Day 25: When Radio Communications Don't Go as Planned

[@CanardBoulevard]

35 years ago, in flight school, I was supposed to be going up solo in an Arrow to practice commercial maneuvers. Instead, I took my buddy (a fellow student) up with a video camera and we just went and had some fun at local airports. On the way back to our home base, my buddy and I were hamming it up for the camera, telling lewd jokes and making fun of the various students and instructors at our airport. I made all my regular radio calls, but due to our performing for the camera, it didn't occur to me that I wasn't hearing anyone else on the radio. We landed and taxied in, and were met by a crowd of spectators and my furious instructor, who informed us that we had had a stuck mic for the past half hour or so...our lewd "performance" had been broadcast over the CTAF to everyone in the region, including a large audience who had gathered in the FBO to listen. A very uncomfortable meeting with the chief flight instructor ensued, and we were meted appropriate punishment. I do however, still have the video tape evidence. :)

[@jbreezy101]

3:35 my favorite is for bravo: remain OUTSIDE vs stay CLEAR of vs CLEARED INTO

[@ParrotHead222]

25 - 4 - 25. I love the fact that all of these videos are short and to the point.

[@JoshPiland]

25 / 25 Immersing myself listening to LiveATC I overheard Air Force One cleared to land. Nothing embarrassing-just cool. 🇺🇸✈️

[@ethandunn8293]

Once upon a time as a young grasshopper (student pilot) on a solo flight Tower called me up and gave me the most complex pattern entry instructions, I had no clue what to do so I tried my best to figure it out on my own. Tower called me back up with a simple 4 word question “where are you going?” He said. My reply was literally “I have no clue where I am going” As an “almost CFI” I still laugh at that every time I fly near KAEG.

[@cyberfiche]

Glad you can laugh about this now 😂

[@chrisstoughton5560]

25 for 25! I'm trying to stop saying "With you" when I change to a new frequency.

[@jeffgantz4385]

25:25 It had to be be during my second or third day soloing in a club rental plane.I was just gonna do some pattern work and as I’m climbing up to pattern altitude on the departure leg. The tower contacts me wants and wants me to extend my departure leg due to traffic in the pattern. I try and answer them back and they push the talk button decides to eject itself from the yolk so I spent the next couple minutes Flying the pattern, wagging my wings to communicate with them and plugging the headphone jack into the jacks on the copilot’s seat and then using the push to talk button over there because when they upgraded the comms in the airplane, they took out the handheld microphone.

[@Ed.Taylor]

25/25 as a very low time student pilot doing solo pattern work at a not so calm non towered field I was abruptly corrected by another voice on frequency! After about 5 or so touch and go’s and ending every call with FULL STOP someone else on frequency said “is it”???? Suddenly I realized I had been using the wrong phraseology every time and it sticks with me to this day! Am I really making a full stop this time or just another touch and go? It was so embarrassing but I will never make that mistake again! ALWAYS LEARNING!!! et

[@daveeverhart7720]

25 for 25. Thanks Jason and Matthew!

[@jesseshinh9096]

25 of 25. Very helpful to keep updated.

[@ChevyJay283]

25 of 25 from TX !

[@nathanwildthorn6919]

25 for 25! I'd like to do a repeat of last year and watch every video of the challenge! 😊

[@richardkennedy7487]

25 for 25 and requested clearance from the RCO. We also have a bunch of airports on 122.7 and .8 in central kansas so just hear a lot of traffic that isn't ours

[@jbreezy101]

That’s why you say the airport twice

[@pugnaciouspete]

My worst radio experience came from flying at an uncontrolled airport since I did most of my radio at a towered. I was terrible…messing everything up. I had a great CFI who just made me sweat it out and have a miserable day of radio work. At the end of it, I ended making very good radio calls and being comfortable. One thing that helped me out is recording and playing back all the radio. Gave me a chance to understand what I did wrong and what I would do differently. 25/25

[@danielhindman6006]

25 for 25. On my first solo my instructor had turned the radio volume down to give me last minute instructions before she climbed out. As I called tower for taxi instruction and did not get answer. It seemed like eternity before I checked the volume. Class C KSRQ. They wrote rock your wings if you can hear me on my slip and made sure I got it. They were great but I was sweating bullets. The rest of my three touch and goes went great.

[@kurrylewis1366]

25 for 25. Thanks for what you do!

[@wildkiwi1295]

25/25- helpful to get into the right frame of mind before calling. There’s too much unnecessary anxiety caused by this part of training. Be focused!

[@ericpearson1205]

25 for 25. Good stuff guys, thanks!

[@RobertRoth-t1c]

25/25 Thanks for taking the time to make these videos!

[@MajSplash]

25 for 25. Thank you for sharing your stories. Always learning.

[@jonmitchell5266]

25 for 25. Just recently coming back into my home field, heard pilot tell the tower they were ready for blast off. ATC was slow at that time of evening and laughed, said they couldn’t give clearance to blast off but they were cleared to take off.

[@davefrayne6468]

First time flying a C172 with my instructor, didn’t realize that we had two radios, listened to Atis, went to talk to ground and he halted me, said check radios. We were on 121.5 and all alerts went off.

[@philbuchanan3400]

25/25 - every passion has its own language. Flying absolutely does!

[@williamk5998]

Checking in…. With you… Altitude indicates…. Taking the active… Any traffic please advise…. On final Zero One. Taxiing fuel pumps to north hangars. I could do this all day folks.

[@markfacer2296]

25/25. Interesting situation today on 2 separate flight with students. We were talking to Flight Following (Houston Approach on 123.8). All of a sudden they could not hear us, anymore, but other aircraft could. They asked us to IDENT and confirmed that they saw it. I know that one of the other local frequencies for Approach is 124.22 so we called on that freq. Success! Both flights continued without issues. Moral of the story: it's a good idea to know your local Approach frequencies (or Center etc.)...

[@TheAppraiser00]

25/25 - just last night did my night cross-country to a towered airport. Calls were solid coming in, but when I taxied back for takeoff, I started the call with my tail # instead of "Joplin Tower" and tower corrected me over the air. I got so flustered that I botched every call until I was out of their airspace.

[@KenRomano-p1y]

25 for 25 My first cross country solo was the same Jason went into class D they gave me taxi instructions I was so nervous I also went the wrong way

[@manifestgtr]

I do embarrassing crap on the radio all the time. Just yesterday I was doing some pattern work, got to the point where I felt like I’d been enough of a blight on the tower controller’s afternoon, keyed up the mic on downwind and said “tower, this is 2CA, you mind if I make this one a full stop?” At that moment, I thought to myself “Do you mind? Do you MIND? Why would you say that?!” He was cool with it…the controllers at PSM are awesome. If you’re safe, predictable and relatively radio-competent, they’ll work with whatever uncontrollable goofiness is part of your personality.

[@user-zz8hk3xu1p]

25 X 25. Thank you

[@tomalway8889]

25 for 25. I was taking my flight review and not once but twice called out that I was entering base for runway 26 when I was actually entering downwind. I did not realize that I did it until the second time. I looked at my CFI and said “did I just say base”, to wit he replied “yep, twice.” Fortunately, I was the only one in the pattern.

[@Tushka154]

25 for 25 from Hungary 🇭🇺 my most embarassing moment on the radio was on one of my solo cross-countries during my training. My route took me quite close to a military airspace but staying clear of it. Before getting close to that airspace, FIS asked me if I’ll be avoiding it, which I confidently confirmed. BUT: Not more than 5 minutes later during the turn at the edge of the airspace I made the mistake of reading the wrong heading from my navlog and turning right into that airspace. As I’ve noticed that something is not right, I’m not where I’m supposed to be, FIS came on and said “Kecskemét [the military base whose airspace I just busted] doesn’t want to do anything with you, remain on my frequency, suggest you fly heading 200 as the shortest way to get out” 😓 I apologized like 5 times in a row… after getting back to my home airfield, my instructor called every contact he knew in ATC / the CAA to check if the military has filed a report against me, but luckily they didn’t.

[@slbrobins]

25 for 25 I had someone try to pick me up in the practice area “Skyhawk……. Want to hang out?” 😂

[@lucasriley1968]

25 for 25! I hear the meows on Guard all the time. I'll give at least one person credit, though: This past Thanksgiving he at least had the imagination to change it to gobble gobble.

[@RonSchwoyer]

Forgot to change frequency and owner of other flight school at my home airport got on the radio and said “Calling tower on ground…ha!” 🔥

[@davidklassen2805]

25/25. I’ll share one of my experiences. It was the early days of my private pilot training and up to that point we had always used runway 17R which was a very simple taxi. However on this particular day the wind was out of the west and I hadn’t thought much about it. I called up ground and told them my intentions and that I was ready to taxi. They give me a squawk code followed by taxi runway 26 via foxtrot mike and Juliet hold short runway 17R. I hadn’t even looked at the taxi diagram, I had no idea where I was going so I did what every student pilot does, look over at their instructor with that look. Cover for me plz 😂

[@frednorthup1657]

Do you the controllers mess with you sometimes? I got a new to me 182 last month and my cfi is working me hard to endorse high performance. So we are working in the local delta that is not busy. I’m on the 6th landing and I hear a citation 12 mile final. On the downwind tower gives me 2 360s then extend. Sure seemed like he wanted to throw me a little challenge. 182 is pretty fast. Great practice though.

