How far out do you call tower?

[Yetti]

10 miles.   One day I doing 206 knots with a frontal tail wind.  Called at 15 miles they told me to call back at 10 miles.  By the time they had finished talking I was at 10 miles.

[ohdub]

Having worked in a couple of towers early in my career, I see nothing wrong with calling 10nm miles out. I'm an approach controller now and I typically switch vfr aircraft I'm working to my towers anywhere from 10 to 15nm out. As a rule of thumb, I would say call up by double the control zone radius, and not earlier than triple the radius. As others have mentioned, speed matters, if you're moving fast, call early enough that if it takes the controller a moment to get to you, you don't have to start doing 360's at the CZ boundary.

[tmo]

6 hours ago, RobertGary1 said:

I certainly see a future where ads-b aircraft don’t have to call in and the controller can simply acknowledge you by N number approaching without the limitation of voice on the radio.

We actually have something like this here for uncontrolled airspace.

In Poland the FIS (Flight Information Service, probably similar to flight following in the US, @Ibra or someone else can correct me) tell you that if you're mode-S they can see your call sign and will call you if they need to, no need to check in, just be on frequency.

A similar thing works in e.g. the UK where they use a "listening squawk" - you set your transponder to a pre-determined code (on the charts) and they will call you if need be.

I think it works a little better in Poland, but that's anecdotal and because Polish FIS seems to be easier to work with (they were even collecting PIREPs about weather at uncontrolled fields yesterday, so they could pass the info on).

[Ibra]

38 minutes ago, tmo said:

In Poland the FIS (Flight Information Service, probably similar to flight following in the US, @Ibra or someone else can correct me) tell you that if you're mode-S they can see your call sign and will call you if they need to, no need to check in, just be on frequency.

Yes US FF is similar to FIS, I guess sometimes controlled airspace ATC guys will wear that FIS hat to offer services while you are outside 

In France, most FIS/ATC have ModeS equipment and full access to all VFR flight plans and they do call if you are on frequency, but I understand they still expect you to “check-in”, I only got called once just about to depart from a grass strip nearby a big airport at 600ft agl by my call-sign 

In UK, FIS don’t have radars and don’t have access to VFR FPL, also not all ATC have modeS on their screens (nor all pilots have modeS that shows their callsign), so they rely on Frequency Monitoring Codes or “listen sqwaks”, you set 1177 on transponder = means you are talking to London Info FIS, you have to “checkin” and with “Brits good manners” this means long RT talks , ATC with radars will just contact London Info FIS if they need to pass on any information to any of the “1177 guys”

 

To answer OP question: when VFR, I call the tower when I have airfield in sight, in this age of technology it still daft to call them with that “gold standard visual eye confirmation”, I ask Approach to switch to tower frequency anytime bellow 2000ft agl (so I don’t have to climb to get RT reception tell them, if they are not in my destination airport), ideally at 2000ft agl, I should be able to see the runway but sometimes I may need some help or lie about it to expedite things 

Edited November 16, 2020 by Ibra

[Danb]

I haven’t changed the way I contact the tower since starting my PPL in the 1980’s by my instructor’s direction

IFR when controller advises to contact tower

VFR  Always 15 miles out unless I’m stepping on other calls, then as soon thereafter, I’ve never been advised differently by a tower controller 

 

 

 

[midlifeflyer]

10 hours ago, PT20J said:

Isn't it amazing how many questions actually have an official answer?

[GeeBee]

I have noticed the "contract towers" tend to be more "snarky".

On Saturday I was at KGMU when I heard the tower controller chewing on a Bonanza. The Bonanza sounded to be inexperienced BUT. because GMU lies underneath Class C, the Bonanza went the extra mile and was in radar contact with Greer Approach. Greer Approach did not turn the Bonanza over to GMU tower until 3 miles. The tower chewed on the Bonanza saying that was way too late and he was nose to nose with other traffic. The tower was chewing on this guy because they could, he had the voice of inexperience. I just keyed my mic and said, "I think you need to talk to Greer Approach, not the Bonanza". At that the entire tone changed.

 

[Greg Ellis]

I usually call 10-15 miles out at my home airport.  They are Class D under Class B.  My airport is usually quite busy on nice weekends so I think the little extra time lets them know that I am coming in and they can fit me into the flow of traffic instead of me waiting until I am almost in their Class D.  They do a lot of practice approaches, etc... and like to know ahead of time that someone is coming in.  They also have a lot of traffic departing their airspace and like to know what they are sending them out to.

 

[Shadrach]

10 hours ago, RobertGary1 said:

I certainly see a future where ads-b aircraft don’t have to call in and the controller can simply acknowledge you by N number approaching without the limitation of voice on the radio.  
 

-Robert 

This has already happened to me at my home drome (the rare Class D with radar feed). I was handed off by approach only to have tower controller issue immediate sequencing instructions under the assumption that I was on freq. 

[McMooney]

15 - 20 miles, like to give plenty of warning.

