Blind Radio Calls
If you fly to an unmanned airstrip with no Radio control, then you should still broadcast your normal calls as if you were in a controlled environment. You will not be talking to a controller, but you will be informing any other traffic in the area (and on the frequency) of your location and intent. You would hope they will be doing the same, so you will get an idea of aircraft in the area. If you had radio problems and couldn’t make contact with a air traffic controller, you should also make these blind radio calls, as they might be able to hear you, even you can’t hear them.
If there is no designated radio channel for an airstrip, then you should tune into “SafetyCom” channel (135.480) and broadcast on that wavelength.
These “blind” radio calls could include:
- Announcing an approach to the airstrip, from a distance giving your location, height and Call Sign to give warning you are approaching
- Announce joining the overhead at the circuit height (to allow you to see the windsock and determine your intended runway)
- Announce that you are descending dead side and what your intended runway and circuit direction you intend to take
- Announce crosswind for your runway of choice
- Announce Downwind for your runway of choice
- Announce Final for your runway of choice
- Announce backtracking a runway after landing or in prep for take off
- Announce taking off from your runway to alert flying aircraft
By making all these announcements helps other aircraft to be aware of your position if they are listening, and means you can make informed judgments when you know where they are