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Lonely up there?



 
 
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  #11  
Old March 22nd 06, 02:13 AM posted to rec.aviation.ifr
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Default Lonely up there?

I was coming home from an Angel flight one weekday morning & after 10
minutes or so of not hearing anything, I asked the local approach if they
still had me. They said, "You're my only airplane".

I felt kinda special.


"paul kgyy" wrote in message
oups.com...
It appeared to be a long time since last hearing from ATC on a recent
flight, and sure enough, "27D can you still hear us?". I still could,
and they transferred me to a local approach control.

Anybody ever just call them up to see if they forgot about you? I did
that once over Toledo.



  #12  
Old March 22nd 06, 02:24 AM posted to rec.aviation.ifr
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Default Lonely up there?

Over this past weekend, the center frequency I was on appeared to go
quiet. I was busy talking to my pax (one was flying in a spamcan for
the first time and had more questions than my 10 y.o. daughter), so I
didn't notice. Near the airspace I generally get transferred from
center to approach, I didn't get the handoff I expected. I became
concerned and asked center for a radio check and got no response. I
tried 3 or 4 times over about a 5 minute period and again got no
response. The frequency was dead silent.

Then I switched to the approach frequency in that area and asked for a
radio check again a few times, but again - silence.

I happily continued on my as-filed route and contemplated squawking
7600. I then switched to Com2 to see if it was a problem with Com1 and
called up approach, who informed me that center and approach had been
trying to contact me for the last 10 minutes. I apologized that my
Com1 had failed. (Interestingly, Com1 worked fine on the way home. I
suspect the right-seat pax hit something on the com panel and I didn't
notice.)

Luckily, I didn't get vectors to the penalty box and the rest of the
flight was fabulous.

If the frequency is silent for longer than I'm comfortable with, I
always ask for a radio check.

  #13  
Old March 22nd 06, 03:07 AM posted to rec.aviation.ifr
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Default Lonely up there?

In a previous article, "Peter R." said:
I do that a lot in the Northeast while flying IFR, since normally even the
airspace over central and western NY state is relatively active, but once
in awhile it does goes quiet.


I especially get that "it's quiet - too quiet" feeling when flying
through Wheeler Sack airspace coming back from Ottawa on a Sunday night.


--
Paul Tomblin http://xcski.com/blogs/pt/
And on the seventh day, He exited from append mode.
  #14  
Old March 22nd 06, 04:22 AM posted to rec.aviation.ifr
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Default Lonely up there?

A related issue, but a bit of a tangent from the original question: Here in the western US, it's common for
the center controllers to use multiple transmitters for a given frequency and switch between them as
necessary. They will activate the transmitter closest to your position only when talking to you. This can
be confusing as you monitor the frequency and realize you're not hearing the controller all the time, but
you do hear other aircraft responses (for example if they're at a higher altitude). When you first
experience this, you're sure they've forgotten about you or you missed a handoff. I even recall one flight
where there were so many aircraft getting confused by this that the controller made a broadcast
announcement to explain the situation, "don't be alarmed if you don't hear all my transmissions" or words
to that effect.

Mike
  #15  
Old March 22nd 06, 07:10 AM posted to rec.aviation.ifr
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Default Lonely up there?

Anybody ever just call them up to see if they forgot about you? I did
that once over Toledo.


All the time. And also to see if I "forgot about them" (there's a
switch on the yoke that changes radios; I hate that switch because it's
so easy to simply disappear and not know it for a while)

Jose
--
Nothing takes longer than a shortcut.
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.
  #16  
Old March 22nd 06, 01:20 PM posted to rec.aviation.ifr
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Default Lonely up there?


"paul kgyy" wrote:

Anybody ever just call them up to see if they forgot about you? I did
that once over Toledo.


Not anymore. Coming home from Macon, GA late Sunday night, the freq's were
dead quiet, but it doesn't worry me nowadays.

I just turn down the squelch if I start wondering if the radios have died.
Not a 100% true test, but if I hear the static it at least it tells me I'm
probably receiving okay.

--
Dan
C172RG at BFM


  #17  
Old March 22nd 06, 02:08 PM posted to rec.aviation.ifr
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Default Lonely up there?

paul kgyy wrote:
It appeared to be a long time since last hearing from ATC on a recent
flight, and sure enough, "27D can you still hear us?". I still could,
and they transferred me to a local approach control.

Anybody ever just call them up to see if they forgot about you? I did
that once over Toledo.


I usually try to legitimize my call (a bit) by asking for the altimeter
setting. Makes it seem like I'm busy "tending shop".

Rich
  #18  
Old March 22nd 06, 03:51 PM posted to rec.aviation.ifr
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Default Lonely up there?


Rich wrote:

I usually try to legitimize my call (a bit) by asking for the altimeter
setting. Makes it seem like I'm busy "tending shop".

Rich


Providence approach has a sense of humor at times. One time I was
heading towards their airspace with my sister and her kid. The approach
frequency was pretty quiet at the time. Called for and received a
squawk, put it in, got identified and then a minute later got called
again "grumman 12345 is radar ah, disregard" so I replied "345 is glad
to be still in radar contact" he replied "345 gives you warm and fuzzy
feelings?" "affirmative 345" and that was the end of the conversation.
My sister however was impressed that not only did PVD approach let us
through their airspace but also made sure we had "warm and fuzzy
feelings" as well.

I guess something to break up the monotony is a welcome change for them
once in a while.

Robert
  #19  
Old March 22nd 06, 05:20 PM posted to rec.aviation.ifr
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Default Lonely up there?

Same experience as Peter, it's usually busy in the NE. I usually only call
to check when there is absolutely no one on the freq and I believe that I'm
encroaching someone else's airspace.

Marco

"Peter R." wrote in message
...
paul kgyy wrote:

It appeared to be a long time since last hearing from ATC on a recent
flight, and sure enough, "27D can you still hear us?". I still could,
and they transferred me to a local approach control.

Anybody ever just call them up to see if they forgot about you? I did
that once over Toledo.


I do that a lot in the Northeast while flying IFR, since normally even the
airspace over central and western NY state is relatively active, but once
in awhile it does goes quiet.

In these cases, I will also make my request as, "Rochester Approach,
Bonanza 45W, requesting radio check."

Most times the controllers know exactly why I am asking and say,

"Receiving
you loud and clear Bonanza 45W. Yes, we are quiet for the moment but I

see
on my scope that it is about to pick up."



--
Peter




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  #20  
Old March 22nd 06, 05:25 PM posted to rec.aviation.ifr
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Default Lonely up there?

In a previous article, (Paul Tomblin) said:
In a previous article, "Peter R." said:
I do that a lot in the Northeast while flying IFR, since normally even the
airspace over central and western NY state is relatively active, but once
in awhile it does goes quiet.


I especially get that "it's quiet - too quiet" feeling when flying
through Wheeler Sack airspace coming back from Ottawa on a Sunday night.


When I'm heading up to Ottawa, though, sometimes I have to call Wheeler
Sack to remind them that they're supposed to give me a re-route (you can't
file a flight plan with CYRIL in the US, but as you're approaching the ART
VOR they give you a re-route to fly to CYRIL and then execute the CYRIL
ONE arrival).


--
Paul Tomblin http://xcski.com/blogs/pt/
Can't get out of 'vi'? Common problem. Don't worry, I'm here to help. Just
log in as root and type "init 0". It works for pretty much any problem you
might have with Linux. No, no, no. Thank /you/. -- Mikey Raeder
 




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