[Joe Zuffoletto]

10-12 miles has always been my custom... it's what I was taught.

Tower controller is a jerk or had a bad day.

[RobertGary1]

3 hours ago, GeeBee said:

I have noticed the "contract towers" tend to be more "snarky".

 

The folks in the contract tower at ksac are awesome and insanely patient with some really stupid pilot tricks I’ve heard on frequency. 
 

-Robert 

[DXB]

I use 10-12 mi for my Delta - never had an issue whether it was quiet or busy.  Interesting to learn that the official AIM guidance is 15.  

[steingar]

Ten miles out from tower, ten miles out from any controlled airspace I want to enter.  If I can give them a good waypoint I do.  More information is always better.

[RobertGary1]

1 hour ago, Shadrach said:

This has already happened to me at my home drome (the rare Class D with radar feed). I was handed off by approach only to have tower controller issue immediate sequencing instructions under the assumption that I was on freq. 

that’s not uncommon with a handoff. But I’m thinking more like what I understand Europe has started playing with. Since there is no longer a need for squawk codes to be discreet you can have a code that reflects your intentions. Then atc id’s you from the n number based on your ads-b

 

-Robert 

[Ibra]

3 hours ago, midlifeflyer said:

Isn't it amazing how many questions actually have an official answer?

15min?? that means in the Mooneys we can’t fly A to B legs less than 30nm as you will not give enough notice, maybe time to fly a big dog leg 

Edited November 16, 2020 by Ibra

[Parker_Woodruff]

15 hours ago, MikeOH said:

Tower controller came back with a snarky, "You are WAAAY outside my airspace.  Call back when you're 5 miles out." And, then made a point of telling me he wasn't providing any separation services.

 

At 5 miles on a busy day you won't have much time before making a turn away from the Class D airspace if it's busy and they don't get back to you right away.  That's kind of an obnoxious request by the tower controller.

However, asking for another call when you're 5 miles out is a reasonable request (especially if there is a lot of traffic in the area squawking 1200 or if he needs a reminder for whatever reason).

[EricJ]

Yesterday I was listening to the tower of a Class-D controlled field just because I was passing along side of their airspace.   I heard this transpire:

"Tower this is Mustang xyz, can you set me up for a landing?" - this was his first call-in that I heard and the "can you set me up for a landing" is an accurate quote.

"Mustang xyz, say position."

"I'm on downwind abeam the tower."

There was a bit of a pause and then the tower handled him pretty professionally.   This is at a busy field with a lot of school traffic.   I think I'd have deviated him, but if they did they waited until he got on the ground as I never heard anything other than a very competent management of getting him landed.

 

[midlifeflyer]

1 hour ago, Ibra said:

15min??

Who said that?

[bonal]

2 hours ago, Joe Zuffoletto said:

10-12 miles has always been my custom... it's what I was taught.

Tower controller is a jerk or had a bad day.

Or like so many perhaps a bad year. God knows many have. Ten to twelve for me but sometimes sooner if radio traffic is really busy 

[Nick Pilotte]

VFR here, but my home field, I call 10 miles out but that is a busy airfield too.  The only times I don’t is when I’m flying from a local field that is less than 10 miles, and I’ve been advised to loiter “at the river” which is 5 miles west of the field when I do that and they are busy.  

[glbtrottr]

There is no reason for the controller’s behavior, contract or not.

You’re in the air, and the controller has zero idea of the state of the airplane. To wait for “mayday” or “pan” calls just to get a controller’s special attention is downright entitled and unprofessional. Just because as a pilot community we tend to be more polite, more safety conscious since engine power is life support, or else, doesn’t entitle a controller to be a dork.

This notion that “oh my gawd the airspace is getting so crowded and I have some many “dinks” in my airspace” is crap. I can accept that in a BIG class B where things have to be orderly, or even a congested class “C” (John King legacy for those amused by dating ourselves, but contributing to pilot load by getting snarky is obnoxious if not dangerous at times. You would think we have registered drone traffic clouding the skies along with burgeoning flight operations. Because covid didn’t put a dent on things? Pshaw.

We sometimes carry sick patients, dogs, people afraid of flying, the gamut. As a controller, you’re a service provider. Act like it.

Be courteous and friendly and expect the same from pilots, or go home. I’ve seen too many incidents caused by crappy controllers, and have even been the victim of one.

[ZuluZulu]

20 hours ago, 201er said:

I call tower when approach tells me to 

Same here, but very occasionally I have to prompt it with a gentle “SoCal Approach, Mooney 12345 has Podunk Airport in sight.”  And those words mean it’s a lot closer than 10 miles!

[Guest]

One advantage of paying a Nav Canada fee is that pilots are now the customer, and Nav Canada the service provider.  I find them to be professional and courteous all the time.

Clarence

[glbtrottr]

So the taxpayer paying for a federal employee’s salary and pension, or the fuel taxes we pay for all those private controllers isn’t enough, meaning you think that paying extra fees makes you a better serviced customer? Huh. I find that line of thinking interesting.


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