CTAF

At non-towered airports pilots should make position reports on the Common Traffic Advisory Frequency (CTAF). These frequencies can be found under the airport symbols on sectional charts as well as in the Airport Facilities Directory . The CTAF is the UNICOM frequency when there is a ground-based station at the airport; if there is no ground station, it is the MULTICOM frequency.

EXAMPLES:

PILOT: “French Valley Traffic, Diamondstar 314AF (three one four alpha foxtrot), White DA40, Departing Runway 36 (three six), straight out departure, French Valley.” [or "standard departure"; "right crosswind departure" ; "left downwind departure" ; "staying in the pattern"; etc.]

The name of the airport, followed by “traffic” is stated both at the beginning and at the end of the transmission in case another aircraft tuned in to the frequency after the pilot began speaking. Pilots should first listen to determine the airport name others are using; otherwise, use the name of the city until corrected.

PILOT: "Sky Harbor traffic, Diamondstar 314AF (three one four alpha foxtrot) back-taxiing for takeoff on runway 27 (two seven), Sky Harbor." (when the airport does not have a separate taxiway)

PILOT: "Borrego Valley traffic, Diamondstar 314AF (three one four alpha foxtrot), 10 miles west at 3500 feet, landing Borrego Valley.”

UNICOM

A UNICOM is a ground station that has been purchased by an airport Fixed Base Operator (FBO)—it has no official status from the FAA. Although FBO employees can often provide weather and traffic information, it is only "advisory" in nature and should always be supplemented by the pilot's observations. In addition to making inquiries about traffic or the runway in use, pilots may also make requests for things such as fuel, a taxi, etc. There may be more than one UNICOM frequency at a particular airport. At non-towered fields, one of these frequencies will also be the CTAF.

Tune in to the UNICOM frequency when you are about 10 miles from the airport to become aware of traffic in the pattern and determine the runway in use. If you don't hear anything, then you can make the following call:

PILOT: "Corona UNICOM, Diamondstar 314AF (three one four alpha foxtrot) is 3 miles west at 3000 feet, inbound for landing, airport advisory please.”

UNICOM: “Diamondstar 314AF (three one four alpha foxtrot), Runway 25 (two five) is the active, three other aircraft in the pattern.”

If unable to obtain traffic information from other aircraft or a UNICOM operator, overfly the airport 500 feet above pattern altitude, stating your position and intentions, then fly beyond the downwind leg (giving yourself room to get turned around). After descending to pattern altitude, enter the downwind on a 45° angle at midfield, stating your position during each leg of the approach —downwind, base, and final.

MULTICOM

122.9 MHz, MULTICOM, is the Common Traffic Advisory Frequency for airports that don't have UNICOM. When there is more than one airport in the vicinity using MULTICOM, pilots will hear all of the radio calls, so it is especially important to state the name of the airport at the beginning and at the end of the transmission.