From: eandersn@mach1.wlu.ca (Niels Ejvind Andersen)
Subject: Re: Radio procedures at controlled airports
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL5
Organization: Wilfrid Laurier University
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 1993 17:57:27 GMT

L697187@LMSC5.IS.LMSC.LOCKHEED.COM wrote:
: Both of my instructors (the good one and the bad one) stressed the importance
: of LOOKING outside.  That was stressed even more than announcing your position
: in the pattern.  We were taught not to even taxi out onto the runway if
: another plane was on base or final.  Your friend's instructor does not sound
: like a good pilot at all and sounds like an even worse instructor.  Maybe
: I am overreacting but that CFI just sounds plain dangerous.

You are *not* overreacting!

Pilots are, unfortunately, fallible, and make mistakes.  I hope that I will
see all the aircraft that are in my vicinity when I fly, but I probably miss
one every now and then.

I only hope that when I'm fallible, and miss traffic, the pilot in the other
aircraft will not choose that same moment to be fallible.  THIS IS WHY THE
PILOTS OF *BOTH* AIRCRAFT MUST BE ON THE LOOKOUT!  And if you are up with
a friend, you be on the lookout too.  The more eyes, the better!

There is no airspace that will definitely *not* contain traffic, as the
following two example clearly shows.

The other day, a friend took myself and another pilot along for the ride while
he did some circuits in his C182, and I was in the back seat.  The airport
is uncontrolled.  Just before we turned into the downwind leg after the
climbout, another aircraft passed underneath about 100 feet below us,
travelling the other way.  I recognized the aircraft, and I knew the flight
instructor involved.  After the flight I talked to him, and he apologized--he
had been talking to his student and failed to notice the airport coming up.
He thought it was farther away, SO HE OBVIOUSLY HAD *NOT* BEEN LOOKING OUT!!

On another occasion, I was flying in a control zone, and I overheard an
exchange between the tower and a another pilot (no, not me!).  The pilot
reported that he was about two miles from the field, and the tower asked him
why he had not called for clearance to enter the zone.  The pilot's reply was
that there were too many people talking on the frequency for him to get a
word in edgewise.  The tower suggested that next time he remain outside the
control zone until he can request clearance.  I thought I knew where every
aircraft was in that control zone, BUT HERE WAS A PLANE NO ONE KNEW ABOUT!
I landed, and taxied in to the ramp, with the other pilot not far behind.
Just before I shut down, the other pilot turned off the runway and switched
over to the ground frequency, which I was also on.  At that point, the tower
gave him their phone number to call after he had shut down--they had some
important things to talk about!!

--
Niels Ejvind Andersen                         Internet: eandersn@mach2.wlu.ca
Information Systems                             Voice:  (519) 884-1970 x 2760 
Wilfrid Laurier University                               Fax:  (519) 886-9351 
Waterloo, ON Canada  N2L 3C5                                  CIS: 70511,2302

A mid-air will ruin your whole day.                               ... VFR NC4