On Saturday, September 8, 2018 at 7:30:29 AM UTC-7, Dan Marotta wrote:
Someone asked me recently, "Why do you always say, 'Gear down and
locked', over the radio when you turn base?"Â* The stupidity of the
question meant to me that there was no answer which would satisfy him.



I suppose a radio call adds another check, that a ground observer might hear, look up, notice something, and have a radio at hand. I personally doubt it adds very much, and radio congestion detracts from overall safety.

'There are no stupid questions, only stupid answers'