Flight Training - March/April 2025 - 26

PREFLIGHT ASK AOPA
BY CRAIG BROWN
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WHEN TO SAY 'UNABLE'
AS PIC YOU HAVE THE FINAL AUTHORITY
Q: Air traffic control (ATC) tells you to do something you're not comfortable
with. Do you comply anyway, because it's ATC, or do you say " unable " ?
A: A recent survey asked this question. A full 97.5 percent of respondents
said they would say " unable. " Yet, 2.5 percent said " comply " because the
request came from ATC. This is for you student pilots in training, and you
two-and-a-half-percenters:
ATC is there for you. Sometimes we must work with ATC such as
flying IFR or in B, C, or D airspace, but other times it is optional to work
with ATC. Regardless of your reason for working with ATC, you must
comply with their clearances and instructions. However, ATC is not in
the aircraft with you. If you are receiving VFR flight following and the
controller gives you a heading that will take you into clouds, say " unable "
and give a short reason why. If the controller issues a descent clearance
that would place you a little too close to the ground, say " unable. " If the
controller issues a climb instruction that would take you into an overcast,
say " unable. " If the controller clears you to land and hold short in a
distance unsafe for what you are flying, say " unable. "
You get the picture. If ATC gives you any clearance or instruction that
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makes you uncomfortable, is unsafe in your opinion, or would cause you
to violate regulations, open your mouth, key the microphone, and tell
them. ATC would then have to give you an alternative. Don't ever place
yourself, your passengers, or your aircraft in jeopardy just because ATC
told you to.
Remember, FAR 91.3 states that the pilot in command is responsible
for, as is the final authority as to the operation of the aircraft. Exercise
your PIC authority when needed.
CRAIG BROWN is a senior aviation technical specialist in the AOPA Pilot Information
Center. pilotassist@aopa.org
JARGON
'Hold for release'
26
Used by ATC to delay an aircraft for traffic
management reasons: i.e., weather, traffic volume.
Hold for release instructions are used to inform a pilot
or a controller that an IFR departure clearance is not
valid until a release time or additional instructions
have been received.
FLIGHT TRAINING MARCH/APRIL 2025

http://www.aopa.org/podcasts

Flight Training - March/April 2025

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Flight Training - March/April 2025

Contents
Flight Training - March/April 2025 - Intro
Flight Training - March/April 2025 - Cover1
Flight Training - March/April 2025 - Cover2
Flight Training - March/April 2025 - Contents
Flight Training - March/April 2025 - 2
Flight Training - March/April 2025 - 3
Flight Training - March/April 2025 - 4
Flight Training - March/April 2025 - 5
Flight Training - March/April 2025 - 6
Flight Training - March/April 2025 - 7
Flight Training - March/April 2025 - 8
Flight Training - March/April 2025 - 9
Flight Training - March/April 2025 - 10
Flight Training - March/April 2025 - 11
Flight Training - March/April 2025 - 12
Flight Training - March/April 2025 - 13
Flight Training - March/April 2025 - 14
Flight Training - March/April 2025 - 15
Flight Training - March/April 2025 - 16
Flight Training - March/April 2025 - 17
Flight Training - March/April 2025 - 18
Flight Training - March/April 2025 - 19
Flight Training - March/April 2025 - 20
Flight Training - March/April 2025 - 21
Flight Training - March/April 2025 - 22
Flight Training - March/April 2025 - 23
Flight Training - March/April 2025 - 24
Flight Training - March/April 2025 - 25
Flight Training - March/April 2025 - 26
Flight Training - March/April 2025 - 27
Flight Training - March/April 2025 - 28
Flight Training - March/April 2025 - 29
Flight Training - March/April 2025 - 30
Flight Training - March/April 2025 - 31
Flight Training - March/April 2025 - 32
Flight Training - March/April 2025 - 33
Flight Training - March/April 2025 - 34
Flight Training - March/April 2025 - 35
Flight Training - March/April 2025 - 36
Flight Training - March/April 2025 - 37
Flight Training - March/April 2025 - 38
Flight Training - March/April 2025 - 39
Flight Training - March/April 2025 - 40
Flight Training - March/April 2025 - 41
Flight Training - March/April 2025 - 42
Flight Training - March/April 2025 - 43
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Flight Training - March/April 2025 - 45
Flight Training - March/April 2025 - 46
Flight Training - March/April 2025 - 47
Flight Training - March/April 2025 - 48
Flight Training - March/April 2025 - 49
Flight Training - March/April 2025 - 50
Flight Training - March/April 2025 - 51
Flight Training - March/April 2025 - 52
Flight Training - March/April 2025 - 53
Flight Training - March/April 2025 - 54
Flight Training - March/April 2025 - 55
Flight Training - March/April 2025 - 56
Flight Training - March/April 2025 - Cover3
Flight Training - March/April 2025 - Cover4
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