radio skills. Both, like a muscle, diminish without
regular exercise. If you want to fly like a professional, it often
helps to sound like a professional, and breaking into busy ATC
chatter like a professional pilot is a good way to start.
www.airsafetyinstitute.org/askatc/busycontroller
BOB KNILL is a writer on assignment with the AOPA Air Safety Institute.

DON'T GET LOST IN SPACE
Accidents involving VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions (VFR into
IMC), while less frequent than other accident causes, are by far the most fatal. What's
not talked about much is why VFR into IMC is so dangerous. It's not the actual conditions that will bring you down; it's the spatial disorientation pilots can experience
while flying in IMC that causes problems. It can affect pilots of all experience and
certificate levels; instrument-rated pilots on IFR flight plans have crashed because of
spatial disorientation. Find out what you know about this phenomenon with this quiz
from the AOPA Air Safety Institute.
www.airsafetyinstitute.org/safetyquizzes/spatialdisorientation

WWW.AOPA.ORG/FT 27

http://www.airsafetyinstitute.org/askatc/busycontroller http://www.airsafetyinstitute.org/safetyquizzes/spatialdisorientation http://WWW.AOPA.ORG/FT

Flight Training - March 2019

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