Radio calls should be reserved for essential communication only, delivered clear concise, to the point in minimum words. And you are best to be quite and listen as only one can talk on a channnel at a time. Think about it before you speak. Less is More.
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Damian.
Most radio chatter can be useless information to everyone else to whom its not directed at and is therefore very distracting and often results in pilots turning down or switching off there radio's which is not a safe practice. Unless your in a situation where you really need to to broadcast something important please keep your radio calls to a minimum. A good radio call is pre thought out and then broadcast. Know what your going to say before saying it, Keep it simple like, this is John, at 1500m heading towards model airfield. Or this is John, 200m Probably landing at ..... Once you have landed, use your phone to speak to your retrieve. And above all else , check your radio set up before launching to help avoid locking on etc.
The main difference between a ok call and a non ok call is time. A good call takes 3 -5 seconds to say what you have to say. A bad call is someone spending 15 + seconds or speaking slowly because there thinking what the want to say. Nervous pilots also tend to spend to much time on the radio.
It may be ok for the squad to talk at length about stuff, but thats only a small handful of people on another channel and are not on a club channel.
Dave.
The following guidelines are an attempt to minimisedisruptions to pilot concentration, caused by excessive radio transmissions, especially in busy times such as week-ends and holidays. These guidelines are just my interpretation of views on the issue, that have consistently been raised by pilots over the years and may need to be refined or altered to become a consensus of radio protocol for free-flying.
Pilot transmissions that are OK:
*Identify, altitude, Position, Heading.
"Joe bloggs at 2000m at locked gate heading to Boonah"
"Joe bloggs getting low at Nindooinbah probably landing."
"Joe bloggs landed safely at Rathdowney."
*safety warnings
"Joe Bloggs at 1500m just south of Beaudesert. There is a very large dark cloud ahead to the west and it's already dropping rain. Recommend heading south to avoid."
"This is Joe Bloggs. A paraglider has just gone into the trees on the west side of Misery, just south of the Model airfield. I haven't as yet been able to raise a radio response."
*relay ground to ground transmissions.
"Copy Jill. This is Kev. Two pilots have landed at West Kerry road and need retrieve.
Retrieve driver's transmissions that are OK.
* acknowledge transmission received
"Copy that Joe, On my way."
*Obtain information on pilots in need of retrieve
"This is Jill. Any pilots in the Kerry area in need of lift please contact me on phone. Pilot in air please relay"
Radio transmissions that are NOT OK.
*Long Discussions with mates about where to fly next.
If you want to fly together, make the plan before take-off. If you decide to change course once in the air, a standard position call will suffice. A back and forth weighing up the pros and cons of various options is most annoying to the poor blighter desperately trying to hold on to a low save just above the tree-tops.
*Making emotional speeches about how good the conditions are and what a wonderful time you are having.
The pilot desperately scratching low especially does NOT want this transmission drowning out his vario.
*Asking your mates for position updates so you can decide where to go next.
Just wait. They will give their position update at the appropriate time. If they haven't just given it, it's probably because they are busy trying to get out of a hole and don't want to be interrupted anyway.
* Thinking out loud or talking to yourself.
If you are the sort of person who needs to keep talking constantly to reaffirm your existence, even when you have nothing of worth to say, that's fine. Just keep your finger away from the transmit button.
*Ground to ground transmissions that could be made by phone.
Once on the ground text or ring to make retrieve arrangements but keep radio on to listen for info being relayed from retrieves.
*Stating the obvious.
"I've got a good climb over here guys." - If the guys are looking for a good climb, they will be monitoring nearby gliders and will see you climbing. If you are mentoring beginners that's OK but on busy days it's recommended that the mentoring group has a private channel, as the instructors do with their students.
Barney.