[@peckea93]

25 for 25. As a student pilot flying in the DC FRZ I responded to directions given to a different aircraft. 😂. Meows on guard….usually happen while I’m trying to listen to something on the primary freq.

[@DavidMiller-rw2gj]

25 for 25. I flew in to Baton Rouge (KBTR), and totally blew my taxi instructions. Ground told me "Cirrus 0WC, taxi to parking via Alpha, Foxtrot, Echo, Echo 1, cleared across runway 04L midfield, cleared across runway 04R approach." Though I read the taxi instruction back, I completely missed Echo 1. Ground came back on and said "0WC, you missed your turn at Echo 1, please turn around immediately!"

[@teuilagardner7056]

25 for 25! 🏝️

[@markag73]

25/25 - Fun and helpful topic. Thank you

[@martygenska8117]

25 for 25. Here's mine. I was flying back from 24J (Suwannee County) back to Herlong (KHEG), following I10. Called Cecil KVQQ (Class Delta) to transition thru. I called it in as '10 miles to the east, request transition back to Herlong'. Controller came back as wanted me to verify if I was heading to Herlong or what because he saw me at 10 miles to the west.

[@johngaluski687]

Heard a Female Airline Pilot on Freq make a request…someone jumps on says “Another Empty Kitchen” I also felt guilty laughing

[@bryancornell9946]

25/25. I don't know what to watch next month.

[@JRHinds]

Just caught up this morning. 25/25 now.

[@waynehand5306]

Two Five for Two Five !

[@greglong1492]

25 for 25. Once I heard an airline request a push back and the controller said "shove it".

[@BrittneeDrummer]

Say type landing…. A good one I hope.

[@corythomas3925]

25 for 25. Thank you.

[@HDDD2]

25 For 25; Most embarrassing was very early in my student soloing, I turned the wrong way (left vs right) for entering the downwind because I misunderstood what the controller wanted me to do, the controller was good and made me realize it quickly and I was able to do the 180 and get it straightened out quickly. The worst I heard was at my home airport, a student was doing his solo cross-country and on landing did not maintain centerline and actually went into the dirt and did a prop-strike; his comment to ATC was - “can I go home now?”. The controller calmly directed the student pilot do a progressive taxi to the nearest FBO and shut it down.

[@cynthiaglenn4087]

25/25 My first taxiback on an active runway request from ATC was pretty weird.

[@MajSplash]

25 for 25 SPC : Student pilot solo flight. Practice area and back to towered class D (KAFF) with very specific waypoint call outs when entering and transitioning airspace. Maintenance log during preflight showed radio #2 inop and intermittent. Had that stuck in my head and even reviewed radio out procedure (squawk code, tower lights, etc) should radio #1 also fail. Made initial waypoint radio call as required with ATIS acknowledge. It’s a one way callout to give ATC heads-up. I forgot that and when I didn’t get tower response I started to worry. I made two more waypoint call outs (not required in their procedures. No tower acknowledge. Next call out would be calling “initial runway 34 right”. I got worried and again called out the prior waypoint I had just passed. I even switched over to other radio and tried. ATC calmly, yet sternly came on and reminded me (and all other pilots and school CFIs on frequency), “[call sign ] student pilot, we don’t have to respond to you and you don’t need to keep calling out your location. You are cleared to initial and need to review procedures when you land”. Too focused on an assumed radio failure and forgot the one-way call out were not two-way and assumed both radios inop. My instructor was amused and reminded me of procedures after pulling up. No safety of flight, but learned a good lesson.

[@ztublackstaff]

25 for 25. I was doing stalls, steep turns, slow flight, and I’m talking myself through the procedures, and then realize after about 30 seconds that I had my PPT pressed and I was transmitting “Nose up, right rudder, keep it straight…” on the enroute frequency…. 123.2. 😅. Oh, and once accidentally called for taxi on the emergency channel. 121.5…. 😮

[@MonicaCieslak]

25/25 My most embarrassing radio call happened when the tower informed me that my intended runway was closed because there was a flock of birds hanging out on the runway. In a panic I asked the controller how long he thought the birds would be there. DUH....as if he would know their schedule. I ended up landing on a different runway and all was fine.

[@kenrathjen2286]

25 for 25. I try to forget all the embarrassing things I've said on the radio.

[@telvinthomas6407]

25 for 25 Jas!

[@FlightSimJammer]

25 of 25!!!!!

