Air Traffic Control Tips, Goodies, and Presents

Radar Contact

Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, or if you prefer, Seasonally Adjusted Greetings. I come bearing gifts of good cheer, ATC tips, techniques, and other goodies.

Special Type 12X-mas de-icing fluid. 12-day holdover time before reapplication required.

Normally, I’d tell you what’s in store for this edition of Radar Contact. Instead, slip off the ribbon, tear away the wrapping paper and look inside.

Show Notes:

1. Rudolf is fully equipped and rated for IFR. Donner and Blitzen are still working on their instrument ticket. All the other reindeer are VFR-only.
2. Santa has logged over 55,000,000,000 flight hours, but he’s only typed in one aircraft model.
3. The runway next to the workshop at the North Pole has a Microwave Landing System that no one knows how to use.
4. North Pole Airport Tower was on Congress’ original sequestration list a couple of years ago. Then the D.O.T. informed them the airport was not located in the U.S. Several Congressmen insisted it was in their district.
5. As far as anyone knows, Santa has never flunked a checkride.
6. Rumors are, the max gross weight of Santa’s sleigh is somewhere around 4-million metric tons. We do know the sleigh’s publish VNE is Mach 11.
7. Another rumor: Regarding flight currency, Santa said to his reindeer, “Fly what you want. Log what you need.”
8. A link to the Headset Buyer’s Guide. Leave your own present in the form of a headset review at the Guide. Santa will mark that as a good deed on his list.
9. Oh yeah, this show contains some good-to-know information about ATC too.
10. AIM 4−3−2. Airports with an Operating Control Tower
    a. When operating at an airport where traffic control is being exercised by a control tower, pilots are required to maintain two−way radio contact with the tower while operating within the Class B, Class C, and Class D surface area unless the tower authorizes otherwise. Initial callup should be made about 15 miles from the airport. . . In the interest of reducing tower frequency congestion, pilots are reminded that it is not necessary to request permission to leave the tower frequency once outside of Class B, Class C, and Class D surface areas.

We shall speak again in the new year. Until then, have a safe and pleasant holiday. Your friend, Jeff