Instrument Pilots Need to Speak Private / Student Pilot Language

When flying with my student in the traffic pattern today, I heard a pilot at a nearby airport make the following call on the advisory frequency: "Cessna 123 is on the RNAV Alpha starting at the initial approach fix for runway 27, and after the approach we will be executing the published missed". In my non-instructing flying days I may not have put much thought into this radio call from this pilot, but as I sit teaching a new student pilot in the traffic pattern, I reflected on my own practices when flying instrument approaches into non-towered airports. As I teach aspiring instrument rated pilots, one of my big focuses lately has been shifting their focus to translating instrument pilot jargon into the language of a student pilot who might be flying in the traffic pattern. Collision avoidance should always be at the top of every pilots mind, so how can instrument pilots (and especially their instructors) develop better awareness for all pilots in the air?

A Student Pilot Has No Sense of How Far Away You Are On A Practice Approach

Let's take a look at the RNAV RWY 30 approach into Huron Regional, an uncontrolled field in South Dakota.

RNAV RWY 30 Procedure KHON

A common phrase I hear quite often is pilots announcing they are inbound from a navigation fix on the approach. Take for example, "Huron Traffic Cessna 123 is over HUBOB on the RNAV Alpha inbound runway 30." Whenever I hear a call like this on CTAF, I always ask my students where the airplane is in relation to where they are in the pattern. As you can probably imagine, they are never able to tell me. The FAA Advisory Circular 90-66C suggests announcing your position at least 10 nautical miles out from an uncontrolled field to essentially give pilots a heads up that you are inbound for the pattern. So how can we translate an initial position call from instrument language to private pilot language?

Instrument Pilot: "Huron Traffic Cessna 123 is over HUBOB on the RNAV Alpha inbound runway 30"

Private Pilot Translation: "Huron Traffic Cessna 123 is approximately 15 miles to the south east inbound runway 30"

No one needs to know that you are on a GPS approach into an uncontrolled field, and no student pilot will ever have a clue as to what GPS waypoint you are over in relation to an airport. What will help other pilots is having an idea of your position that they only need about 3-5 seconds to comprehend.

Instrument Pilot: "Huron Traffic Cessna 123 is inbound on the RNAV 30, 10 miles out"

Private Pilot Translation: "Huron Traffic Cessna 123 is on a 10 mile final Runway 30"

Avoid any doubt from other pilots with your radio calls. The key to an instrument approach at a non-towered airport is transparency with position, predictable movement, and concise communication that can be understood at the student pilot level. Something that I stress to my students as well is talking as minimally as possible on radios. I jokingly tell them that for every word on the radio that they say I am going to charge them $5. Imagine how many other position calls from other pilots, maybe that could even help avoid collisions, could be made in the time that an instrument pilot is telling a novel about their approach (that doesn't even help anyone's situational awareness in the first place).

Instrument Pilot: "Huron Traffic Cessna 123 is on the RNAV 30, 5 mile final, we will be circling to land on runway 12"

Private Pilot Translation: "Huron Traffic Cessna 123, 1 mile final runway 30 , transitioning to a left crosswind runway 12"

Circling approaches present many challenges for instrument rated pilots for many reasons. One of those challenges is the low altitude required to circle to land as well as the confusion that may arise from these radio calls. Translating your circle maneuver into a leg of the pattern may increase situational awareness by helping other pilots know exactly where you are in relation to the runway in use if you are going against the flow of traffic. Encourage your student to get to the circling MDA earlier on these approaches so that the circle may be started earlier. Once the circling maneuver begins, climb to traffic pattern altitude so that other airplanes in the pattern can see you easier.

Now that we have shifted our focus to minimizing our radio calls, translating instrument pilot language to private/student pilot language, there is still another opportunity to increase situational awareness for all traffic surrounding a non-towered airport. Instead of the initial 10 mile call inbound, consider making an additional 5 mile, 3 mile, and 1 mile final call to eliminate any doubt as to where your position is.

So let's make a sequence of radio calls for the RNAV RWY 30 circle to RWY 12 approach into Huron starting at the HUBOB initial approach fix while focusing on minimal radio calls, easy to understand position reports, and enhanced situational awareness:

(Approaching HUBOB Initial Approach Fix) " Huron Traffic Cessna 123 is 15 miles to the southeast inbound runway 30"

(Turning inbound on the final approach course at FARVA) "Huron Traffic Cessna 123 , 10 mile final runway 30"

(Inbound from CAVOR final approach fix) "Huron Traffic Cessna 123 , 5 mile final runway 30"

"Huron Traffic Cessna 123 , 3 mile final runway 30"

"Huron Traffic Cessna 123, 1 mile final runway 30 , transitioning to a left crosswind runway 12"

What do you do to increase situational awareness for other pilots during instrument approaches at non-towered airports? Let me know in the comments below!