Oz Lander wrote:

I overflew the airfield at the required 1500ft, to check the wind sock,
and enter the circuit. As I made my call, the radio sounded like it was
screaming, and I could not hear my own voice like I normally can. I
tried several times, and was rewarded with a call from another a/c,
saying "Station calling! Too much feedback in your last transmission!
Please repeat!"
Fan-bloody-tastic! I was flying over the airfield at 1500, and unable
to tell anyone I was there!
I quickly took off the headset, and grabbed the passenger headset, and
put that on. Then I retransmitted using the push to talk button on the
right control stick. (The Gazelle has a control stick in front of the
pilot and the passenger, rather than a yoke). So, I'm flying the plane
with my left hand, and having to take my right hand off the throttle,
to operate the right hand side push to talk button! This saw me turn
slightly to the left, and, trying to figure out if I had radio or not ,
I got overwhelmed for a brief second, and began my decent to 1000ft to
join the circuit, on the live side of the airfield, about half way down
the downwind leg! What I should have done is stay at 1500, make a high
circuit to the dead side, and then get down to 1000ft, and join on the
crosswind. I realised it as soon as I levelled out at 1000ft on the
downwind. Still unsure as to whether I was being heard, I repeated the
cak-handed operation of the right side PTT button and called the
airport for a radio check. Report came back as loud and clear. The
problem must have been the pilot side PTT button, or his headset. (I'm
betting on the PTT button.)


Hi Oz,

I was think about this and I wonder if the problem was just that you had
the second headset mike close to its earcup so it gave feedback. I can't
imagine how a simple PTT switch problem could behave as you describe.
Next time mayby inplug the other headset before takeoff if it's not in use?

Cheers MarkC