Never again on PE - share your mistakes

[N46PV]

Don't try to fly thru a level 5 thunderstorm at FL220 without on board Radar. That turns ugly quick

[ScottVal]

If you have traffic in sight, and the controller tells you to follow the traffic for landing, and then later you lose the traffic, you're supposed to let the controller know! I failed to do just that the other day.

[ScottVal]

If you want to watch an instant replay of your landing, be sure to disconnect first! Today I didn't disconnect, and I got called by the tower asking me why I was doing another landing!

[gavink42]

If you want to watch an instant replay of your landing, be sure to disconnect first! Today I didn't disconnect, and I got called by the tower asking me why I was doing another landing!

Thanks for going through that before I did!

This is why we talk about our aviation mistakes to our brothers and sisters... to keep someone else from doing the same!

[ChrisS]

KVNY is a Class D airport. I know this. Nevertheless, I probably called SoCal approach three times yesterday trying to get in here from the north.

Not the worst mistake I've ever made on PE, but always worth a reminder to 'engage your flying brain'.

[Ryan B]

I don't get it .... You would typically call approach for sequence into a class D anyway

What was your mistake?

[HRutila]

I don't get it .... You would typically call approach for sequence into a class D anyway

What was your mistake?

Class D towers typically do their own sequencing. The rare exceptions are facilities where the overlying approach control is co-located in the same facility, which is not the case at VNY. If you're trying to land at VNY, you need to contact VNY Tower. SOCAL will only provide flight following to VNY, and even then, will terminate you well prior to the VNY Class D boundary to give you time to obtain the VNY ATIS and contact VNY Tower prior to entering the VNY Class D airspace.

[NameCoin]

I don't get it .... You would typically call approach for sequence into a class D anyway

What was your mistake?

Class D towers typically do their own sequencing. The rare exceptions are facilities where the overlying approach control is co-located in the same facility, which is not the case at VNY. If you're trying to land at VNY, you need to contact VNY Tower. SOCAL will only provide flight following to VNY, and even then, will terminate you well prior to the VNY Class D boundary to give you time to obtain the VNY ATIS and contact VNY Tower prior to entering the VNY Class D airspace.

Is this always the case? I once did a student solo into Palomar where the approach controller actually told me to keep my beacon code and handed me off to the tower.

[HRutila]

Is this always the case? I once did a student solo into Palomar where the approach controller actually told me to keep my beacon code and handed me off to the tower.

Yes. Radar service is not contingent on squawking a specific code. For example, SOCAL Approach can radar identify you when you're squawking 1200 using techniques that don't require you to change your squawk code. Similarly, SOCAL Approach can terminate your radar service without asking you to squawk 1200. In that case, you're no longer being provided with radar service, but maintaining that discreet code is beneficial to the operation for one reason or another.

At Class D towers that have radar displays, it is a fairly common practice for the approach controller to ask pilots to keep squawking their approach-assigned code rather than 1200. This enables the Class D tower controllers to see your call sign next to your target on their radar display. In this case, the radar display is used for reference only, and the tower controllers use it to get a general idea of what's going on outside. When you squawk 1200, your callsign information disappears.

As an aside, there are a few Class D towers whose controllers and equipment are certified to provide full radar service from the tower position. There is virtually no difference for VFR arrivals at those airports, except that in the case of receiving flight following, the approach controller will not say "Radar service is terminated" if he or she has completed a radar handoff of the VFR aircraft's target to the tower. Radar service would continue to be provided until the tower controller had the aircraft in sight.

[Ryan B]

I don't get it .... You would typically call approach for sequence into a class D anyway

What was your mistake?

Class D towers typically do their own sequencing. The rare exceptions are facilities where the overlying approach control is co-located in the same facility, which is not the case at VNY. If you're trying to land at VNY, you need to contact VNY Tower. SOCAL will only provide flight following to VNY, and even then, will terminate you well prior to the VNY Class D boundary to give you time to obtain the VNY ATIS and contact VNY Tower prior to entering the VNY Class D airspace.

You're saying socal overlying BUR, EMT, VNY won't sequence VFR's into those airports? That's odd... but I guess there is more airspace in the world than poor old Duluth!

So how does it work if socal is giving me advisories and I'm specifically landing at one of those airports? I swear I've been instructed to contact tower after they terminate radar on me. Sometimes there's not even time to not bust the class D.

And here's another question... I'm coming to VNY from the east, but getting advisories from socal.... are you saying I'm supposed to avoid the various class D's along the route? That's silly as the approach facility overrules the need to call for transitions at those smaller airports.

Anyway that probably just added to the confusion for Chris. Maybe I misunderstood him but yes eventually he'd need a landing clearance from tower you wouldn't get that from approach unless emergency or some odd case.... just in my experience approach will tell pilots to contact tower if pilots have FF to that destination.