The importance of Unicom PSA

[Alfster]

Little public service announcement :)

Please can everyone remember the importance of Unicom. As a pilot, it is very hard to manoeuvre on the ground or in the air when fellow pilots are not feeding back their intentions. It is very difficult to mind read and try and tell what you are going to do next! I have noticed this is more prevalent on the expert server than on the training server and seems to be occurring the vast majority of the time. Please try and remember that Unicom is as important as regular ATC

Thank you,

A

Please don’t take this the wrong way. I am not trying to be bossy, it’s just an important topic.

[Jeodanie_Smith]

Just a silly side note some pilots actually ask for traffic while on Unicom, it would be nice to tell them what traffic pattern and runway is in use (yes I know we can look on the map😏) It would be nice to add straight in to the list instead of just right or left traffic

[Brandon_Sandstrom]

We do have a way of saying what pattern, and runway is in use. Send traffic advisory Straight in isnt an option because that is not how you should be approaching an uncontrolled airport.

[Jeodanie_Smith]

Thank you that makes perfect sense…question for learning tho…what happens if my flight plan brings me straight in🤔 do i just report inbound then final as my position 🤔

[Brandon_Sandstrom]

If you’re in VMC you should be joining the downwind on a the 45°.

Yes if you must make a straight in announce inbound then final at no more then 5 miles. Outside of 5 miles you are technically not in the pattern.
@Jeodanie_Smith

[Jeodanie_Smith]

And this is why I love the forum…thanks…remember pilots, no question is too silly if you don’t know like I did

[Trio]

I would have a look at this on how to enter the pattern at a non-towered airport. :)

AC_90-66B.pdf

[crbascott]

And, for example, if KLAX is uncontrolled (which is fairly often on the expert server) with 25L as the landing runway?

Personally, I’m more than likely following the STAR which is basically straight in.

[Brandon_Sandstrom]

A STAR is only an arrival, you should be entering the pattern at an uncontrolled field in VMC.

[crbascott]

I’m still not clear. Using the HLWD1 arrival as an example with SEAVU being the last waypoint - is there a reason why I wouldn’t just follow the waypoints of the 25L ILS chart “straight in” for approach (the yellow path in the attached image)? Or are you suggesting something like the green path?

It hasn’t been specified in the thread necessarily but I’m talking a commercial jet.

[jghastings]

I’ll say it again. If pilots were actually connected automatically to the Unicom frequency for the airport they had spawned at this might not be such an issue - the sounds of other pilots on the frequency should remind them to do their own communications.

[Alfster]

Quite often people are tuned to the Unicom but just can’t be bothered!