Hat tip to the Aviation Video Blog for posting this hilarious video about the Scottish Air Traffic Control – reposted here for all of our Scottish readers and pilots!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeI154gaWL4&w=480]
Golf Hotel Whiskey: for pilots and aviation enthusiasts
Hat tip to the Aviation Video Blog for posting this hilarious video about the Scottish Air Traffic Control – reposted here for all of our Scottish readers and pilots!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeI154gaWL4&w=480]
For European pilots who may not be familiar with the terms “Class Bravo” or “Class Charlie” airspace, Class Bravo (or Class B) is the American term for airspace from the surface to 10,000 feet that is normally found around the busiest and most congested airports (roughly 12 airports) while Class Charlie (or Class C) is the term for the airspace from the surface to just 4,000 feet above the primary airport (roughly 123 airports that have airspace that is less busy than Class Bravo airspace) and reaches out 10 miles. In order to fly in these airspaces, a pilot must first contact ATC and receive a clearance to enter the airspace (Be warned: Airspace violations in the USA can be taken very seriously and can even result in temporary license suspensions).
Back in May, we mentioned a useful podcast created by Jason Schappert and posted on his website that walks a pilot through the necessary procedures to enter “Class Bravo” airspace and includes an actual conversation between him and ATC. As a useful follow-up, Brian has recently posted an entry on his blog that includes the transcript of a conversation one might have with Air Traffic Control (ATC) and the Flight Service Station (FSS) while flying under Class Bravo airspace and into Class Charlie airspace. The transcript includes segments dealing with a Tower and Ground and will give any pilot who is currently flying across the pond or plans to an idea of what to say when entering and exiting Class Bravo and Class Charlie airspace.
Robert Mark posed an interesting question on Jetwhine when he asked if local air traffic controllers are an endangered species. He points back to a time when pilots and flight instructors such as himself and his students could come to the control tower, chat with the air traffic controllers and even get a tour of the tower. Of course 9/11 changed all of that, just like the string of hijackings that started some decades ago ended tours of the cockpit on airliners.
However, there are now moves across the pond and elsewhere to eliminate the local air traffic control tower in favor of remote operated ATC facilities. Of course cost savings is a big factor as TV cameras mean that controllers can be in a central facility and view an airports operation from hundreds if not thousands of kilometers away (And given the outsourcing trend, don’t be surprised if one day in the near future if all of the air traffic controller voices over the radio have distinct Indian accents!) [Read more…] about Local ATC: An endangered species?
I fly Cirrus SR-22s out of Denham Aerodrome in Northwest London. Vincent has asked me to write an article for Plastic Pilot about the eccentricities of flying in the UK.
I wrote an article for COPA’s Cirrus Pilot about flying in Europe a while ago and I opened with the good news: the laws of aerodynamics are the same on this side of the channel. However, many other things are different. This article is only an overview. I recommend plenty of ground school and a flight with an instructor.
Pre-flight
Radio
Procedures
In my experience, pilots everywhere in the UK are delighted to welcome visitors from overseas and happy to offer advice and make allowances for language difficulties. So, come on over. I’ll buy you a drink!
This is what it takes to operate the tower radio either as a Ground Radio operator or as a Flight Information Service Officer [FISO]. This is based on research I carried out last summer when I was thinking of offering my services in Denham Tower, and I have recently updated it with the CAA.
[Read more…] about How to become a FISO