Read on Twitter
Maybe I need to explain why this is my hill to die on. 
Maybe some lurker CAs/Training/Standards pilots donât understand the hassle of their not good technique.
Maybe I can enlighten some pilots?
Ok, here goes! (a thread) https://twitter.com/beckisaid/status/1343729784182943745
Maybe some lurker CAs/Training/Standards pilots donât understand the hassle of their not good technique.
Maybe I can enlighten some pilots?
Ok, here goes! (a thread) https://twitter.com/beckisaid/status/1343729784182943745
[This applies to one specific airline, where only the CA taxis]
There are generally 2 VHF radios in an airplane: Iâm go to call them com1 and com2. Each VHF radio has an active (act) and a standby (stby) side.
So in theory you can have 4 freqs in the radios.
There are generally 2 VHF radios in an airplane: Iâm go to call them com1 and com2. Each VHF radio has an active (act) and a standby (stby) side.
So in theory you can have 4 freqs in the radios.
Generally you use com1 for ATC, and com2 for Ramp/Ops/Guard.
The typical sequence of talking to ATC from pushback to climb out is:
Ramp > Ground > Tower > Departure
Still with me?
The typical sequence of talking to ATC from pushback to climb out is:
Ramp > Ground > Tower > Departure
Still with me?
Since Ramp goes in com2, that leaves Ground, Tower, And Departure in com1 for 2 freq places (act) and (stby):
[active side] II [standby side]
Problem: 3 freqs, 2 places.
[active side] II [standby side]
Problem: 3 freqs, 2 places.
Now, a good technique is:
Ground (act) II Tower (stby)
BECAUSE Ground usually says âXX123 monitor towerâ and the expectation is that this freq change happens *quickly*. In seconds. Not minutes.
This is the important part, pay attention:
Ground (act) II Tower (stby)
BECAUSE Ground usually says âXX123 monitor towerâ and the expectation is that this freq change happens *quickly*. In seconds. Not minutes.
This is the important part, pay attention:
The FO is <bleep + elbows> doing other things *at this time* -
They are maybe
starting the other engine
running the taxi checklist
making a PA
backing up the CA on the taxi route
other important things
etc
They *probably* have the AMM up (moving map).
They are maybe
starting the other engine running the taxi checklist making a PA backing up the CA on the taxi routeother important thingsetcThey *probably* have the AMM up (moving map).
They probably do NOT have the 10-9 up, which has all the freqs on it. And they sure as 
donât have all the tower freqs memorized for all the airports and runways.
If Tower freq is a simple
<xfer switch push>
away, a *timely* freq change happens! 
donât have all the tower freqs memorized for all the airports and runways. If Tower freq is a simple
<xfer switch push>
away, a *timely* freq change happens!
Do you know how much time elapses between transferring to Tower freq then transferring to Departure freq?
*A freaking LOT.* Minutes. Maybe 4, maybe 10!
Those long minutes allow the FO to switch the iPad to the Departure page, and put the Departure freq in standby for com1.
*A freaking LOT.* Minutes. Maybe 4, maybe 10!
Those long minutes allow the FO to switch the iPad to the Departure page, and put the Departure freq in standby for com1.
Now the alternative (not good) technique is to have:
Ground (act) || Departure (stby)
In this setup, FOs change the active freq from Ground to Tower.
Cons:
1 - Not a best practice to change the *active* freq like that
2 - Not all Ground controllers tell you Tower freq
Ground (act) || Departure (stby)
In this setup, FOs change the active freq from Ground to Tower.
Cons:
1 - Not a best practice to change the *active* freq like that
2 - Not all Ground controllers tell you Tower freq
3 - Not all FOs have Tower freq memorized
4 - If FO has to go âheads downâ to look for freq (if wasnât given) theyâre not monitoring the taxi
5 - Sometimes even when given, FOs might not remember it because they are doing other things (see above)
4 - If FO has to go âheads downâ to look for freq (if wasnât given) theyâre not monitoring the taxi
5 - Sometimes even when given, FOs might not remember it because they are doing other things (see above)
6 - CA is 100% *unaffected* by all of this, they just taxi the airplane.
7 - There is just no need to have Departure in the com1 radio that soon.
7 - There is just no need to have Departure in the com1 radio that soon.
So to recap:
Good technique for com1 radio:
Ground (act) II Tower (stby)
Not good technique:
Ground (act) II Departure (stby)
Idea:
Let the person actually having to talk
on the radios set it up the way it suits them. 
Good technique for com1 radio:
Ground (act) II Tower (stby)
Not good technique:
Ground (act) II Departure (stby)
Idea:
Let the person actually having to talk
on the radios set it up the way it suits them.