[@yesrevyesrev3444]

25/25 went flying today after 2 months and 15days to shake off the rust

[@jereberhard5529]

Twenty five for twenty five. Ham radio was good practice for radio practice before learning to fly. When I learned to fly, I could TALK on the radio much better than I could fly the airplane. I despise "area traffic please advise". What means "area traffic"?!? This call is so BAD and useless that AIM 4.1.9.g says to not even say that on the radio!!! Consider: do you even know any pilots who need to be prompted to talk on the radio? Just make your proper radio call/position report/intentions and listen to everyone else do the same. Please use the FAA Pilot/Controller glossary for the correct words to use and the correct SEQUENCE! We even have special words to use when launching gliders off the winch at Owl Canyon Gliderport (4CO2)... come to the gliderport and see how it is done! Well done, sirs! Jer/ Eberhard, Ft Collins Colorado Mountain Flying Aviation, LTD.

[@brucecuratola6389]

25 for 25. My first solo into a class C. Agh.

[@mikeanderton4688]

25 for 25 !!! 🙂

[@jaguevarae]

25/25 from Clermont FL

[@CitizensInvestigator]

25/25. My instructor asked a female controller out on a date over the approach frequency once, while flying back to the airport. That was awkward.

[@kevintrapkinsable]

25 for twenty-five!

[@HenryHincherick]

Yep...I did it. ATC said "say route", and I said "route". Wasn't my finest for sure.

[@justinnielsen1555]

25/25 Stuck Mic to embarrassing to elaborate 😂

[@maritestaylor8458]

25 for 25 from the Philippines.

[@ewccblog]

25 for 25!!!

[@robnichols1980]

25 for 25. Haven’t talked to tower yet, but keep forgetting to state which airport I’m talking to.

[@michaelj.mcmurray540]

25 for 25: Once a tower controller said, in response to me checking in with him and expressing my desire to execute a full-stop landing, "Archer 439er54, descend and maintain VFR at or above 4,500 for departing aircraft, squawk "1234" (I don't remember the exact code). My readback went as follows: "Georgetown Tower, descend and maintain VFR at or above "1234", Squawk, 4-5-0-0. 439er54." He was kind enough to repeat his instructions and my second readback acknowledged his instructions correctly. Gotta love the learning process.....hahaha

[@WayneSmith-k4c]

25 of 25

[@stevenrynski1107]

25 for 25!

[@raywier4277]

25 for 25. Made calls at a non towered airport but forgot to change the frequency off the towered airport i took off from so had to be corrected by tower

[@dealer197]

25/25. Too close for missiles, switching to guns.

[@randybarnhill]

25 for 25 from Arkansas

[@garethmorgan1282]

25/25 🇬🇧 #alwayslearning

[@brianchurchill5649]

25 for 25 ❤

[@smokybearair5851r]

25 for 25. Turned the volume down and flew to destination and never heard a thing. Wonder why?

[@richardbennett2359]

25 for 25. I make embarrassing calls all the time. My CFI and I should probably start rating them. 😂

[@williamk5998]

CFII candidate checking in. My worst radio faux pas. Turning the volume down in phase of flight two way communications was not helpful or necessary and forgetting to turn it back up when approaching the pattern. Wondering why those idiots at the airport were not communicating. 😜 Sometimes when you think all the other people are doing something stupid odds are you are missing something.

[@WilliamSmidt1]

25 to 25

[@scottwentz3891]

25/25 I know i have said too many embarrassing things and will deny all of them.

[@philaskins7172]

It's a quarter century for me.

[@SpokesAndWings]

25 for 25. Failed to cqtchbI had a stuck mic button in a rental, for quite some time.🤦‍♂️

[@jasonf9323]

25 for 25 from alabama

[@brianschalme1457]

25 for 25 here.

[@clippedwings225]

25/25!

[@billmintonjr.4759]

25 for 25.

[@simonmetcalf124]

25 for 25 still have to think what I am going say before I say it.

[@larrylubeski]

25/25 Still learning, but was hoping for some good advice instead of old war stories..... 😞

[@venutoa]

That's how u learn my man! Learn from others stories. Good luck in training.

[@RobertLabrecque-gv7yd]

25 FOR 25

[@drdunny38]

25 For 25👍

[@frankloy2701]

25 for 25: we have all used more words than needed with ATC. It always makes me laugh when an aircraft has been switched from one controller to another controller and pilots will say, "( Call sign) is with you". If the pilot was switched from one controller/ facility to another controller/facility all that really needs to be said when checking in is the facility name , aircraft call sign at altitude. If the controller hears that transmission you are obviously checking in. The controller needs to verify the Mode C altitude on the radar with the aircraft reported altitude if transferred between two different facilities so the altitude verification is important. If it is between sectors of the same facility the altitude verification is done on the initial contact with the facility.

[@jbreezy101]

20/25

[@johndoughty5599]

25 for 25 -

[@ajborda]

25-25

[@EdwardLaDuke]

25 for 25

[@jimbiller9682]

25 for25

[@Bastille1918]

25/25😘

[@KennethEarnest-s7t]

25/25. Meow.

[@KendallWiseley]

25/25