Overcoming radio trepidation
Crisp, concise, and clear radio communication is a hallmark of professionalism among aviators. A student pilot takes pride in just being able to correctly announce his position and intentions over the common traffic advisory frequency without "stepping on" another pilot's transmission. The student feels a great sense of accomplishment when he can actually understand what is being broadcast by others over the radio.
Amazingly, all this quickly fades away when the student has to talk to a tower controller. Suddenly, confidence is replaced by fear and timidity. This is because the student is overwhelmed and unsettled by the staccato pace at which controllers sometimes talk on the radio. Unfortunately this fear is not limited to students--some pilots never get over the bewilderment of talking to a tower. I know many certificated private pilots who simply avoid any controlled airspace they come across on the sectional chart. In fact, I was one of those pilots many years ago. But then I had an experience which taught me that a pilot who is afraid to talk with a control tower is missing out on a tremendous in-flight resource.
One morning many years ago, I had planned to fly to Ocean City, New Jersey, and spend the day at the beach with my wife and 6-year-old daughter. Ocean City Municipal Airport is just perfect for day trips. It is located on the barrier island only three blocks from the beach, so there is no need to rent a car. From where I live I can make the flight in 45 minutes instead of the usual two and one-half hours by ground transportation.
The only problem was the Class B airspace around our big city and the Class C airspace around nearby Atlantic City. Trying to fly around both of these big blocks of airspace would result in a zigzagging flight path that would erase the travel time savings. Fortunately, I was a very clever pilot. I knew that Class B airspace is like an upside-down wedding cake. Looking at the sectional chart, I found that if I flew at 2,500 feet I could slip below the outer ring of the Class B airspace. I could also make a very slight course deviation to skirt around the very edge of the Class C airspace on my way into the Ocean City airport. The Cedar Lake VOR was out of commission that day, but with CAVU weather I felt pilotage should suffice for this short 65-nautical-mile trip.
Proud that I had devised such a clever plan, I loaded my family into the Cessna 172, and we took off into the cool, early morning air. My wife and daughter settled in to enjoy the brief, leisurely flight. Things went very well in the beginning. We flew over our city, watching the morning rush hour traffic jams from our lofty perch. The winds were as predicted so I just flew the course I had drawn on my sectional chart, checking off the landmarks as we passed them. But after we crossed the river, I quickly discovered that my clever plan was not so clever.
It is very difficult to identify landmarks from low altitude. It is even harder when there are no obviously distinguishable landmarks to see. Anyone who has flown over southern New Jersey will tell you that the terrain there is very flat. In fact, it is almost featureless from a pilotage perspective. Even the few roads shown as gray lines on the sectional chart were hard to identify from the air. The area is sprinkled with small towns connected by a labyrinth of country roads.
After 15 minutes of not noticing anything recognizable, I began to fear that I was lost--while VFR on a cloudless, sunny day! I briefly considered an emergency plan: fly east to the Atlantic coast, and then turn south until I found Ocean City. Then I remembered that somewhere out there was Atlantic City's controlled airspace, and I could not wander into it without getting permission. To be safe, I had no choice but to talk to the tower. But what should I say? I certainly did not want to announce in front of my passengers that I was lost (a stupid attitude, I know, but that's how I felt at that moment). Then I remembered my flight instructor telling me that control towers can provide radar vectors to lost aircraft.
I looked up Atlantic City's tower frequency, tuned it in on the radio, and listened for a lull in the voices before nervously making my call. Once the tower acknowledged my call, I fumbled through my request, "Atlantic City Tower, Cessna Niner-Two-Seven-Eight-Niner...about 10 miles northeast (I guessed at my position)...at 2,500...request permission to transit airspace...with vectors to Ocean City." I apprehensively waited for the tower controller's reply, expecting to be lost in a flurry of words. Instead, I heard a soft, friendly voice that said: "Cessna Seven-Eight-Niner, I have you 15 miles north, squawk 1303 and ident, turn heading 167 for Ocean City."
The tower controller on the other end of the radio spoke at a normal pace, and I easily understood everything she said. I read back her instruction (just to be sure I heard it right), dialed in the assigned transponder code, and turned to the heading she gave me. Though she was handling some regional airliners, the tower controller did not forget about me. She called out traffic for me and even gave me new vectors when I couldn't see the Ocean City airport (remember I was flying low). "Cessna Seven-Eight-Niner, Ocean City is at your two o'clock, turn heading 172."
This was nothing like the experience I remembered fearing as a student pilot. This was pleasant. More important, it was extremely helpful! Not only was she patient, but she was courteous as well. Once I called Ocean City in sight, she released me to my own navigation and wished me a pleasant day.
Talking to the tower turned out to be the smartest decision I made on that flight. That tower controller saved my special day. After a spectacular landing over the marina, my family and I spent a wonderful day on the boardwalk. When it came time to go home, I did not hesitate to contact the tower. As before, she guided me on my way home with the same courteous service.
After that flight I resolved that I would never again be afraid to talk to a control tower on the radio. I have found them to be the most helpful and courteous people I've heard on the airwaves. Workload permitting, they are more than happy to help a pilot find the way to his or her destination. Every pilot should make use of this tremendous resource. Sure, you'll have to learn a few more terms, but look at how much lingo you've already learned just to earn your pilot certificate.
"Learning Experiences" is presented to enhance safety by providing a forum for students and pilots to learn from the experiences of others. It is intended to provoke thought and discussion, acknowledging that actions taken by the authors were not necessarily the best choices under the circumstances. We encourage you to discuss any questions you have about a particular scenario with your flight instructor.
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