this post was submitted on 11 Sep 2023
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Mildly Interesting

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[โ€“] [email protected] 23 points 11 months ago (2 children)

These little strips don't use a tower. Pilots communicate with each other on unicom.

[โ€“] [email protected] 13 points 11 months ago (1 children)

unicom

First thing I thought of reading on this tiny screen: ๐Ÿฆ„

We need a community for keming.

[โ€“] [email protected] 2 points 11 months ago (1 children)

No, you read it right, UNICOM

Or UNIversal COMmunications

Also known as CTAF, or

Common Traffic Advisory Frequency.

Basically the frequency you use when you're in uncontrolled airspace.

[โ€“] [email protected] 4 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

They read it as unicor n hence the emoji.

[โ€“] captain_aggravated 10 points 11 months ago (1 children)

A private (meaning, non-public) field like this one probably uses the multicom frequency, but yes. Self-announce on the CTAF. Irks me a bit there aren't runway numbers.

[โ€“] [email protected] 2 points 11 months ago (2 children)

Why do they need numbers? There's only one runway.

[โ€“] [email protected] 6 points 11 months ago

Gives you a rough magnetic heading so you can line up easier and keep your pattern straight. Also to tell others which way you're going to keep from crashing head-on (a north/south strip might be 36/18, for example, so ppl know which way you're going).

[โ€“] captain_aggravated 3 points 11 months ago

A runway with two ends. And you'd probably be surprised how easy it is to choose one end when you mean another.

Also to identify it from the air as a runway. It's paved and they painted a centerline; I would have also painted numbers and thresholds.