Required IFR Radios

[Bill Denton]

If I am reading FAR 91.205 (d) (2) correctly, you only need one COMM radio
and one navigation radio (of some type) for IFR operation.

If this is correct, how do you stay in contact with ATC while picking up
ATIS, etc?

Are you allowed to request a frequency change, then come back to ATC?

Thanks!

[C Kingsbury]

Yes. Common even when you have 2 radios.

A good trick when radio traffic is heavy is to look at the approach control
freq on the plate. When a controller hands you off to that frequency, go
grab the ATIS and then check-in with approach on the new freq. They're not
expecting your call right away and this way you don't have to try to pick
the atis out in between all the calls on approach control.

-cwk.

"Bill Denton" > wrote in message
...
> If I am reading FAR 91.205 (d) (2) correctly, you only need one COMM radio
> and one navigation radio (of some type) for IFR operation.
>
> If this is correct, how do you stay in contact with ATC while picking up
> ATIS, etc?
>
> Are you allowed to request a frequency change, then come back to ATC?
>
> Thanks!
>
>

[Steven Barnes]

Ah, I like that technique. Gotta try that next time.
Better than my technique I used last weekend: Turn down volume on Comm1 to
listen to ATIS on Comm2, then forget to turn up volume on Comm1 again. Makes
for a fun conversation when you finally turn up the volume again...

"C Kingsbury" > wrote in message
hlink.net...
> Yes. Common even when you have 2 radios.
>
> A good trick when radio traffic is heavy is to look at the approach
control
> freq on the plate. When a controller hands you off to that frequency, go
> grab the ATIS and then check-in with approach on the new freq. They're not
> expecting your call right away and this way you don't have to try to pick
> the atis out in between all the calls on approach control.
>
> -cwk.
>
> "Bill Denton" > wrote in message
> ...
> > If I am reading FAR 91.205 (d) (2) correctly, you only need one COMM
radio
> > and one navigation radio (of some type) for IFR operation.
> >
> > If this is correct, how do you stay in contact with ATC while picking up
> > ATIS, etc?
> >
> > Are you allowed to request a frequency change, then come back to ATC?
> >
> > Thanks!
> >
> >
>
>

[Peter Duniho]

"Bill Denton" > wrote in message
...
> If I am reading FAR 91.205 (d) (2) correctly, you only need one COMM radio
> and one navigation radio (of some type) for IFR operation.
>
> If this is correct, how do you stay in contact with ATC while picking up
> ATIS, etc?
>
> Are you allowed to request a frequency change, then come back to ATC?

As "cwk" says, that's a very common technique. I'll just add that the
reason why it's still used by those with two radios is that it can be quite
challenging to maintain radio conversations on two frequencies, especially
if things are busy but even when they are not. You don't want to be hassled
with having to understand and respond to ATC while you're trying to deal
with something else.

The ATIS is sort of a special case, since you can usually sneak out the
needed information little by little, even while monitoring and responding to
the ATC frequency (and of course sometimes, though certainly not all times,
you'll have the opportunity to catch the ATIS during a handoff as "cwk"
says). For other stuff, like filing PIREPs, getting updated weather,
modifying VFR flight plans, contacting an FBO, whatever, you really want to
be able to focus on one conversation at a time.

Pete

[BTIZ]

neat trick.. until you have to wait 2 minutes to get through the entire ATIS
tape to get back to the beginning for something you missed..

BT

"C Kingsbury" > wrote in message
hlink.net...
> Yes. Common even when you have 2 radios.
>
> A good trick when radio traffic is heavy is to look at the approach
> control
> freq on the plate. When a controller hands you off to that frequency, go
> grab the ATIS and then check-in with approach on the new freq. They're not
> expecting your call right away and this way you don't have to try to pick
> the atis out in between all the calls on approach control.
>
> -cwk.
>
> "Bill Denton" > wrote in message
> ...
>> If I am reading FAR 91.205 (d) (2) correctly, you only need one COMM
>> radio
>> and one navigation radio (of some type) for IFR operation.
>>
>> If this is correct, how do you stay in contact with ATC while picking up
>> ATIS, etc?
>>
>> Are you allowed to request a frequency change, then come back to ATC?
>>
>> Thanks!
>>
>>
>
>

[Peter Duniho]

"BTIZ" > wrote in message
news:pOWhd.74436$bk1.68533@fed1read05...
> neat trick.. until you have to wait 2 minutes to get through the entire
> ATIS
> tape to get back to the beginning for something you missed..

