by Claude Roy, pilot with 6,700+ hours of VFR flying
If you are like me, occasionally, you feel that VFR pilots could do a better job at communicating when flying around at uncontrolled aerodromes.
For disclosure, OK, I may not be your usual pilot. I was an air traffic controller for ten years (1972-1982) before becoming a pilot myself (1985 until now). My background, I admit, makes me more sensitive to communications than the average pilot.
To start, all VFR pilots are supposed to state these four pieces of information: (1) who you call; (2) who you are; (3) where you are, including your altitude; and (4) what your intentions are. You may call this your "Four Ws."
Simple enough, isn't it? Yet, over the years, I recall at least two instances in the Ottawa Valley where lives of friends were lost in the VFR circuit at an uncontrolled aerodrome. In both cases, the conditions were VFR, the aircraft were radio equipped and the pilots were transmitting.
How can this be? How can we prevent instances like these from happening?
We can start by working together at communicating better to prevent any "wrong place, wrong time" chance of VFR encounters.
First, let's review the theory on communication. NAV CANADA is the expert source of information on the matter of effective communications. Their VFR Phraseology Guide (PDF) is the best reference available on the subject.
Although the VFR Phraseology Guide is geared towards the phraseology to be used between pilots and air traffic services (ATS), there is a paragraph on page 36 which states that general position reports "may also be broadcast on the appropriate area frequency to allow others who may be flying in the area to know where you are."
To me, this is the essence of any VFR communication: to let others know where we all are. If the others know where you are, what you are doing and what your intentions are, they can easily stay away from any potential conflict with you. And vice versa.
Alas, communications are but just one part of the safe flying equation. Here are three ways we can work towards eliminating all plane-to-plane VFR collisions: (1) Look out more; (2) Talk less; and (3) Be more patient.
Look out more
When you know that most airfields do not have any mandatory frequency rule in place, you can easily understand why safe VFR operations depend, first and foremost, on the "See-and-be-seen" principle.
To VFR pilots, eyes are more important than ears. Your primary operational duty, as a VFR pilot, is to stay away from all other aircraft. If you fly VFR, you maintain VFR!
So, please, make a conscious effort to look out and ensure there is no airplane—or drone—anywhere near you.
Talk less
For more assurance, VFR pilots can use radios to find out if anybody is near them as well as help others to stay away from their own path.
Radios are especially good as situational awareness tools. They help pilots to figure out in advance from where other airplanes will come and when they will be within visual range and within potential conflict.
Like a pre-warning system, radios help VFR pilots to get a mental "radar" picture of how the traffic will develop around airports and before airplanes get too close to each other.
Yet, VFR pilots, for a host of reasons, talk more than they should. Like on social media, pilots seem more interested in telling the world about themselves than learning about others and their evolving situation.
So, talk less and listen more to what is being said. Strive to get that mental picture of who is where around the airport, now and 30 seconds from now. Keep your transmissions as standard, clear and concise as possible, so your position and intentions are easily understood by all.
Be more patient
Like in a wheel-and-spokes arrangement, airports are hubs of traffic and activity. Airports are like aircraft magnets. In general, aircraft go away from an airport or fly directly towards an airport.
Not only that, but VFR pilots also want to go in good weather and at a convenient time for themselves and their passengers. What is, to you, a convenient time and place to fly is generally the same choice made by other pilots.
The result is that we always encounter bursts of traffic at airports. Airplanes either all come in at the same time or they all go out at the same time.
So, be more patient. If you can delay your departure or your arrival by just a few minutes, you can easily operate in less congested traffic situations.
Conclusion
My hopes are that, by using these three little tips above, we will all be better able to fly safely and communicate efficiently with each other, working towards reducing and eliminating any risk associated with VFR operations around airports.
Happy flying!