Radio help: Class D airport under Class C airspace

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07-29-2004 08:50
johnrlewis

Radio help: Class D airport under Class C airspace

I need to plan a flight from KRNT to KTTD for my phase check flight. I know I am going to be asked questions about the arrivial procedures, even though we have no intentions of reaching our destination.

KTTD is a class D airport underneath the outer area of a class C airport.

I could safely fly below the class C airspace, but I know the instructor will want a better answer.

So I am curious how things would play out on the radio. Here is my best guess how things would go. Let me know if I am pretty close.

My assupmtions are that they will probably give me radar vectors, and that they will hand me off to the tower in such a way that I dont have to give a full position report on initial contact.

Me: Portland approach, Cessna 54088, 5 miles north of Battle Ground VOR, level at 4500, inbound for landing at Troutdale with information bravo."

APP: Cessna 088, squawk 1234 and ident.

Me: 1234 and ident, cessna 088

APP: Cessna 088, radar contact, 4 miles north of Battle Ground VOR, fly heading '???', descend and maintain '????'

Me: fly heading ???, descend and maintain '????', cessna 088

APP: Cessna 088, contact troutdale tower on 120.9, good day.

Me: 120.9, Thank you.

Me: Troutdale tower, cessna 088 with you, at one thousand five hundred.

Twr: Cessna 088, report the 45 for midfield entry to left downwind runway 7.

...
07-29-2004 08:57
Jeff S KDTW

John -

It looks good to me (take the "with you" out. ;) Long story around these parts. ;)).

There are variations in form throughout the country, so mileage may vary. But, generally, if you use the "Who you are calling, Who you are, Where you are, What you want" format, you will be fine (just like you did).
07-29-2004 12:21
gkrangers

You may get radar vectors, you may not.

The approach controller might just tell you to report the airport in sight, then he'll release you to tower.

Sounds fine tho.
07-29-2004 16:39
CrewDawg

Quote:

Originally posted by gkrangers
You may get radar vectors, you may not.

The approach controller might just tell you to report the airport in sight, then he'll release you to tower.

Sounds fine tho.

What if you're in the class D before the airfield is in sight? Shouldn't you switch to tower before you enter the airspace, or would approach coordinate with the tower by landline so you won't have to?
07-29-2004 17:21
Roger,Roger

At ORL, we stay under the MCO Class B shelf, and call ORL (Class D tower) 10 miles out... VFR of course... may help, may not :)
07-29-2004 18:18
gkrangers

Quote:

Originally posted by CrewDawg
What if you're in the class D before the airfield is in sight? Shouldn't you switch to tower before you ebter the airspace, or would approach coordinate with the tower by landline so you won't have to?

If you can't see the D airport from the edge of the D airspace, then you probably shoulda thought twice about flying VMC :p

But if visibility is that bad, approach can just give you radar vectors until you have the airport in sight, then he'll hand you off to tower.

I don't know specificaly how it works, but your idea sounds logical.

The approach is always gonna be in contact with the tower for handoffs..so what you said could work. It wouldn't be an airspace violation as long as approach is talking to you.

Just think..if you takeoff from a Class D, and a few seconds after takeoff, you get switched to Departure. You are still in the D airspace, but under the control of Departure now...

So...I would think you are correct about the controllers coordinating to accomodate you...but I'm hardly qualified.

Sometimes one controller runs the entire show for his airport.

Departure/Approach, Tower, Ground, Clearance, etc...

Even happens at some busier airports during the wee hours of the night or extremely dead times when you just have one lonely guy in the tower cab running everything....so in that case, you are talking to the same guy the whole time anyway...
08-01-2004 12:03
KenG

Quote:

Originally posted by CrewDawg
What if you're in the class D before the airfield is in sight? Shouldn't you switch to tower before you enter the airspace, or would approach coordinate with the tower by landline so you won't have to?

If you're on with APPR control, then don't switch until they tell you, even if you are within Class D airspace. The APPR controller will hand you off when it's time.

However, that is the "normal" way of things. If in doubt (e.g., you suspect the controller forgot about you), ask the controller if he/she wants you to switch over to tower.

A couple times while practicing instrument approaches, APPR control got busy and didn't hand us off to tower once we were inside the final approach fix. In those cases, I switched to Tower without notifying APPR. It even happened on my IR checkride and the DPE said it was the correct thing to do.