Reading Airport Charts

[kiwibarguy]

The microsoft tutorials aren't cutting it for me.

I need to know more information on Airport chart reading and Depature and Approach language.

I'm still unsure as what to say. Already checked out ARNZ tuts.

Want to get up and out there with everyone and as i am a bar tutor, and not training to fly or actually be a pilot, i need some extra help.

[Timmo]

NZ Uses the AIP charts. To find the chart you want, grab it from the Aerodrome charts list.

Using wellington as an example, find the chart Wellington - SID (1 & 2). SID means standard instument departure, these departures are what you use if you're departing an airport IFR (departing Wellington on runway 16. If you're flying to Christchurch in a 737 you'll be given by the controller a Pegsa 2 departure, because you're a jet. You simply scroll down on the chart till you find the instructions for a pegsa 2 departure:

QUOTE

PEGSA TWO DEPARTURE (PEGSA2)
* Maintain runway centreline to intercept radial/track R174/173° WN VOR/NDB to PEGSA
* Passing 1500ft contact CONTROL 122.3 advising departure being flown
* Maintain 4000ft to PEGSA, then intercept cleared route or as directed by radar[/quote]

So basically you fly along the extended runway centreline until you intercept the outbound 174 radial from the Wellington VOR. If ya don't know what VORs are, go through the MS learning centre article a few times. You fly along the 174 radial, while climbing. This will take you to the waypoint PEGSA. Wellington tower may tell ya to contact control 122.3, otherwise when you pass 1500ft, switch over and contact them anyway. Continue climb to 4000ft and hold that height. At pegsa, turn onto your track to christchurch. The controllers will give you climb instructions.

Remember I'm no instrument rated pilot, but that's pretty much how it works, at least on VATSIM.

[kiwibarguy]

Hey thanks ZX-Brock!

At the moment i am focusing on the Skyhawk and Caravan doing VFR flights. I was thinking more along the lines of what to actually say.

The other week i flew on FNF on the iceberg scenic trip, we came back to land at Dunedin. It was my first ATC landing. I was a bit nervous as to what to say. Now i know that the circuits are usually left based turns right? That was my first mistake as i flew down along the coast from the city and came in from the wrong way.

Secondly i wasn't sure how to advise the tower when i would be approaching the circuit or where i should enter.

Luckily tower corrected my altitude to stay under 1500. Do i contact ATC once i have entered the downwing leg or before?

And then what should i say? This is what i said 'Dunedin Tower this zulu x-ray papa mike hotel, at 500ft, approaching final leg on runway ?(forgot the number) ready to land' is this correct? i suppose this is where you professionals start laughing at me 'newbie in the house!'

i just want to make sure that i'm not in anyones way as i dont want to spoil the authencity for others.

So i will look at the aip.net site which has the procedures but iwould still love to know where i could find a site that could explain the language between the tower and the pilot and a site on reading airport charts so i can know what all the symbols mean.

Thanks so much for the time you took to write the above help. Maybe i should join someone sometime in a light aircraft so i can learn more.

Anymore help from anyone would be appreciated. Once i have mastered this in time maybe i can help other newbies.

by the way, woo hoo its FRIDAY!!!!

The AIP site is excellent by the way. Great for chart reading!!!

[towerguy]

Hi there
PM me your postal address and I'll shoot off a packet with some charts and the legend out of the AIP that shows all the symbols etc
cheers

[ZK-Brock]

Also check out theCAA Radiotelephony manual, it gives you the correct phraseology for just about every bit of flying you'll do in NZ. However, different online groups have slightly different ways of doing things, depending on their knowledge and what they're about.

[kiwibarguy]

QUOTE (ZK-Brock @ Nov 16 2007, 02:09 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Also check out theCAA Radiotelephony manual, it gives you the correct phraseology for just about every bit of flying you'll do in NZ. However, different online groups have slightly different ways of doing things, depending on their knowledge and what they're about.

Hey thanks, you and towerguy just made my day!!! Thanks for that! The easy part was photocopying it, now comes the hard part,learning it all. This is exactly what i was looking for!

Thanks so much for all your help! I will have to put you on my 'i owe you one list'.

[Timmo]

As a very general rule, in controlled airspace (i.e. talking to the Tower) you will only need to initiate a radio call on intial contact (i.e. Entering controlled airspace) or when requested to by the Tower (i.e. at a reporting point or position in the circuit)

The rest of the time the Tower will pretty much tell you where to go and what to do so your "Dunedin Tower this zulu x-ray papa mike hotel, at 500ft, approaching final leg on runway XX ready to land" wouldnt be needed when on finals (unless requested to do so of course).

Many instructions given by a controller require a readback just to make sure you have understood the instructions. Again, as a general rule repeat what he/she has told you followed by your callsign....cut out all the 'filler' as well to speed up radio calls. (i.e. "Dunedin Tower, Papa Mike Hotel, Finals, Runway XX"- Dont need the ZX part of the rego, dont need "this is" etc etc)

ARNZ have good tutorials on this stuff but the best way is to do some Friday Night Flights to practice (if using FSX that is)....some of my radio calls are shockers but id rather make the mistakes there than in the real world!

See: http://arnz.invisionplus.net/index.php?mfo...p;showtopic=203

[kiwibarguy]

Thanks Timmo, you have answered a couple of questions there.