Switch Tanks Before Takeoff

[Fly Boomer]

6 minutes ago, Schllc said:

It doesn't really matter what the FAR says about uncontrolled fields.  No on there will pay attention to this, and they will continue to do whatever they want.

i was practicing landings at an uncontrolled field and i had two people in the pattern with radios not talking at all, one guy calling a straight in from 20 miles out not answering anyone, one guy doing a run up on the runway on the tailwind side, one guy lined up and waiting  on the correct runway, and another guy taking off with an intersection departure, also not talking.

good luck with "rules" there!

I think the older a pilot is, the less they use the radio.  CHS.

[Schllc]

4 minutes ago, Fly Boomer said:

I think the older a pilot is, the less they use the radio.  CHS.

I think no radio would be annoying or maybe inconvenient if that's all it was, but when they don't follow traffic patterns, don't use standard procedures and behave like they are alone in the world, it makes for a very difficult day for everyone else.

I personally stay away from uncontrolled fields as much as possible.

[PeteMc]

1 hour ago, DCarlton said:

Crap I see it now.

Been there...  Don't ya just hate that!!! 

[Pinecone]

My preferred pattern entry from the "wrong side of the field" is a upwind or crosswind entry at pattern altitude. 

This puts traffic and me at an altitude to see and be seen.  It gives me a look at aircraft on downwind to adjust for proper spacing.  And I am in an area with little to no traffic, so less likely to hit someone.

[wombat]

23 hours ago, Schllc said:

I personally stay away from uncontrolled fields as much as possible.

So funny, I know people that fly at towered airports only and will refuse to go anywhere without a tower, and those that fly at untowered airports only and will refuse to go anywhere with a tower.

 

Remember:  All of the 'traffic procedures' and radio calls are there to prevent mid-air collisions. There are not all that many midair collisions to start with.

Looking at the most recent ones listed here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mid-air_collision l

Out of these 3 out of 8 might have been prevented if the pilots had and used ADS-B in and out or their radios.  The other 5 out of 8 would not.

In the Winterhaven one, the cub didn't have a radio and having the cub on the radio could have prevented it, as could have ADS-B in on either plane if both had ADS-B out.

In the Dallas one both aircraft had and were using radios, but they were doing a bunch of close proximity maneuvering due to the airshow.  I doubt ADS-B would have helped, due to the update frequency and known close proximity they were flying. So this would not have been saved by radio or ADS-B.

In the Longmont one, it looks like the Sonex didn't have operating ADS-B out but since there are RADAR tracks (according to the article on cpr.org), and while they both had radios, they were not in a location where we would expect them to be on the same frequency.  The Sonex did have a working transponder and was visible on RADAR, so if either plane had ADS-B in, both planes would have been visible.  According to some comments on the avweb article about this accident, the Cessna did have ADS-B in.   But despite having it and having both planes be visible to the ADS-B in aircraft, they failed to see and avoid.   This was not prevented by having radios and ADS-B.

In the Malibu/Cessna midair in Vegas in 2022, and regardless of ADS-B status, both aircraft had and were using radios.     But since they were operating in known close proximity, ADS-B would not have helped.   So this was not prevented despite having radios and ADS-B.

The Key Lime & Cirrus mid-air in Arapahoe County in May 2021 is extremely similar.  Such close proximity that ADS-B would not have helped, and both were on the radio, just that one wasn't flying what they were supposed to.

In the Soldotna accident, one had ADS-B -out and the other did not.  I didn't find anything to say if the ADS-B out equipped plane also had ADS-B in, but if it did (and the pilot had used it, AND the other plane had ADS-B out) that likely would have prevented the accident.

The George Inlet midair in 2019 could have been prevented by having and using ADS-B in and out, but it doesn't seem like it would be reasonable to expect even above average radio use to have prevented this.  Just out in the middle of nowhere, I don't make regular position calls on 122.75 (Air-to-air frequency)

The F-16 & Cessna 150 was also not preventable by ADS-B or radios; the F-16 pilot was provided plenty of advance warning about the 150 and chose not to change their course.

[Schllc]

On 12/28/2023 at 1:10 PM, wombat said:

So funny, I know people that fly at towered airports only and will refuse to go anywhere without a tower, and those that fly at untowered airports only and will refuse to go anywhere with a tower.

 

Remember:  All of the 'traffic procedures' and radio calls are there to prevent mid-air collisions. There are not all that many midair collisions to start with.

Looking at the most recent ones listed here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mid-air_collision l

Out of these 3 out of 8 might have been prevented if the pilots had and used ADS-B in and out or their radios.  The other 5 out of 8 would not.

In the Winterhaven one, the cub didn't have a radio and having the cub on the radio could have prevented it, as could have ADS-B in on either plane if both had ADS-B out.

In the Dallas one both aircraft had and were using radios, but they were doing a bunch of close proximity maneuvering due to the airshow.  I doubt ADS-B would have helped, due to the update frequency and known close proximity they were flying. So this would not have been saved by radio or ADS-B.

In the Longmont one, it looks like the Sonex didn't have operating ADS-B out but since there are RADAR tracks (according to the article on cpr.org), and while they both had radios, they were not in a location where we would expect them to be on the same frequency.  The Sonex did have a working transponder and was visible on RADAR, so if either plane had ADS-B in, both planes would have been visible.  According to some comments on the avweb article about this accident, the Cessna did have ADS-B in.   But despite having it and having both planes be visible to the ADS-B in aircraft, they failed to see and avoid.   This was not prevented by having radios and ADS-B.

In the Malibu/Cessna midair in Vegas in 2022, and regardless of ADS-B status, both aircraft had and were using radios.     But since they were operating in known close proximity, ADS-B would not have helped.   So this was not prevented despite having radios and ADS-B.

The Key Lime & Cirrus mid-air in Arapahoe County in May 2021 is extremely similar.  Such close proximity that ADS-B would not have helped, and both were on the radio, just that one wasn't flying what they were supposed to.

In the Soldotna accident, one had ADS-B -out and the other did not.  I didn't find anything to say if the ADS-B out equipped plane also had ADS-B in, but if it did (and the pilot had used it, AND the other plane had ADS-B out) that likely would have prevented the accident.

The George Inlet midair in 2019 could have been prevented by having and using ADS-B in and out, but it doesn't seem like it would be reasonable to expect even above average radio use to have prevented this.  Just out in the middle of nowhere, I don't make regular position calls on 122.75 (Air-to-air frequency)

The F-16 & Cessna 150 was also not preventable by ADS-B or radios; the F-16 pilot was provided plenty of advance warning about the 150 and chose not to change their course.

We  are all products of our experience, and while statistics are relevant and valid, so is experience. 
I don’t think I fear an in air collision, as much as the reaction to something stupid, inconsiderate, ignorant or flagrantly dangerous by someone else. 
All of which I has seen and/or experienced, and always at a uncontrolled field. 
The chances of someone taking off unannounced, with a tail wind, on the non favored runway, while I am less than 1/4 mile’ from the threshold, is not likely to be something that would happen at a controlled field. 
Does this mean I have no risk, no, it doesn’t, but I tend to avoid situations that have shown themselves to be unnecessarily high risk.  
Can accidents happen at controlled fields, yes.  
But in my experience, those are more rare, and I find comfort in that choice. 
I have, do, and will continue to land at uncontrolled fields, but when I have the option, I choose something with a tower.