arkvet
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Sep 15, 2014
- Messages
- 2,873
- Reaction score
- 765
I am in the latter stages of my PPL training and need to fulfill the necessary "solo tower landings" on my to do list. I am one of the fortunate (or unfortunate depending on how you look at it) people that has trained at a non-controlled tower. My unicom communication is really good I think. I have no problem give good concise info there and have almost lost all jitters associated with that mostly informal communication.
I took my first controlled tower x-country several weeks ago and have to say I completely froze up! The tower gave me directions on approach and my instructor looked at me and said... "are you going to answer him"... then proceeded to reply to the tower for me. The next set of info I stumbled through on read back but at least did it myself. We laughed later but dang I hate "stage fright".
I was planning to go to CGI tomorrow which is a class Delta that is all alone with very little traffic nearby, and honestly is generally not a busy class Delta. However, I've begun thinking about an alternative destination (Millington NQA) that would still be a class Delta but within a mode C veil of Memphis. As I plan this flight I just want to see if anyone can give me any pointers or verify that it won't be much different than any other class Delta arrival.
NQA is in the outer ring of the Class Bravo where I see the floor is 3000'. Therefor believe as long as I am below that altitude inside the veil I should be fine. I am wondering about communication and how that may differ. Since I will be staying outside Bravo airspace I don't believe I will have to communicate with Memphis control at all. I believe I will contact NQA Tower about 10 miles inbound which will be prior to entering the mode C veil anyway. The next action would simply be dictated by that specific tower.
I apologize if these questions seem elementary. I simply NEVER fly in controlled airspace. I just don't have to. At the same time I don't want to be a pilot that avoids controlled airspace like the plague simply because I wasn't exposed enough. There will be times when I'll need to go into these busier areas.
And yes, I could simply ask my instructor these questions but I'd really like to just show him that I confidently already know how its done
I took my first controlled tower x-country several weeks ago and have to say I completely froze up! The tower gave me directions on approach and my instructor looked at me and said... "are you going to answer him"... then proceeded to reply to the tower for me. The next set of info I stumbled through on read back but at least did it myself. We laughed later but dang I hate "stage fright".
I was planning to go to CGI tomorrow which is a class Delta that is all alone with very little traffic nearby, and honestly is generally not a busy class Delta. However, I've begun thinking about an alternative destination (Millington NQA) that would still be a class Delta but within a mode C veil of Memphis. As I plan this flight I just want to see if anyone can give me any pointers or verify that it won't be much different than any other class Delta arrival.
NQA is in the outer ring of the Class Bravo where I see the floor is 3000'. Therefor believe as long as I am below that altitude inside the veil I should be fine. I am wondering about communication and how that may differ. Since I will be staying outside Bravo airspace I don't believe I will have to communicate with Memphis control at all. I believe I will contact NQA Tower about 10 miles inbound which will be prior to entering the mode C veil anyway. The next action would simply be dictated by that specific tower.
I apologize if these questions seem elementary. I simply NEVER fly in controlled airspace. I just don't have to. At the same time I don't want to be a pilot that avoids controlled airspace like the plague simply because I wasn't exposed enough. There will be times when I'll need to go into these busier areas.
And yes, I could simply ask my instructor these questions but I'd really like to just show him that I confidently already know how its done
