PPG Aviation Radio HOW TO talk to airplanes aviation band communications tutorial

[@GregAnthonyHarris]

This is great information thanks Rick!

[@PPGGORILLA]

Greg Anthony Harris Maybe you can answer this for me. One thing that was brought to my attention was that in other countries you are required to have a license to operate on an aviation frequency. There is no license required to transmit from an aircraft in the United States. How about Canada? Are you guys required to have a special radio license or is that covered under your para motor certification?

[@andrewpowell8957]

@@PPGGORILLA You need one in Australia

[@GregAnthonyHarris]

@@PPGGORILLA The radio licence is not necessary for Paramotorists in Canada but it's a plus!

[@xxxkahunaxxx]

@@GregAnthonyHarris if im not mistaken i think a radio operator certificate is still required in Canada.

[@TheModularDiver]

As someone with a growing interest in getting into paramotoring and a licensed amerature radio operator, I sincerely thank you for putting out this video. Very clear and concise, answered my two biggest questions (If I can talk to ATC and how to talk)

[@paralifeppg]

Thank you Gorilla, the majority of us out here have never communicated on the radio and are fearful of doing it wrong. I got my ham license and purchased a nice aviation radio as well but have been scared to use it. I will give it a try. Keep spreading the knowledge.

[@sandygraves7506]

Great info Rick! I launch from a grass runway at a small airport that is used primarily for sailplane launching. The runway is 3500 long and 275 wide and tree lined. I have to use the runway because there is no other spaces to take off from and it is a primo grass strip. The runway is used for approach practice and motor out landing for the several local flight schools located at the surrounding airports because it is highly visible from the ground. The sectionals show it as a warning area with a "High volume of flight training". The airport manager requires that I use a radio and announce my activities. The issue I have is that it is difficult for me to hear and easy to misunderstand what is being said due to the motor noise and difficult to tell which airport they are addressing since there are two in the area; Pierson and Umitilla. The giveaway is when they use a runway number but some pilots actually use the number at Pierson even though there is only one runway there. The airport manager told me not to get to technical but to just state my intentions using basic radio protocol. Typically I will announce "Pierson traffic, ultralight, paramotor, Red Angel One, located at the SW end of Pierson Field runway preparing for takeoff. I will be turning to the north on take off". I read somewhere that ultralight aircraft without numbering will commonly use a name instead and mine is "Red Angel One". I announce myself as "ultralight - paramotor - Red Angel One," since I was told that many pilots don't know what a "paramotor" is and will not appreciate the fact that you are only moving from 5-35 mph. If you announce you are on final approach prior to turning onto a direct glide path to land they will assume you have landed long before you actually do. I announce when I have landed and where on the field. This may seem like overkill but nobody has objected yet. I think pilots in the area are beginning to recognize my calls as I am beginning to recognize their voices and aircraft. Some have addressed me by name. I also can't hear approaching aircraft for the same reason, the motor, and have developed a system with my ground support guy to notify me if he sees approaching aircraft, which is common. I don't know what his status is as far as operating a radio and I have considered having him notify me with a series of 4 rapid clicks instead of announcing it by voice. That lets me move away from the airport and get a visual on them. Once I do, I announce the fact that I am in the area and I have a visual on them to make sure they know I am there. So far everyone has been very courteous but I did have a trainer announce he was approaching the field for a fly by after I had announced my intentions to land. I could see him approaching from the far end and I announced that I was aborting my landing. He immediately pulled up and came back with an apology. I use the runway to practice landing and to calculate and mentally calibrate my emergency landing glide ratio. To your point a radio is important if you are flying from an airport. I also fly out of Marion County airport occasionally and while it has a good amount of traffic using a radio seems to be optional there since they have so much space like Wauchulla. I hope you don't mind if I post your video on my ASAR website. I am looking for good educational content. Come up to Pierson sometime and check it out. Lots of beautiful lakes, forests and farm land down below.

[@Dan-qy5nx]

Thank you very much. I am a new PPG flyer and live near several small controlled airports in North Florida and I recently purchased a radio and head set to make myself a better pilot and let other aircrafts know when I am flying. I have flown single engine aircraft in the past and was used to the style but was completely ignorant of the PPG, so thank you very much. I have subscribed to your channel.

[@slodays1158]

Dude that was very good info. I've communicated from aircraft for ground operations but no idea about doing things from an airborne perspective. Thanks for posting this. I also have the same radio but have never really used it.

