So this is a new one for me, maybe not for a bunch of you, but it got me thinking. Coming home from Maine this morning (No vacation, helping a daughter move to a new apartment unfortunately) I was on a common frequency for a bunch of airports and strips on my route. Heard the usual, but annoying to me, anyone in the pattern please advise for a airport close by. Then a few minutes later the same guy asking if so and so, by tail number was on frequency. The other plane responded and the first guy noted his position and asked the intentions of plane 2. saying he was several hundred feet above him. My first thought was he was so close he could read the tail number. Then several minutes later guy 1 asked the same question of another plane. It then dawned on me that he was picking up planes on his ADSB and questioning them on their flight path. He did it again a few minutes later with a helicopter. I switched to another frequency for a strip I was passing over and didn't switch back, so if he contacted anyone else I didn't hear it. All three pilots contacted were on frequency and responded politely, but is this common? The helicopter had already been giving position reports. It seemed kind of annoying to me. It sounded like the planes contacted were in level flight in-route to a destination and probably were not a safety threat. I can understand it for the occasional plane that looks like it may be on a close course to your flightpath, but I got the impression he was trying to make contact with anyone close by. To me it was just clogging up a already busy frequency. Am I missing anything? Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Pete

Agreed. That's bozo behavior. Announce your own position and intentions, look out the window.

I'll only query another aircraft on their intentions if 1) it appears like we're converging on the same airport, 2) they announced on CTAF, and 3) there's some ambiguity from anything outside of normal pattern entry for conditions.

Busy body safety gods

I'm going NORDO for my fun flying from here on

Lotta folks just like to talk on a radio

Lotta folks think they’d be great air traffic controllers.

MTV

In surfing they're called kooks.

In motorcycling, they're squids.

Never heard a really good term for them in aviation, but bozo is pretty good.

No ADS-B or Mode C for me. Feels like God mode. I position announce frequently when in congested areas (Anchorage/Knik/BirchwoodWasilla/Palmer/Susitna, etc). I'm never asking for other pilot's intentions. If I see them, then I'll keep my eye on them.

Although, it does peeve me off when I position announce at the Knik and mention that I'm flying at an altitude of 500ft Eastward and then 3 minutes later a bozo buzzes right by me out of nowhere going the opposite direction at the same altitude, without announcing anything at all. That's when shet gets dangerous. Gotta be on your toes regardless, but it's nice to hear some feedback of pilot's in the area when you do CTAF announce so you can be aware of their locations/intentions if they're near. With that being said, I understand the allure and need for ADS-B in some scenarios. However, the privacy is nice to have.

In a world where I would have ADSB, if I was being called by my N number on CTAF, I'd first ask who was asking. If it was just some dude watching ADS-B, in response, I'd turn the tables and ask him what his position/altitude and intentions are. Then say "no-factor" (if that's the case), giving no additional information until your regularly scheduled CTAF call. Teaches him to announce where he is, to mind his own, keep his eye out the window, and to listen. Sounds like this guy was using his iPad as more of a "cockpit window" rather than a tool. Imagine driving on a country road and having someone asking what your intentions are out of nowhere. Like mind your own pal.

Just tell them to shut the F*&k up and read up on required or recommended calls. Or quit jamming the frequency.

A certain Blue C-207 driver outta DLG would do this periodically 25 yrs ago………wish there was a way I could have recorded those exchanges.

Doing away with sidetone would end most of this, turds like that just like to hear themselves talk.

Those of us old enough to remember the implementation TCAS observed similar behavior, overnight there was a spawning of airborne ATC wantabes.

I somehow have always shown up as “VFR” on people’s ADSB in, with no N number displayed . And yes , there is always going to be someone out there trying to direct traffic from the cockpit, unfortunately thats just how people are . That guy probably is president of a homeowners association and enjoys telling people when it’s time to mow their lawn.

CenterHillAg wrote:Doing away with sidetone would end most of this, turds like that just like to hear themselves talk.

This made me laugh. So true. You can tell that guy's enjoying his broadcast time because he sounds like me trying to narrate a movie...over the radio.

TVATIVAK71 wrote:Just tell them to shut the F*&k up and read up on required or recommended calls. Or quit jamming the frequency.

A certain Blue C-207 driver outta DLG would do this periodically 25 yrs ago………wish there was a way I could have recorded those exchanges.

Yup,

MTV

I'm guessing the person making inquiries has an app on a tablet and is asking about N-numbers that they see overhead with refrencing their app. I'm also guessing this person is either a non-pilot or a student pilot that's overly excited about aviation.

Just my 2¢ cents

low rider wrote:I somehow have always shown up as “VFR” on people’s ADSB in, with no N number displayed.....

That's what I display as, with my Tailbeacon configured in "anonymous" mode.
And that's the way I like it.

And then there's getting phished by real ATC while you're outside their airspace but monitoring their frequency: "November 123AlphaBravo, you on frequency?" They're usually calling for a good reason, so I respond, even if it does mean getting vectored for someone/thing.

And I've had another, much faster-moving nonmilitary aircraft seemingly use my ADS-B tag for impromptu intercept practice without ever trying to talk to me. Happened on my way into Smiley Creek a few years back. I really didn't appreciate that.

That said, the positives outweigh the negatives for me.

CAVU wrote:And then there's getting phished by real ATC while you're outside their airspace but monitoring their frequency: "November 123AlphaBravo, you on frequency?" They're usually calling for a good reason, so I respond, even if it does mean getting vectored for someone/thing.

That's the only one that has happened to me. Once to deconflict. Once to make sure I knew about some giant TV antennas I was heading straight for. (Yes, I knew about them. But glad to have someone making sure)

rw2 wrote:

CAVU wrote:And then there's getting phished by real ATC while you're outside their airspace but monitoring their frequency: "November 123AlphaBravo, you on frequency?" They're usually calling for a good reason, so I respond, even if it does mean getting vectored for someone/thing.

That's the only one that has happened to me. Once to deconflict. Once to make sure I knew about some giant TV antennas I was heading straight for. (Yes, I knew about them. But glad to have someone making sure)

Whats not to like about that? If we carry a cell phone we have given up all pretense of anonyminity anyway.

We lose about one aircraft a year in the BC mountains, I hope that when Satellite ADSB is mandated this will cease to happen. One year when they were looking for a lost aircraft they found a cub that had gone missing some 50 years ago.