Proper way to check on with tower

[dasleben]

Don't forget all the guys who randomly add an "s" to the end of their callsigns.

Uniteds 488
Air Canadas 200

Or the best: Colgans 3210, who had such a bad fake I'm-an-airline-pilot drawl that I came very close to saying something over the air.

[Roger, Roger]

"Tower, Skyhawk 33LU outside VEELS"
"Tower, Skyhawk 33LU left base 13"
"Tower, Skyhawk 33LU right base 13" (instructor voice) "that's LEFT base THREE ONE for november three lima uniform"

[Alchemy]

I guess the main reason I was thinking about this (probably over-thinking) was:

With every other facility, we check on with altitude, but not tower. I haven't heard anyone recommend that we check on to tower with altitude, and I can't remember ever doing it myself.

One thing I've noticed is that in international ops the tower will sometimes ask you for your position or DME if you don't give it them on initial contact. They'll often ask you to report certain DME points as well. I can only assume this due to the lack of radar in their facilities, and that in the US it's largely unecessary.

Anyway, I'm referring to IFR ops in this discussion. Obviously when VFR you're going to report your position as base/downwind/final, not that I often have the pleasure of doing that anymore.

[rdsoxpilot]

On initial VFR call up to tower I had a tiny mixup, it went as follows:

"bumblescum tower, nxxxxx 10 south, 2500 feet, foxtrot"

"nxxxxx say intentions"

I'm guessing he wanted to verify we were landing there, right? I only ask because I thought it was pretty obvious we were full stop, or do I need to say that every time I go in VFR....?

[meritflyer]

"Tower, this is Cessna 2896X, move 'em out cause I'm comin' in..."

[SpiraMirabilis]

"Departure best recognize N1234 through three fiddy for six."

[FM_Weasel]

Originally Posted by rdsoxpilot

On initial VFR call up to tower I had a tiny mixup, it went as follows:

"bumblescum tower, nxxxxx 10 south, 2500 feet, foxtrot"

"nxxxxx say intentions"

I'm guessing he wanted to verify we were landing there, right? I only ask because I thought it was pretty obvious we were full stop, or do I need to say that every time I go in VFR....?

If you weren't handed off from an approach facility who already passed on your request, then the tower was probably just wondering what you wanted. I typically just say "<active runway> cleared to land" anyway, and I'll let you call back if you want something different.

The confusion was that we sometimes get pilots that say:

Pilot: "N12345 is 10 south with foxtrot"
Controler: "N12345, Tower, enter left downwind, Runway 19 cleared to land"
Pilot: "N345, actually we wanted to transition to the north/stay in the pattern/requesting stop and go/touch and go/take pictures over the city/many other operations that may be requested within the surface area"

Happens all the time on ground control also. How am I supposed to know, just because they checked on with callsign and position, that they want to taxi to the active, or pick up their clearance, or taxi to the active WHILE picking up their clearance, or taxi BACK to the active instead of to parking from the runway. I'll typically throw out the most likely instruction and let them call back again if it's not what they wanted, just to have the POTENTIAL of not wasting more frequency time with vague communique.

[rdsoxpilot]

Originally Posted by FM_Weasel

If you weren't handed off from an approach facility who already passed on your request, then the tower was probably just wondering what you wanted. I typically just say "<active runway> cleared to land" anyway, and I'll let you call back if you want something different.

The confusion was that we sometimes get pilots that say:

Pilot: "N12345 is 10 south with foxtrot"
Controler: "N12345, Tower, enter left downwind, Runway 19 cleared to land"
Pilot: "N345, actually we wanted to transition to the north/stay in the pattern/requesting stop and go/touch and go/take pictures over the city/many other operations that may be requested within the surface area"

Happens all the time on ground control also. How am I supposed to know, just because they checked on with callsign and position, that they want to taxi to the active, or pick up their clearance, or taxi to the active WHILE picking up their clearance, or taxi BACK to the active instead of to parking from the runway. I'll typically throw out the most likely instruction and let them call back again if it's not what they wanted, just to have the POTENTIAL of not wasting more frequency time with vague communique.

Ah, gotcha. Thanks for the reply. I had figured he just wanted to verify we were full stop. But I was second guessing myself if it was because of what I said was vague & what not.

Flew with a guy recently who would check in with tower by saying:

"Tower, N12345 is with you." (vfr or ifr, initial call up or handed off didnt matter)

[Yank&BankmyRJ145]

Originally Posted by Alchemy

I guess the main reason I was thinking about this (probably over-thinking) was:

With every other facility, we check on with altitude, but not tower. I haven't heard anyone recommend that we check on to tower with altitude, and I can't remember ever doing it myself.

One thing I've noticed is that in international ops the tower will sometimes ask you for your position or DME if you don't give it them on initial contact. They'll often ask you to report certain DME points as well. I can only assume this due to the lack of radar in their facilities, and that in the US it's largely unecessary.

Anyway, I'm referring to IFR ops in this discussion. Obviously when VFR you're going to report your position as base/downwind/final, not that I often have the pleasure of doing that anymore.

If your talking about Mexico flying, they ask a lot of times to report 35 DME. They are non-radar when you call then may pick you up later or may not have radar at all. "Airline3131 35DME" Tower-"Airline3131 cleared VOR RWY13-1 approach"

[Douglas]

"Left Final"

[cefiro]

"podunk tower, airliner XXXX left base 27R"

or sometimes:

"podunk tower, airliner XXXX visual 27R"