Congratulations Hakan!

New instrument rated pilot! Bull ride tonight at Old Pro, 8:30.

SQL Experience ... what would you do?

Coming into SQL yesterday afternoon I was switched to tower and reported approaching Coyote Hills. The response was what I was expecting, right base for runway 30 report cement plant BUT it “sounded” different. It sounded like the tower controller was down the hallway talking into the microphone, i.e. it was a faint. As I continued inbound, things got a lot stranger. As aircraft made calls to SQL tower, the SQL tower responses not only were faint but became choppy… you could hear only every other word. A few seconds latter you could only hear garbled responses from SQL tower. Planes already in contact with SQL were reporting back that the SQL response was unreadable. A plane on the ground must have just switched to tower frequency with a request and went through the whole process of indicating they were having difficulty hearing on COMM 1 and were going to switch to COMM 2 thinking they had the problem trying again on COMM 2 and getting no clear response. At this time, no one could understand SQL tower transmissions. So what do you do in a situation like that? We have all been trained on how to handle a radio failure in our planes when landing at class D airspace, i.e.

“Remain outside or above Class D airspace until direction of traffic and runway in use has been determined. Squawk 7600 before entering Class D airspace, enter the traffic pattern on a 45, and fly a typical pattern for landing. Look for light gun signals.”

But is there a standard procedure when the loss of radio communications is with the tower itself?

So I started to consider my Options….
Before I tell how this situation ended, I am curious how many great suggestions we have on how to handle this situation. This would be a great topic for a pilot discussion group.

See and Avoid info

See info below on the seeandavoid website.


The SeeAndAvoid.org portal offers a centralized, credible website that provides civilian and military pilots with reciprocal information and education on airspace, visual identification, aircraft performance, and mutual hazards to safe flight - with the ultimate goal of eliminating midair collisions and reducing the number of close calls.

This portal is targeting two user groups. The first group is General Aviation (GA) Pilots, who we encourage to include SeeAndAvoid.org as part of their flight planning. From weather to Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs) to flight planning, pilots in general and civilian pilots in particular, use the Internet to get their most important flight safety information. As important as the weather, knowing where the military operational flying areas are - and how to avoid that airspace - is crucial to a safe flight. Unexpected turbulence, icing, terrain obscured by fog, or a jet flying low at 500 knots; each one is just as deadly to the GA pilot if not planned for prior to takeoff.

This website integrates and links with related sites such as FAA Special Use Airspace, AOPA’s Air Safety Foundation, and the new FAA MADE (military airspace deconfliction) program.

Gratifying Day at the Airport

Today at the airport...

I saw former student Robert safety piloting for current student Hakan on a practice instrument flight.
I saw former student Jenna CFI'ing for current student Faria on a mock checkride flight.
I saw current student Eric washing his plane like a proud aircraft owner.
Kevin told me he's going to put a third 152 on the flight line at Advanced because the planes are getting so busy.
Ken and Leo practiced going to San Carlos and back.

Thanks to all of you! It is so gratifying to see everyone out there enjoying a beautiful day at the airport, using their ratings, and helping each other out.

Patti

Drive? Why would we want to drive to Berkeley?

<p>Just the other day I had this crazy thought run through my head; a completely new format of thinking about how I am going to get somewhere that isn't all that far, but a 'boring' drive none the less.<br>
There was something in berkeley I wanted to go pick up. I can't remember what it was. Maybe a carpeted skateboard, some unfound berkeley-exclusive coffee beans, a hemp something or other, or the ever-fanciful barefoot boogie.

Bottom line: I had my first 'why do I want to drive all the way there when I can fly instead?' And then I realized that I could not yet. So I did not go.

I did in fact have a dream that I took a very small glider-esque plane on the freeway though. All by myself.

Small Plane Makes Emergency Landing On Highway 280

Interesting comments from the story:

"This could have been a lot worse," said CHP Capt. Mile Maskarish. "The fact that everyone's okay, no injuries, no significant damage and there weren't more veicles on the freeway... We're thankful this didn't have a much more tragic ending."



Link to full story: http://www.ktvu.com/news/28437461/detail.html