Lonely up there?

It appeared to be a long time since last hearing from ATC on a recent
flight, and sure enough, "27D can you still hear us?". I still could,
and they transferred me to a local approach control.

Anybody ever just call them up to see if they forgot about you? I did
that once over Toledo.

On 03/21/06 13:14, paul kgyy wrote:
It appeared to be a long time since last hearing from ATC on a recent
flight, and sure enough, "27D can you still hear us?". I still could,
and they transferred me to a local approach control.

Anybody ever just call them up to see if they forgot about you? I did
that once over Toledo.


My CFII told me that I could just ask for a radio check, although I don't
see that in the Pilot/Controller Glossary.

--
Mark Hansen, PP-ASEL, Instrument Airplane
Cal Aggie Flying Farmers
Sacramento, CA

"paul kgyy" wrote in message oups.com...
It appeared to be a long time since last hearing from ATC on a recent
flight, and sure enough, "27D can you still hear us?". I still could,
and they transferred me to a local approach control.

Anybody ever just call them up to see if they forgot about you? I did
that once over Toledo.


Sure. Not a rare happening in the western U.S., at all.

Several years ago I was threading between some hot military areas in
New Mexico, and someone else on frequency made that very call.
He said it had been so quiet on frequency he wanted to be sure.

The controller replied that we had lots of nearby military activity,
but it was all using UHF frequencies for their gunnery practice.

The questioning pilot said he "...hoped they aren't using me as a target",
whereupon the controller replied "Well, I wasn't supposed to tell you."

There was a horrified pause for just a moment until the controller
confessed he was "...just kidding".

paul kgyy wrote:

It appeared to be a long time since last hearing from ATC on a recent
flight, and sure enough, "27D can you still hear us?". I still could,
and they transferred me to a local approach control.

Anybody ever just call them up to see if they forgot about you? I did
that once over Toledo.

I do that a lot in the Northeast while flying IFR, since normally even the
airspace over central and western NY state is relatively active, but once
in awhile it does goes quiet.

In these cases, I will also make my request as, "Rochester Approach,
Bonanza 45W, requesting radio check."

Most times the controllers know exactly why I am asking and say, "Receiving
you loud and clear Bonanza 45W. Yes, we are quiet for the moment but I see
on my scope that it is about to pick up."



--
Peter

More than once.

Bob Gardner

"paul kgyy" wrote in message
oups.com...
It appeared to be a long time since last hearing from ATC on a recent
flight, and sure enough, "27D can you still hear us?". I still could,
and they transferred me to a local approach control.

Anybody ever just call them up to see if they forgot about you? I did
that once over Toledo.

paul kgyy wrote:
It appeared to be a long time since last hearing from ATC on a recent
flight, and sure enough, "27D can you still hear us?". I still could,
and they transferred me to a local approach control.

Anybody ever just call them up to see if they forgot about you? I did
that once over Toledo.


Sure. I've had a couple of flights at night where it was quiet,
completely quiet, for more than 5 minutes. That is about my limit
without talking to someone when IFR, at night, over hostile terrain. :-)


Matt

Mark Hansen wrote:

On 03/21/06 13:14, paul kgyy wrote:

It appeared to be a long time since last hearing from ATC on a recent
flight, and sure enough, "27D can you still hear us?". I still could,
and they transferred me to a local approach control.

Anybody ever just call them up to see if they forgot about you? I did
that once over Toledo.


My CFII told me that I could just ask for a radio check, although I don't
see that in the Pilot/Controller Glossary.


I usually just call with something like. "NY Center, N12345, it sure is
a quiet night, isn't it?" Some things just don't require a consultation
of the Pilot/Controller glossary. :-)


Matt

Matt Whiting wrote:
: Sure. I've had a couple of flights at night where it was quiet,
: completely quiet, for more than 5 minutes. That is about my limit
: without talking to someone when IFR, at night, over hostile terrain. :-)

Just about every time I fly from VA to WI or back, I feel that way when in Huntington
WV's airspace. I cross over it from end-to-end... very quiet for 10's of minutes
frequently.... just as getting into pseudo-"hostile terrain" around Charley-West.

-Cory

--

************************************************** ***********************
* Cory Papenfuss *
* Electrical Engineering candidate Ph.D. graduate student *
* Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University *
************************************************** ***********************

wrote:

Matt Whiting wrote:
: Sure. I've had a couple of flights at night where it was quiet,
: completely quiet, for more than 5 minutes. That is about my limit
: without talking to someone when IFR, at night, over hostile terrain. :-)

Just about every time I fly from VA to WI or back, I feel that way when in Huntington
WV's airspace. I cross over it from end-to-end... very quiet for 10's of minutes
frequently.... just as getting into pseudo-"hostile terrain" around Charley-West.

Yes, I've flown through that area and I also get the "quiet nights" when
flying over Western PA.


Matt

Yeah flying from Niagara falls to Vermont on a weekday afternoon. There
was not much chatter at all, no traffic alerts just handoffs. By the
time I got handed off to Boston Center we were exchanging pleasantries
and I told them after I had fed and fueled I'd continue VFR to Maine so
they said "Call us when you get high enough to hear us and we'll be here"

paul kgyy wrote:
It appeared to be a long time since last hearing from ATC on a recent
flight, and sure enough, "27D can you still hear us?". I still could,
and they transferred me to a local approach control.

Anybody ever just call them up to see if they forgot about you? I did
that once over Toledo.