The air traffic controller who gives after dinner speeches

(Surprisingly enough this post is the most visited individual post on this blog. I thought I would bring it back to the front again so that new visitors would be able to take advantage of it)

I've talked about this before but it's worth saying again: If you know an aviation enthusiast and you're looking for something to give them for a present, you can't beat Dave Gunson's "What goes up might come down"

Dave is an ex- East Midlands Air Traffic Controller who went into after dinner speeches when someone realised that you could talk about pilots and air traffic control in a very amusing way if you put the correct spin on it.

His most famous talk was to a bunch of merchant bankers in Birmingham (I think) which was recorded and released as a CD.

My favourite part, personally, is the discussion of flying on Concorde with the details of how heat causes it to expand and contract. Plus the Machmeter ("It's not really attached to anything. there's a stewardess at the front cranking it up manually").

This can be purchased from a number of places but Amazon is probably the easiest. Click here for a link

Enjoy!

NORDO!

Nordo is an acronym meaning "No Radio". It refers to a plane which has suddenly lost radio contact with air traffic controllers.

In an earlier post I asked the following questions: How many people, for instance, know what to do in the case of a complete radio loss? What Transponder code do you use? How do you approach an airfield to land without the radio? What do the signals mean?

I promised the answers in a future post so here they are: (The assumption here is that you are flying VFR with a transponder. If you are flying IFR the procedure is much different and more complicated. See the AIP for more details)

In case of a complete radio loss it is vital to let ATC know. The quickest way to do that is to dial in the correct transponder frequency. In the UK this is 7600. In most radar controlled ATC units this will automatically add a label to your aircraft signal which wil indicate "Radio Failure".

However it is useful to actually ensure you have had a radio failure. I remember on a recent flight I was returning to Thruxton and couldn't raise them on the radio at all. I tried several times, switching out of the frequency and back in. Then - on re-checking the radio - I realised I had missed their radio frequency by .25 Mhz on the dial. Once had rechecked I called them up again and they answered.

So the first thing to do is check your equipment: Check the frequency. Use a different radio if you have one. Use a different headset. Make sure your radio is actually receiving power (a lot of radios now have a separate power switch). Make sure the volume and squelch are at appropriate levels.

If you've done your trouble shooting and your radio is genuinely not working then squawk 7600 to let folks now. Find the nearest airfield and look for light signals from the ATSU.

Light signals:
The following light signals are standard:
Steady red: Give way to other aircraft in air. Stop if on ground
Red pyrotechnic light or red flare : Do no land, wait for permission
Red flashes: Do not land - aerodrome not available for landing (if flying). move clear of landing area (if on ground)
Green flashes: Return to aerodrome wait for permission to land (if flying). To aircraft: you may move on the manouvering area and apron. To vehicle: you may move on the manouvering area
Steady green: You may land (if flying). You may take off (if on ground)
White flashes: Land at this aerodrome after receiving continuous green light then, after receiving green flashes proceed to apron (if flying). Return to starting point on aerodrome (if on ground)

If you are an aircraft able to give light signal to an ATSU, these are the options
Red pyrotechnic light or red flare : May I land?
Steady green or flashing green or green pyrotechnic or flare: May I land (by night). May I land in a different direction to that indicate by the T? (by day)
White flashes or white pyrotechnic light or switching landing lights on and off or irregular flashing of Nav lights: I am compelled to land

Remember these, they could come in useful

Looking at Variable Pitch Prop Training

I mentioned in an earlier post that one of the things you can do to improve your general level of safety while flying is to get further training. Yes, it's usually expensive, but it is also your life you're talking about so it's probably worth it!

How many people, for instance, know what to do in the case of a complete radio loss? What Transponder code do you use? How do you approach an airfield to land without the radio? What do the signals mean? Something like this could save your life. (* answers in a later post - stay tuned!)

On the subject of training I'm looking at doing some additional training related to variable pitch propellers. I have managed to ingratiate myself into a group running a Cessna 182 Skylane and the guy running the group is an instructor (and Air Traffic Controller) who will give me the necessary training.

I went up to see the plane over the weekend. It's a 1972 Skylane with Autopilot, Garmin GPS (yoke mounted), redundant radio etc, etc, etc. Also, because it has the Continental VP prop there is the extra lever in the throttle quadrant (not that Cessna's have a throttle quadrant as such, just a line of levers sticking straight out of the panel)

Hopefully I should be able to get a couple of hours training to work out the peculiarities of VP props. In addition to that the training should also allow me work out the best way to land this big, heavy beast (remember I'm used to flying little PA28's around the sky, this is a big step up for me). According to the instructor, landing is achieved by remembering that 'The 182 is actually a two wheeled aircraft for landing - the nose wheel is there merely to stop the prop from striking the ground".

Having spent 15 minutes sat in the cockpit and looking at everything it does remind me how familiar I am with the PA28 layout and how alien some of the controls are in the 182 (There's a whole section of the panel that has the autopilot controls!! The circuit breakers are hidden behind my yoke!! What's this panel with the knurled knob's on it near my feet??) no doubt it will all become clear in time.

More updates as they happen