AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2022 - 91

RUDDER & WRENCH
priority over VFR traffic in the pattern.
That being the case, I've often witnessed
aircraft in the pattern slow on the downwind
to let another come straight in on
an instrument approach or even to let
some folks on the ground make their
departure. Most aviators are neighborly
and a polite give and take can result in
an efficient pattern without compromising
safety.
Make your radio calls count
Say the airport name at both the beginning
and end of your transmission and
use the airport name listed on the charts.
My own airport is known locally by the
city name and not the name on the chart.
So, I call it " Sewanee-Franklin County
Airport " so all understand.
Be a good neighbor
Flying unnecessarily low doesn't foster
good relations between the based pilots
and airport neighbors. Be sure to understand
local noise abatement procedures.
While you may not live in the area, the
folks who do end up taking the heat for
your inconsiderate flying. Plus, maneuvering
at low altitude may end up in damage
to property and loss of life and general aviation
doesn't need any more black eyes.
Years ago, I saw reckless behavior
from a local pilot and, even though the
conversation seemed futile, I hoped that
somehow the message got through anyway.
Apparently, it did not because that
pilot later perished in an aviation accident
that took the life of someone else
as well. I've been haunted for some time
1%
Any one of us can succumb to skirting rules at the expense of safety.
Maybe we are in a rush to get home for that birthday dinner or perhaps
landing right away means we'll be first in line for the fuel truck. We
need to constantly remind ourselves that a few more minutes isn't
really a big deal.
To identify your own aircraft, avoid,
" Blue and white Cessna " as, from a distance,
most airplanes pretty much look
white. Instead, " Cessna N127AB " can help
those with ADS-B connect aircraft on the
traffic display with what they see outside.
In giving position reports, ditch
the IFR lingo. The VFR pilots hearing,
" ZEDUX inbound on the RNAV 18
approach, " have no idea what you're
talking about and, frankly, the IFR traffic
probably doesn't either. After all, ZEDUX
doesn't even appear on the low-altitude
en route chart so you must be staring at
the same approach plate to understand.
But every pilot understands what " 12 mile
final, Runway 18 " means.
Finally, no one needs or wants to know
where you went to dinner last night so
keep those conversations off the airwaves.
Keep it short and on point so others can
announce too.
by the idea that, had I done more, maybe
things would have turned out differently.
So after my conversation with the
Twinstar pilot went nowhere, I used the
FAA Hotline online to report the situation.
I'll never know whether some future
accident might be prevented, but I do
hold that hope.
To be clear, I believe any one of us can
succumb to skirting rules at the expense
of safety. Maybe we are in a rush to get
home for that birthday dinner or perhaps
landing right away means we'll be first in
line for the fuel truck. We need to constantly
remind ourselves that a few more
minutes isn't really a big deal. If it is, then
we risk becoming that pilot.
Catherine Cavagnaro owns Ace Aerobatic
School in Sewanee, Tennessee, and is a
professor of mathematics at Sewanee: The
University of the South.
aceaerobaticschool.com
AOPA PILOT / July 2022
91
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AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2022

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