Sport Pilot Talk

Hey,
Does anyone know if I need to be on top of the radio stuff for my checkride? My aircraft has no radio (Cub). Wondering if I'm going to be tested on it....thanks.

Yes !

Your spot certficate permits you to fly planes with radios, surely your instructor has informed you of this !

You may wish to check THe Sport Pilot Practical Test Standards.

Murrell

You'll certainly need to be able to do basic radio communications if your airplane has a radio...

I'm nearing my checkride so I'll need to have at least a non-towered radio ability. I'm not going to be cleared to enter into class D or higher airspace without a radio endorsement, which I don't plan on getting until AFTER I get my sport pilot license.

_________________
Brian Garrett
brian@garrett.net

I had nothing on the oral part of the test. I don't know if I was "tested" as part of the practical. This may well be because the examiner is very familiar with my school and knows they emphasize radio work.

Are you taking the test in the radio-free Cub? I'd love to hear about it if you are. Have you ever used a radio? For uncontrolled air space it's pretty darn simple, although there are plenty of people who don't do it when they can. Idiots in my book. You won't be tested on controlled airspace as part of your check ride. That's a separate endorsement.

Ron

FAA Sport Pilot Practical Test Standards;
III Aera of operations
A Task : Radio Communications ASEL and ASES
Note; if the aircraft is not radio equippted, this TASK shall be tested orally for procedures ONLY

References; 14 CFR part 91

Still can't believe your instructor hasn't gone over this with you, if your this close to takeing your test ride.

The examiner can test you orally on procedures, and any question in the written test pool of questions. Kinda hard if you have just memorized the answers as A-B or C.

Murrell

I got the KING SCHOOLS knowledge test kit and they have a radio section. I will review those, thanks!

Just make sure you know the reporting points and what to say when you are at those points. Tom

You mean in the traffic pattern?

You really need to talk with your instructor.

I'd be practicing those calls out loud, in the air. Speaking doesn't require a microphone to be listening.

Keep in mind, the calls are made for a reason - to help other pilots see and avoid and in a busy airspace it quickly become apparent how important they are. Its not at hard, but if you haven't done it, you can get confused. In my very brief experience flying I've had to depart the pattern because there were two planes there that were reporting obvious wrong positions and I could not spot them visually. One guy reported he was departing on the wrong runway. There is just something about engaging the mouth when you concentrating on everything else.

Your instructor would be a much better source of info but, at a minimum:
Before taxiing
Taking the runway.
turning crosswind
turning downwind
turning base
turning final
approaching the airport, 10 miles, 5 miles, maybe relative to some obvious local landmark. Let me people know who you are, where you are and what your intentions are.
Entering the pattern

Good luck on your CR. It's a great feeling when it happens.

Ron

OK great, I thought I had to know all that ATC clearances, enroute weather radio calls, flight watch, etc.

The local traffic pattern radio work at uncontrolled airports is easy.

My Cub is without a radio and believe it or not, out of the 3 CFIs I had (2 were sport pilot instructors), they all said no radio knowledge needed unless my Cub was equipped with a radio. They also never heard of anyone being tested on radio knowledge for the sport pilot checkride.

NO biggie, I'll study it before the checkride in 2 days. Thanks!

You don't need to demonstrate any of that on the Practical Test, but neither should you be intimidated by it. Radio communication follows a simple pattern. If you learn the pattern, any of the above can be accomplished with ease. Try reducing everything to these five steps (in exactly this order):

(1) who you're calling
(2) who you are
(3) where you are
(4) what you're doing
(5) what you want

For example: "BigCity Tower, SportPlane November Zero Zero Zero, over the Checkpoint, with ATIS information Zulu, inbound for landing."

Any savvy controller will answer in roughly the same sequence. Once you know the Secret Code (and Secret Handshake), it becomes easy.

_________________
The opinions expressed in this post are those of one CFI, and do not necessarily represent the position of the FAA or its lawyers.
Prof. H. Paul Shuch, Ph.D., CFII, LSRM-A/GL/WS
AvSport of Lock Haven
http://AvSport.org fly@AvSport.org

You should know the calls that would be needed to fly in the area you are flying if you had a radio.

The checkride PTS is pretty clear about radio knowledge/use.

Under the required task of RADIO COMMUNICATIONS those without a radio must be tested orally. In the PTS specifically for those aircraft without radeos:
NOTE: If the aircraft is not radio equipped, this TASK shall be tested orally for procedures ONLY. Exception: Single-seat applicants must be radio equipped.

So if you do not have a radio it odiously cannot be used during the checkride, however, you better be able to cover this orally.

OK, with a radio in the aircraft any applicant better be able to use it. This is one of the easiest ways to fail a checkride, to not be able to use a radio with the basic code for non towered airports:
Who you are calling
Who/what you are
Where you are
What your intentions are

Learn this. Practice in your car. Tattoo to your hand if needed.

If you have a radio and do not know how to use it you can fail the checkride 3 simple and easy ways:
First:
III. Airport Operations
A Radio Communications
1. Exhibits knowledge of the elements related to radio communications at airports without operating control towers.
2. Selects appropriate frequencies.
3. Transmits using recommended phraseology.
4. Acknowledges radio communications.

This is a cut and dry task. Know the code.

Second
B. TASK: TRAFFIC PATTERNS
1. Exhibits knowledge of the elements related to traffic patterns and shall include procedures at airports with CTAF, prevention of runway incursions, collision avoidance, wake turbulence avoidance, and wind shear.
2. Complies with proper local traffic pattern procedures.
3. Maintains proper spacing from other aircraft.
4. Corrects for wind drift to maintain the proper ground track.
5. Maintains orientation with the runway/landing area in use.
6. Maintains traffic pattern altitude, ±100 feet, and the appropriate airspeed, ±10 knots, if applicable.

To operate in traffic patterns, a radio is needed to accomplish this task.

Third
In the special emphasis areas there is "Collision avoidance" and "Runway incursion avoidance" as the third important area where radios are needed. Although a task is required to fail a checkride, reasons 1 and 2 above, the special emphasis areas.

Everyone out there without a radio or with a radio who does not know how to or does not use one is a danger to him/her self, any other pilots in the area, and those on the ground.

As you can tell, I feel that radios are very important to pass a checkride. If you want to know what is needed, I have the basics in my "Sport Pilot Checkride" book pages 123 and 124 with numerous examples that will help you ace your radio tasks for the checkride. The Sport Pilot Checkride book can be found at www.ap-stores.com

_________________
Paul is a Sport Pilot CFI/DPE and the expert for ASA who writes the books and produces the DVD's for all pilots flying light sport aircraft.
See www.SportAviationCenter.com www.Sport-Pilot-Training.com and www.BeASportPilot.com to Paul's websites