...The regional boys will announce they are 5 or 10 miles out and always use the phrase "all other traffic please advise". I always give them my location and intentions even though I am making all the normal calls when I'm doing touch and go's or landing. 90% percent of the time they will ignore the runway direction the rest of us are using and land in the opposite direction anyway...
I know there are lots of more experienced pilots, but in the 40+ years I have been flying, this is an unusual issue. I can't think of one other thing where so many people started using such a bad procedure that the FAA felt it needed to step in and stop it.
I am not an apologist for FAA, and have many disagreements with their policies, but they are right about a great many things. The VFR cruising altitude rule seems sensible, it has probably prevented many fatalities. I think it makes sense that one should call the tower before entering Class D airspace or call approach before entering Class B. I think it is right that one should be examined for competence before taking passengers, and that a pilot should not be impaired by alcohol while flying.
Recently, some entity; I suspect one of the big flight schools, started this strange phraseology and it persisted. If many inexperienced people are taught to do something in a particular way by those in authority over them, they will tend to do it. I most often hear it from new regional airline pilots. The trouble is that it is offensive in many ways.
Whether meant or not, it always comes off as arrogant. I am here now, I haven't been paying attention, so everyone satisfy ME, notwithstanding the fact that if people responded it would be chaos.
Like others, I never respond to this call, I just keep making my normal position reports. Like paying ransom to terrorists encourages terrorism, responding to this call encourages poor operating procedures. The call may cause many problems, and has no advantages.
The FAA position is "Traffic in the area please advise' is not a recognized Self-Announce Position and/or Intention phrase and should not be used under any condition."
"Should not be used under ANY CONDITION" seems real clear to me and also seems real justified. There is nothing about that statement that sounds optional.
I am not in favor, generally, of having arguments over the aircraft radio frequencies, but short of that I think people should help people, whenever possible to understand when they are using a counterproductive procedure.
They don't always communicate.
