VFR Lost Communications Procedures- Day 6

saferpilotchallenge.com/ Do you know all of your light gun signals? How would you even get the towers attention to receive light gun signals? Learn how in this video.

[@dylandaking123]

I had an alternator failure flying into a class D airport. Ultimately I lost all radio communication. When I flew in I circled just above pattern altitude until I got the signal to land. With two of my friends on board it definitely made me and them nervous, but, I simply kept calm and flew the airplane just as I had been trained.

[@AV8R_1]

About a year ago i had a bad mic jack and was having a tough time with intermittent transmit ability. The airport i needed to take the airplane to to have it fixed was inside a class D (KGON) which at the time was rarely busy. I called up the tower on the phone in attempt to coordinate a no comms arrival with the tower. The controller flat out refused to help me out, claiming there would be no safe way to allow me into the pattern, he stubbornly insisted that without two way radio communication he could not allow me to operate into that airport. He also claimed there would be no way to know which aircraft was mine. I basically said I will be arriving at 1:00pm from the north squawking 7600, and I will be the aircraft who is not talking to you. He again claimed he could not accommodate my request. I asked him if he had a light gun, to which he responded, "yes". Getting annoyed now, I then asked him what he thought it was for, and how did he allow cubs and other vintage aircraft not equipped with radios to operate in the delta, and he smugly replied that he would not allow them to operate there either. Before I got too angry I told him he needed to read up on 91.125 and 91.129... Ultimately I had to fly in after hours when the tower was closed and the airspace was reverted to a class E.

[@TheDuckofDoom.]

Should bring that conversation to the local FSDO.

[@cjanderson768]

My first C-C, nervous and unsure I noticed that about 10 minutes of leaving GYY (class D) I had a hard time hearing FSS when I called to open my f plan. . About 15 min. in I noticed the amp gauge showing zero. Then all the electrical gauges started to flicker. So I turned everything off and headed back. I laughed at myself because just a few days before I remember have a talk with my dad about light gun signals.. Me being the smart ass I said "I'll never need that' , and my dad saying "you never know". Well, I got so worked up I forgot I had the light signals printed on my knee board. So I didnt know the signals , I did the next best thing. I decided to land at an uncontrolled a/p. I went over to 05c to see what was active and slipped in to the pattern. Lucky for me it was early and no one was around. I did turn the master back on and the radios and stated that I had lost the alt and wasnt sure anyone could hear me.(they actually did hear me) I landed with no problems and called the FBO at GYY that owned the rental. He said just fly it back, which as a student I told him no way. SO , I called my dad ( who was a pilot since time began) and he came out to 05c and flew it back for me and I drove his car to GYY to pick him up. My dad and the owner of the flight school and plane just laughed at me. They both said "next time learn you light signals. This is friendly advise to all students. NEVER SAY THAT WONT HAPPEN TO ME. Learn all you can in G school and then pass your check ride because its AFTER all that is when you really start to learn to be a good pilot. As a "rusty pilot " not flying for 18 years I went back to G-S with my son . I think I learned more this time than I did 20 years ago. DONT EVER BE AFRAID TO ASK A QUESTION IN CLASS.

[@flyhigh8313x]

I was flying with my instructor out of class C and on clime out we lost coms as we were leaving their airspace...the voltage regulator fried and allowed the system to over charge slightly so we couldn't notice that easy. It burned out our radios and landing lights. We landed at a non toward airport to figure out what happened. While down we call the tower back were we had to go and established where we were going circle so they could know who we were and use the light gun if they couldn't read the hand held I brought...that saved they day. Big tip get the head set adaptor for your hand held...it makes it so you can hear it.

[@kelvinjavier]

I lost comms last week. I was 90% sure I was supposed to squawk 7600. I was 10% in doubt that I was squawking hijack.

[@Rick-yf2dw]

lol

[@CuriousSoulCanada]

Always carry a portable radio that has pre-programed all the airports frequencies in your county/province/area. Common problems are headsets plugs. Always do a pre-flight radio check and test your cords with your radios open squelch (on receive) or use an Unicomm free frequency to test your aircraft radio talking to your portable while stressing the headset cords and plugs (at least once a month). If the system is noisy or intermittent, don't postpone the service. Pre-flight inspect the radio antenna. If the range is an issue, antenna or coaxial cable/connectors needs to be serviced or clean the ground connection. Poor quality workmanship on the aircraft electrical systems could lead to noisy reception and reduced range. Spark plug wiring could also cause lots of troubles. Poor connections, loose lugs, poor shielding, faulty magneto, grounding, all will cause interference and loss of range. if antenna system is faulty, even a cellular phone screen use or other electronics could open your radio squelch and affect your receive sensitivity

[@Rachel801]

When I was working on night landings we requested for light signals from the tower. The controller was more than happy to accommodate. This was during a slow time for KSLC (class B). It was good practice for practice with light signals.