[@TenorDad]

Great video, Gorilla! About 9 days after your post, Midwest Powered Paragliding posted a comprehensive training video, titled "Protocol and Etiquette at Non-towered Airport." They also talk about playing nice with GA pilots on the radios. A great resource to download, print & stuff into your harness pocket is FAA Advisory Circular 90-66B (see Pg 12 & Appendix B), along with a printed copy of Part 103 (just a couple of pages, but well worth having). You can use these printouts to defend yourself when an old "know-it-all" pilot (or airport manager) tries to school you on Part 91 rules (by the way, there's a cool paragraph about PPG pilots in Part 91, under Applicability, that reads, "(e) This part does not apply to any aircraft or vehicle governed by part 103 of this chapter, or subparts B, C, or D of part 101 of this chapter." GEE WHIZ: did you know... in Class G airspace, VFR pilots operating under Part 91 are restricted to 3-miles visibility, 1,000 ft ceiling? If we stay below 1,200 ft our weather restrictions are only 1-mile visibility, clear of clouds! Read about it in AC 90-66B!

[@fbrummitt]

Thank you very much, I’m just getting started in PPG and have no idea how to use this radio. It’s probably covered in my training course coming up but your video helps tremendously.

[@paulaubuchon2336]

Great job and the comments really seem people looking for more. The one about violatating different airspace I think is important as could results in BIG problems and fines...again great job

[@craigtaylor200]

good info Gorilla, maybe a follow up video to how to xc thru or close by controlled airspace and solutions if you are mistakenly in controlled airspace you should not be in

[@captainrick9379]

Awesome video Rick! Love your editing skills! I guess your tower is undergoing a little Upgrade/ Remodel Great Job! Keep up the good work! Thanks for sharing!

[@jerrydelyea5820]

I love this and like you I think it is very important if we want to prevent a tragedy down the road> Awesome post , I feel so much better having a radio and talking to other aircraft, the local heli operators where I fly really appreciate us using radios, Blue skies dude!

[@OuchLOLcom]

This is exactly what I was looking for! Thanks! Could also add some equipment recommendations. Ran across a lot of radios on Amazon that were either receive only or advertised themselves as Airband but the fine print said they started at 144MHz! Dont get scammed!

[@mark5150ty]

Good information. I'm a new pilot and I was curious about this.

[@ryanblass]

Great video, Rick. It’s awesome that guys like you take the time to help out the rest of the community with good info like this. Keep ‘em comin’

[@PPGGORILLA]

Thanks a bunch Ryan!

[@EricPpgLearcom]

This is a great video for anybody wanting to learn the radio for paramotor

[@David65702]

Great info, I don't know anything about flying around airports need to obtain the knowledge, have your Dad do a show on that one maybe have a show on "Our Paramotor Notion" someday lol... yeah Notion.

[@davidmontalvo9939]

Thanks for producing this content Rick👍.

[@BrotherTimothyClark]

Rexon radios are great. Just something to think about though as you made the comment that pilots should not be talking back-and-forth as glider pilots. However, if you are on 123.3 and 123.5, those are your two official glider and balloon frequencies. the two frequencies are shared by the two different aircraft types. So yes, a powered paraglider could in all technicalities use that frequency to talk with another paraglider pilot.

[@russellwilson5246]

thank you..boy here in aus casa are squshing the activity with lic req and mandatory membership of the assosiation thay have taken over.

[@maaco33]

Great information. Hope to start back training soon. Would like to go out to Wachula when you are there and talk about a few things. Duane

[@PPGGORILLA]

Anytime Duane!

[@sarah-nm6dt]

GREAT VIDEO! 🦍👍 keep em coming!

[@stone8597]

I have a couple questions: 1) I fly with a Fresh Breeze Monster (Hirth F33) and use an older Lynx helmet/ head-set and and Icom radio (A-3 and my stuff goes back to mid 1990s). I often fly out of airports and like to signal my intentions...my problem/question is...I get a lot of engine noise through my head-set...it has to be the ignition. When my motor is off...the sound is good but when the motor starts I get a buzz that oscillates with the frequency of the engine RPM. How does your equipment do? What aircraft radio and what 2 meter radio do you use? 2) What frequency do you use when plane to plane? Often times we will use 12345. This is great stuff...thanks for helping us understand the rules and showing us that there really is no great mystery to using the radio.

