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Lots of people now have ADSB on their screens. But many of us don't and regularly fly airplanes without ADSB or even transponders.
I also fly / instruct out of a busy GA airport. RVs, Cubs, and Barons are not uncommon in the pattern at the same time. "hey, did you see that Cub you almost ran over?" "what do you mean, hes not on my screen!" (long exhale).... I try to embrace the Both And approach. Screens are great. I love them. I also love good communication and looking out the window. If there is 3 red RVs in the pattern...than yes that would be dumb to not use your tail number and more exact position (maybe a landmark on the ground). But, if your the only RV, I think its more informative as other posters have said, RVs are becoming more known. As far as "experimental" in the non-towered pattern, my thought is that this is not as helpful as it could be because there are so many different kinds of experimentals. Pietenpols (sp?) and an RV 8 will approach the airport at different speeds. So both saying "experimental 5 miles out" is not very informative. For this reason, I sometimes transmit my time from the field. "Nowhereville traffic, red RV, 5 SE, 2,500. We are 3 mins out and plan on entering the left downwind" We did this A LOT in the corporate world when we would bring a jet into a non-towered airport. All just food for thought. |
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The FAA may know who you are, but your EFIS won't. |
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Larry |
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I don't think anyone really thinks that using your N-number in your call sign is primarily for visual identification.
I also use the call signs, however descriptive they may or may not be, and location to develop a mental traffic picture of the local airport area. If I'm planning to takeoff and hear "XYZ traffic, white high wing Cessna entering left downwind runway xx," I know about where to look. Then after a minute or 2, when I've completed my checklist and am literally ready to go, and I haven't seen nor heard from him about a base leg or final turn, I will specifically try to contact that plane and find out where he is. It is whole lot more effective to ask over the radio, "Cessna 1234, where are you?" than to query the white high wing Cessna about his location. Just think about it, wouldn't you respond quicker to a direct question including your name like "Tom, where are you?" versus "Tall guy with brown hair and red shirt, where are you?" It is why most all instrument panels have the N-number prominently displayed in front of the pilot instead of the color of the plane. That N-number tells you who you are. |
RV 192NM
There are a lot of slower white airplanes out there. I always use RV 192NM to let pattern traffic know that there will be a faster RV approaching the pattern.
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And to keep this from a thread drift, I use an abbreviated call sign, just type and the last 3 of the N number at noncontrolled airports. |
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Irrelavent..
With the size most people are flying their patterns these days the color of an aircraft is moot. They are just black dots 4 miles away.
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