[@carytaylor1415]

An experienced aviator ALWAYS knows where his or her communications are! Never misplace your comms.

[@michaelking3327]

they're not talking about comms location, they're talking about comms not functioning properly or not functioning at all in flight.

[@donduryea9647]

As a student pilot, I was returning to the airport I had just departed about an hour earlier. I called tower, made initial contact, reported five miles out and was told to report again over another reporting point which was standard procedure. When I reached that point I reported but realized tower couldn’t hear me but I could hear them. I tried repeatedly to contact them but was unable to make contact. I continued and entered downwind into the pattern. Flew the pattern and was on final looking for a light. Just about the time I was considering going around the controller came on and said “red and white Cub on short final for 24 cleared to land”. Never did see a light. I was negative transponder. I was getting fairly nervous on final but looking back it was straight forward, I continued to do as I had intended and I was ultimately given the go to land.

[@Arduino4Fun]

We lost a generator the other day, and lost all electrical at a non-towered field. In our case (C150) the first thing we seemed to lose was radios, then gauges started to go. But engine driven magnetos saved the day, and we made it down safely. The first sign, that we didn't catch, was a plane coming in on a parallel runway who "didn't make any radio calls". We saw him, and held short before taxiing across his path, but wondered why he was silent. We just didn't know that we had no power.

[@cmritchie04]

one time lost the com at KPNE, I was able to request taxi with the airplanes com but when I was ready for takeoff I could not tell the controller that I was going to position and hold I used my hand held radio to taxi back. It was at runway 33 and taxiway A.

[@patrickjohnson4648]

It seems like strange things tend to happen before a lot of people's first solo. I'm looking forward to mine.

[@alexknowneles7565]

thanks for motivation and lesson

[@Arduino4Fun]

Finishing the story, we took off again, and the first sign that we noticed was the right tank showing empty. When turning crosswind, the left tank started dropping, and by the time we were abeam midfield, the left tank showed empty. We got her down, had the correct amount of fuel, but the gen wasn't working, and the battery was dead. The next take-off was to be my first solo, but now I'm waiting on the plane to get fixed.

[@BLS2001]

I was in the tower the other day and they showed us the ray gun! It almost seems in possible to see from the outside of the tower! Since the tower is tinted and that light is not bright! I wonder how close you have to be to see it? And hopefully it wouldn't be in a class B with huge planes landing all around you! Thanks Jason for another good video

[@BencLin]

Great info.

[@hunterfagan6272]

How would you return to the starting point if you could only taxi one way? Would you taxi on the runway?

[@abdullahpilot5537]

you are awesome 😄.

[@elunico13]

It's better training to request lgt gun signals while in flight because ATC has a tough time aiming it right at you, and makes it hard to tell if it's a steady green or blinking green. In reality there's no such thing as a steady green because it's difficult to aim at the pilot while in flight. It's the difference between landing and going around and beware! You may become fixated on the light and neglect other tasks. It's a different form of flying the pattern. Might as well try it now before it becomes real some day. 7600! Try requesting it sometime and you'll see what I mean.

[@floridagoldcoast7826]

So, I have a question. Let's say you lose radio communications (both RX and TX) and you are near you destination airport but have not yet received ATIS. How do you know what runway they to land on once you are given the green light to land? Do you overfly the field 500ft above pattern and ascertain there the runway then set up for the 45 downwind entry?

[@TheDuckofDoom.]

Yeah the windsocks are a good start. The prevailing wind for the area, if strong enough to be a major problem, will be evident from your cruise ground speed. You can also just enter the pattern following other traffic (or if no traffic pick a direction) and watch for a light gun giving you a green or red, if red try the opposite runway or a totally different bit of pavement in the case one runway is unusable.(other than an accident, runway temporarily out of service should have been a NOTAM and marked with a couple big "X" on the ground)

[@jesusrogeliozarate]

Thanks Jason!!!!

[@MzeroAFlightTraining]

Thanks for watching!

[@scottisaaks]

I'm red green color deficient. Can I even be a private pilot? Dreams crushed.

[@cpy]

You 100% can. I have a friend who is red green colorblind, and it is noted on your medical. It only means you can't fly at night, but who cares. Dreams restored!