CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 12 Issue 1 - 34

CFI TOOLS

Ease Your Students' Mic Fright
BY MACHTELD SMITH

Have Them Say It Right!

IT'S A BEAUTIFUL CAVU DAY AND YOU AND
YOUR STUDENT ARE ABOUT 15 MILES OUT OF
YOUR HOME BASE, A NONTOWERED AIRPORT.

Your student is eager to do some pattern work
after her first introduction to flight at minimum
controllable airspeed. She did well, but you
can tell she was not all that comfortable with
the constant squeaking of the stall horn in the
background. Now, more relaxed without the
disrupting sound of the horn, she looks around
and excitedly points out the airport in the far
distance. " Remember to tune in and listen to the
AWOS for your weather and the CTAF to pick up
on traffic advisories. Then make your initial call
on the CTAF once we're 10 miles out, and again
on the 45 to join downwind, " you say. A blank
stare tells you it's time to pay more attention to
radio communication during ground school, so
she'll feel better prepared the next time around.
Look at it from your student's perspective. Now
that she's mastered basic aircraft control, you
have been complicating things for her by adding
radio communications to her flight training
repertoire. It's a thrill and curse at once: She now

needs to not only fly the airplane and look out
for traffic, but she also has to remember to tune
the radio, key the mic, and know what to say. If
you remember your student pilot days you know
that talking on the radio can be exciting but also
intimidating at first. Communicating the right
way makes all the difference in keeping everyone
on the frequency happy. But mic fright can creep
up for pilots unsure of their skills or those who
get intimidated by other pilots' or ATC's rapidfire communications.
Radio calls at nontowered airports like " Anyone
in the pattern? " , " Any traffic out there, please
advise? " or, " November Two Three Four
Five taking the active " are all too familiar
phrases that somehow creep into some pilots'
vocabulary. The first two make no sense; which
airport are we calling about? Several airports
in the vicinity may have the same frequency,
and blindly asking for traffic advisories only
spreads confusion. The latter phrase I have to
chuckle about; which runway are you taking
and where are you taking it?
(continued on next page)

Improving the Flow
Pilots who are confident with radio
communications will feel more at ease to
talk to ATC, and they can open up a host
of ATC services to help them navigate
complex airspace and airport layouts.
For example, a great ATC service for
VFR aircraft on cross-country flights is
flight following. As a VFR pilot you have
someone keeping an eye on you; and
providing VFR flight following makes ATC's
job easier as they know who you are and
where you're going, meaning they don't
have to constantly vector other traffic
around you. Watch this controller explain.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99aD0zi1L3A
CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 12 Issue 1

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 12 Issue 1
