Steven P. McNicoll wrote:
"Ron Lee" wrote in message
...

If I recall correctly, the previous point was that you should be able
to monitor a Unicom frequency while still in contact with ATC.
Aircraft speed is irrelevant.


Here is the previous point:

"I will admit of having used the "traffic in the area please advice".
However, I think I have a reasonable justification. When ATC drops you off 5
miles from an uncontrolled airport, you are flying a fast airplane, you
don't have a lot of time to figure out the other airplanes in the traffic
pattern."


Following your advice, today I tried monitoring CTAF 20 miles out while
being vectored for the approach. It was only a Piper Archer, so it was
not fast by any means. 15 miles out ATC clears us for the approach
"Archer XYZ, 10 miles from ABC, maintain... " right then someone makes
a downwind call at some airport. Although the volume was turned down
pretty low, it still distracted us enough to miss the rest of the
clearance. We ended up having to "say again". On the way back we
monitored CTAF again. While ATC was giving us some instruction, some
guy 25 miles away announces that he is taxiing to some runway. We end
up asking for "say again". Before someone says, I am not the type who
is afraid of the radio. I can handle ATC, ATIS and identify navaids
while reading a chart and fly a partial panel NDB approach, really. But
listening to CTAF while talking to ATC has got be stumped.

I would like to add that listening to ATIS or AWOS while talking to
ATC is not the same as listening to CTAF. These are recorded messages
that play at a known speed and rhythm. It is almost like background
noise that you can simply tune out when ATC calls your tailnumber. But
CTAF can be dead quite, but burst into activity right in the middle of
an ATC instruction.