Author Topic: Tips for Listening  (Read 15086 times)

Offline jonlbs

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Tips for Listening
« on: February 05, 2013, 12:22:34 AM »
Hi, I'm a student pilot preparing to do my long distance cross country solo which will consist of landing at two towered airports, Oshkosh and Madison. I learned to fly at a uncontrolled field and have had some practice (very little) with towers. I don't get nervous about anything related with flying really except for talking to controllers on approach and towers. I have trouble understanding stuff they say cause it can be fast and mumbled and I freeze up for a few seconds when I have to think about what they said. So to make a long story short, I'm just looking for some tips on how I can build my confidence in my communication in controlled airspace. I just started listening to the audio streams on here and hopefully that will help me out, but any other tips or tricks would be much appreciated.

Thanks a bunch and fly safe



Offline falstro

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Re: Tips for Listening
« Reply #1 on: February 05, 2013, 02:26:32 AM »
I find listening to smaller towered airports to be more useful than the bigger approach controls, simply because the bigger ones tend to line up a whole string of big jetliners, with very few piston singles hanging around the pattern. Not saying it's not fun, I like listening to Boston approach, but for practicing stuff you're more likely to hear on your journeys it's probably better to go for a smaller class D airport. I like Page Field (KFMY, Fort Myers, FL), they have a lot of student pilots doing pattern work, as well as some cross country solos (some of them are good examples why it is important to practice too). They have the occasional IFR clearance too as well as requests for flight following, which is nice (tower and ground are on the same feed, and the quality is excellent).

As for talking to approach, I don't have much advice, sorry.
« Last Edit: February 05, 2013, 12:20:33 PM by roe »

Offline ogogog

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Re: Tips for Listening
« Reply #2 on: February 06, 2013, 07:27:27 AM »
Hi, I'm a student pilot preparing to do my long distance cross country solo which will consist of landing at two towered airports, Oshkosh and Madison. I learned to fly at a uncontrolled field and have had some practice (very little) with towers. I don't get nervous about anything related with flying really except for talking to controllers on approach and towers. I have trouble understanding stuff they say cause it can be fast and mumbled and I freeze up for a few seconds when I have to think about what they said. So to make a long story short, I'm just looking for some tips on how I can build my confidence in my communication in controlled airspace. I just started listening to the audio streams on here and hopefully that will help me out, but any other tips or tricks would be much appreciated.

Thanks a bunch and fly safe


3 things....
 
1)  think about what your gonna say before you talk to avoid every word out of you mouth being  AAAAAAAAAHHHHH.

2)  use the phrase " student pilot" on initial contact so the controllers will know you may need a little help ( this is a biggie on the controller side)

3) if you dont understand a clrn or instruction dont be afraid to have the controller explain or repeat it.

youll be fine

OG/ATCS retired
ZAU/C90

Offline RV1

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Re: Tips for Listening
« Reply #3 on: February 21, 2013, 01:58:07 AM »
I'm not sure if you've made this flight yet or not, but I may be able to provide some useful tips as well.
First off, OSH is a towered VFR tower. MKE is the controlling IFR agency, but you won't need to talk to them. It will just be the OSH controllers. Listen to the ATIS before contacting them. this will help you to know what runway they will assign you.
  MSN does have an approach control, so it helps to have the correct frequency written down to help you remember it. You can get that freq from the vfr sectional. Also tell them about being a student pilot. At the correct time, they will hand you over to the tower.
Good luck and enjoy!
What airport are you based out of?   Appleton is like OSH, a VFR tower with GRB the controlling agency. you don't need to talk to GRB.

Offline StuSEL

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Re: Tips for Listening
« Reply #4 on: February 21, 2013, 10:29:42 PM »
When you first contact an approach controller while flying VFR, they want to know:

(a) Who are you?

(b) Where are you?

(c) What do you want?

(d) Do you have the ATIS information?


PILOT: ABC Approach, N1234 is 15 miles southeast of ABC Airport at 3,500, inbound for a full stop landing with information Alpha.

The controller will radar identify you, most likely by assigning you a squawk code.

CONTROLLER: N1234, ABC Approach, squawk 5201.

Read back your squawk code.

PILOT: Squawking 5201, N1234.

Controller will radar identify you and tell you how he or she wants you to proceed.

CONTROLLER: N1234, radar contact, 14 miles southeast of the ABC Airport, fly straight in Runway 32.

PILOT: N1234, roger. Fly straight in Runway 32.

The controller might assign you an altitude to maintain or a heading to fly. Otherwise it is very straightforward. The approach controller will tell you when to contact the tower.

The same goes for when you talk to just a tower. Tell them who you are, where you are, what you want, and let them know if you have the ATIS information.

All the controllers are going to do to you as a VFR pilot in terms of "controlling" you is to provide you with a means to enter their traffic pattern (fly straight in, enter left base, enter left downwind, etc.). In some cases you might be told to fly a specific heading or maintain an altitude. Note that all altitudes assigned are contingent on you NOT entering clouds and maintaining VFR.


Probably the best way to get comfortable is to listen to the airports where you plan to fly during their busiest times, which is probably the weekend.