[@PPGGORILLA]

I've had some engine noise issues too. I had a new Icom A4 and I couldnt even use it. With the squelch on max I still got terrible motor noise all the time. I put some snap on ferrite coils on my ignition wire and it helped a little. I still get engine noise over my cheap 2 meter radio pretty bad. I think I'm gonna try something a little better like Kenwood 2 meter soon. We could use "fingers" frequency 12345 on av band I guess. It's just hard for me to switch channels in flight. Would probably be easy enough to program in both ahead of time and scan the two channels.

[@Sky_Pony_1_mic_sierra]

A lot of times engine whine is actually picked up by the headset wires themselves - more expensive radio might suffer the same problem. If this is the case, you might clear it up by putting ferrite bead filters on the wires - They clamp on, or the wire loops around the bead (Google ferrite bead filter). I'd start there, its worked for me before, and might be a $5 fix. Hope it helps!

[@stone8597]

@@Sky_Pony_1_mic_sierra Thanks, I will look into this option...certainly worth a try.

[@pablopyro]

Awesome job My friend! I didn't know you worked FAA at TPA! 🤣

[@Ppgflier]

Thank you! This video answered all my questions.

[@perryracingls1]

Thank you Rick very informative. Now time to buy another radio.

[@markdtatham]

Nice video. Clear and to the point

[@garywheeler2055]

Great video, is there a chance you could put a video together on how you have your helmet etc rigged for using the two radio systems ? Aviation and Ham ? Many thanks

[@PPGGORILLA]

gary wheeler there are a couple videos on my helmet setup from a few weeks ago. Checks those out. I bought the helmet rigged for such

[@gregorygordineer22]

Thank you, Band of Brothers and Sisters

[@lawrencebessette754]

Great video good info

[@djunclemilo]

Very helpful and informative, thanks!

[@jc1979af]

Where is the best place to get the Rexcon radio? Also looking for the right cables to connect to a headset

[@PPGGORILLA]

I got mine from Amazon www.amazon.com/Rexon-RHP-530-Transceiver-COM-Only/dp/B0766186V1/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2JMBGTW447UKM&keywords=rexon+rhp-530&qid=1575457369&sprefix=rexon+rhp%2Caps%2C172&sr=8-1

[@PPGExplorer]

Great topic. Thanks!!

[@GolfFoxtrot22]

In the UK you need a licence and pass an exam to operate an Airband either fitted or not fitted to an aircraft.

[@PPGGORILLA]

License was required in the states until 1996. Thankfully they changed it.

[@GolfFoxtrot22]

@@PPGGORILLA I'm so jealous.

[@don7294]

Well done!👏

[@justharryjohnson7250]

Here in the uk I'm getting conflicting information. One says I need to sit an exam the other states I just have to pay for a 3 year licence. It seems stupid to think that we can fly without a licence but need a licence to talk to others.

[@PPGGORILLA]

Just Harry Johnson Yeah that seems kind of silly doesn’t it? I have since found out that the letter of the law here in the US says only N numbered airplanes do not require a station license.

[@SkyFlyingShaun]

Good stuff man!

[@michaelhale4041]

Ok question if you don't mind me asking. I'm thinking when I can I want to get into paramotoring. I live in Statesville NC. But don't know land don't really understand if I'm able to take off from where I live. Can you help me on understanding some stuff

[@PPGGORILLA]

Michael Hale absolutely Michael! Do you want to send me an email so we can connect? [e-mail]

[@junothejupiterorbiter1035]

Could you send me the link to the handheld radio?

[@maxemmer]

What model Rexon Radio do you use or suggest?

[@PPGGORILLA]

Max, I use the Rexon RHP 530. There is also a bluetooth version the RHP 530BT

[@Treasuremonk]

What channels do you use on your 2 meter band

[@PPGGORILLA]

146.500 seems to have little interference in our area.

[@Alligatorrick]

Hot Damn.... Gorilla in the house or should I say Tower.........lol

[@mikefogle5874]

Way to go Gorilla. Good Info Sir!

[@johnnywisconny]

😁👍🏻 much appreciated!

[@jumpinjee]

Always use the runway designation, saying "the active" doesn't mean anything at pilot controlled fields.

[@PPGGORILLA]

greg markwardt Agreed, this field however only has 1 runway ;-)

[@stephenzabawa2596]

Don't you kneed a ham license to talk on 2 meters?

[@PPGGORILLA]

Technically you do. I took the ham test and got my license it was very easy. KC4PPG is my call sign

[@tonymarzano2220]

Tower requesting fly bye 👍🏻✌️

[@PPGGORILLA]

Negative Ghost Rider, the pattern is full!