ATC is not going to care if you take 2 minutes to complete a handoff. Even
if you did run into an ATIS that took that long to copy (which would be very
rare).

[john smith]

Try putting COMM2 (ATIS) on the cabin speaker instead of the intercom.
This is what the KX-155A does.

Steven Barnes wrote:
> Ah, I like that technique. Gotta try that next time.
> Better than my technique I used last weekend: Turn down volume on Comm1 to
> listen to ATIS on Comm2, then forget to turn up volume on Comm1 again. Makes
> for a fun conversation when you finally turn up the volume again...

[Ron Natalie]

Bill Denton wrote:

>
> Are you allowed to request a frequency change, then come back to ATC?
>
Yes. As a matter of fact, unless you have two pilots and radios set up
to allow them to be used independently, it's probably a good idea to do
that anyhow.

[Gary Drescher]

"Bill Denton" > wrote in message
...
> If I am reading FAR 91.205 (d) (2) correctly, you only need one COMM radio
> and one navigation radio (of some type) for IFR operation.

Technically, you might not need even one comm or nav radio. You only need
whatever radio equipment your particular flight depends on. If you're in
Class G airspace, you don't need to talk to ATC, and you might be able to
navigate adequately without radio instruments. (I don't know if such flights
occur much. I've never made one, but I'm in the Northeast, where there isn't
much uncontrolled airspace.)

--Gary

[Peter R.]

Peter Duniho ) wrote:

> ATC is not going to care if you take 2 minutes to complete a handoff.

Maybe this is yet another locality difference? In the Northeast US
airspace, I recall at least two incidents receiving a hand-off, tuning
the frequency, and having to wait about a minute to check in due to
frequency congestion. Before I was able to make the call, the
controller suddenly called me: "Bonanza xxx, are you on yet?"

In both cases, I remember acknowledging the call and immediately
receiving either an altitude change or a vector for traffic.

Now, had I not been on the frequency, would this have been a problem?
Probably not, because I am sure the controller had other options, but it
seemed to make the controller's work slightly easier that I was there.

In a one-radio scenario, I would prefer an immediate frequency switch,
then include a request for frequency change with the check-in rather
than take time between switching frequencies to receive the ATIS.


--
Peter

[Peter Duniho]

"Peter R." > wrote in message
...
> Maybe this is yet another locality difference? In the Northeast US
> airspace, I recall at least two incidents receiving a hand-off, tuning
> the frequency, and having to wait about a minute to check in due to
> frequency congestion. Before I was able to make the call, the
> controller suddenly called me: "Bonanza xxx, are you on yet?"

Probably because he was aware of the frequency congestion, and realized you
may be on frequency without being able to actually report in.

However, that doesn't mean it would have been a problem for you to have
copied an ATIS broadcast prior to checking in.

[C Kingsbury]

"Peter R." > wrote in message
...
> Peter Duniho ) wrote:
>
> > ATC is not going to care if you take 2 minutes to complete a handoff.
>
> Maybe this is yet another locality difference? In the Northeast US
> airspace, I recall at least two incidents receiving a hand-off, tuning

I'm based at Hanscom field near Boston and have rarely had any problems
using this technique.

Best,
-cwk.

[Peter R.]

C Kingsbury ) wrote:

>
> "Peter R." > wrote in message
> ...
> > Peter Duniho ) wrote:
> >
> > > ATC is not going to care if you take 2 minutes to complete a handoff.
> >
> > Maybe this is yet another locality difference? In the Northeast US
> > airspace, I recall at least two incidents receiving a hand-off, tuning
>
> I'm based at Hanscom field near Boston and have rarely had any problems
> using this technique.

Are you mostly VFR or IFR when you do this?

--
Peter