Sport Pilot Talk

avionics_eng · Joined: 19 Apr 2011 Posts: 2 Location: Phoenix, Arizona

Dear Airman,

I am a Graduate level student at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. I am conducting a research project on the effects that the over-congestion of voice communication radio frequencies has on the safety of flight operations. This survey will be conducted as a web survey through the attached link. It will take approximately 5 minutes to complete this survey. All responses will remain anonymous and data gathered will be used to provide statistics of the overall answers, so no answer will be individually identifiable. I would like to gather some responses from sport and light-sport pilots in this matter.

Please take a few moments to share your experiences through this survey as honestly as possible. The results will be used to determine how critical the situation of receiving and transmitting clear radio communications in the aviation industry is. This determination will help find a solution to the problem in the future.
Your time is greatly appreciated and if so desired, I can send you the results of the findings via email.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/erau_gcp_research

Best Regards,
Danilo

jnmeade · Joined: 30 Nov 2010 Posts: 144 Location: Iowa

This survey has gotten an incredible amount of commentary over in Pilots Of America - much of it "constructive".

I agree with one observation made there - it tends to lead one to text communication in the cockpit as a solution to what may or may not be a problem.

avionics_eng · Joined: 19 Apr 2011 Posts: 2 Location: Phoenix, Arizona

jnmeade wrote: This survey has gotten an incredible amount of commentary over in Pilots Of America - much of it "constructive".

I agree with one observation made there - it tends to lead one to text communication in the cockpit as a solution to what may or may not be a problem.

Sorry if that's how it comes out as, but datalink in the cockpit is definately not the solution and that is not what I am shooting for here. I am just trying to get folks' opinion on datalink, various pilots have various opinions on it...i.e. air transport pilots tend to favor it more than GA pilots...the FAA is the one who is pushing for this, and it is my intent to show how many pilots are against that idea as well...I don't think that it is a good idea for a single-pilot to be "texting" in the cockpit while he should be flying. However, I do think that it is a good idea for air transport aircraft to install datalink and alleviate some of the traffic on the radios, especially in highly congested airspace...considering the current price of installing a datalink system in an aircraft, it is just not feasible for GA aircraft right now, and that is understandable, no arguments there...

NCPilot · Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2011 5:02 pm Post subject:

I stick by my comments that I've made in POA.

Jack Tyler · Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2011 5:33 pm Post subject:

Danilo:

"...air transport pilots tend to favor it more than GA pilots..."

Let's see if we can compare apples with apples. Take your typical ATP who is always flying in the System, usually on a/p with the only CRM issue being who's changing comm freqs, and bring him forward in his flight to the Approach phase. Accepting headings, reducing speed, beginning to trim the plane as its configuration is modified...and NOW ask the ATP if s/he favors texting in the cockpit. Altho' there are still two pilots in that cockpit, so we don't quite have an apples to apples comparison with the typical GA a/c and GA pilot, it's unlikely texting would be anyone's preference.

My point: Rather than differentiating on the basis of pilot rating or the Part rules under which the plane's being flown, the issue might have more clarity if discussed on the basis of flight conditions.

drseti · Joined: 28 Nov 2009 Posts: 1387 Location: Lock Haven PA

We should distinguish between single-pilot and multi-person crew operations. In the case of single-pilot CRM, datalink represents a significant safety hazard, as it will take the pilot's eyes and mind off the required visual traffic and instrument scan. This represents a far greater hazard than a simple interruption in voice communications. After all, they have yet to develop a radio that develops lift, and I am constantly reminding my students never to drop the airplane to fly the microphone.