Radio Etiquette

Updated Radio Etiquette slide from 5-2023 talk and prior XC talks is a good reminder for Site Flying and XC pilots:

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Site and XC Flying Radio Use 101
​- The Basics -

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General Radio Use Guidelines:

• If site flying: Use low power settings
• Keep it short and to the point with useful information: Think about what you want to say, then then broadcast your useful information.
• Realize that your broadcast was probably heard, but other pilots were probably busy thermalling or your broadcast did not warrant a response. 
• If you hear a transmission, and you are at altitude or on the ground and it is convenient for you to do so: it is helpful and reaffirming to repeat a message. This helps to relay transmissions acting as a repeater for transmissions that may not have line of sight. i.e. if a driver or transmitter is in a canyon or out of transmission range on the ground.
• Once you have landed, keep your radio on and nearby until all pilots are and vehicles are retrieved and accounted for.

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General What Not to Do:

• Do not Chat it up: Realize that if you are chatting it up waxing poetically your excitement to be flying, you may be blocking other critical transmissions up to 50 miles away or distracting those trying to focus on their varios in maybe a critical location.
• Do not use up airwave time by asking for someone by name only or broadcasting non information such as "can you hear me" with no other content.​​

What to and When to Transmit:
Keep radio transitions short and useful to the point info:

• Who: “This is “Pilot Name”
• What: Who, what, where, other (conditions . . . that would be useful to others in route or in fight)
• When: On transitions, getting low, back up, gaggle flying decision points, relaying/ rebroadcasting info from pilots that are low or that have landed out and may not have line of sight signal strength.
• Where/ Location: “Location & Altitude” Learn and use common way-point names, and roads. Note that multiple Sites can here the transmissions and is good to know what LZ or launch you are reporting conditions for.
• WX & Other : (conditions . . . that would be useful to others in route) (short Gaggle coordination)

Examples of good radio transitions:

• ​“This is Pilot Y Landed Safe in Palomar LZ, LZ is active and winds SW @ 5-12.
  
• “This is “Pilot X”, 9K at Granite, Going on glide to Vulcan, Winds SE @ 10”  “Pilot Z What's your 20”
• “This is “Pilot Z”, Low, 1K over Earthquake Valley, may be landing, Winds East @ 10”
• “This is “Pilot Z”, Back in game, Thermaling 7K over Scissors Crossing, Winds SE @ 2 in convergence line”
• “This is “Pilot Y”, Setting up to land in Wash, Winds SE @ 10”
• “This is “Pilot Y”, Landed Safe in Wash, Winds SE @ 5”
• “This is “Pilot X”, 10K over Banner in convergence line, on glide to Vulcan;  “Pilot Y Landed Safe in Wash, Wash winds SE @ 5 will need retrieve”

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Slide for Printing: