RADIO
COMMUNICATIONS
Group Leaders Talk; Everybody Else Just Listens
Except as
listed in the procedures or in an emergency, only the group leaders and Mooney
Tail will transmit on Mooney Frequency en route to
Oshkosh. All
others will only monitor the appropriate frequencies. One of the biggest problems in past
Caravans has been excessive chatter on the Mooney frequency. This creates quite a few distractions
and can divert the pilot’s attention from the primary task of following aircraft
in front. MONITOR FREQUENCIES…DO NOT
TALK!! (unless, of course, the
airplane in front of you is on
fire.)
Please
reserve transmissions for designated procedures and emergencies only.
Mooney Frequency
The Mooney
flight will have a frequency for inter-plane communication called Mooney
frequency. This frequency will be reconfirmed at the briefing but is expected to
be 122.97. It is anticipated that all aircraft will have two radios with
the ability to monitor two frequencies. Radio #1 and the transmitter will be
tuned to Mooney frequency. Radio #2 will be tuned to the current ATC frequency.
Communications on Mooney frequency occur principally before takeoff to perform
check-ins. It is essential that communication discipline be maintained which
means NO non-emergency chatter on Mooney or ATC frequencies. All
communications on Mooney frequency shall begin with the Aircraft Group Call
Sign, e.g. "Mooney Charlie Six"
Frequencies
Number One
Radio:
On the ramp
from before engine start through taxi to the runway and en route until parked at
OSH, all
aircraft will monitor the Caravan frequency (122.97). As necessary for proper
Caravan management, the group leaders will communicate appropriately on Mooney
frequency.
Number two
Radio:
Monitor ATIS
for altimeter and wind before taxi and then monitor Ground control during taxi.
While on runway and during departure from Madison,
monitor Madison
Tower until at least 10 miles from the airport.
Before reaching 20 DME from OSH VOR, each aircraft shall monitor
OSH tower. It is not necessary to monitor OSH
ATIS as it will contain instructions for non-Caravan traffic. After exiting the
runway and during taxi, monitor Ground.
Only the
Mooney flight leaders (Alpha – Hotel) and the last aircraft ("Mooney Tail") will
communicate with ATC other than in an emergency situation. However all
other aircraft will monitor the ATC frequencies in use. Since we are doing
a staggered engine start, all aircraft shall be monitoring the Mooney flight
communications from 3:15 pm
onwards. Each pilot must change ATC frequencies with the phase of
flight for their particular group.
Radio Frequency Sequence
Use number
one radio to monitor Mooney Frequency (122.97) from start up at MSN until shut
down at OSH.
Use number
two radio to monitor the following frequencies:
Before start
up - Madison ATIS
After start
up at MSN and during taxi – MSN ground, 121.9
After
arriving at the departure runway until airborne and at least 10 nm from MSN –
MSN tower, 119.3
Before 20 nm
from OSH until off the runway – OSH tower, 126.6
(118.5 -alternate)
During taxi
at OSH –
OSH
ground, 121.9
Single Radio Aircraft (Strongly discouraged) Please acquire a handheld radio for use as a
second radio during the Caravan flight)
Single radio
aircraft are not encouraged. A handheld radio should be used as a second
frequency.
Expected Caravan and ATC Frequencies:
The sequence
for monitoring of ATC frequencies by Mooney flight will be:
|
Facility
|
Frequency
|
|
Mooney
Frequency (MSN ramp control)
|
122.97
|
|
Madison ATIS
|
124.65
|
|
Madison
Ground
|
121.9
|
|
Madison
Tower
|
119.3
|
|
Madison APCH
– East (not expected to be used)
Madison APCH
– West (not expected to be used)
|
120.1
135.45
|
|
Madison Dept - (not expected to be used)
|
126.85
|
|
Oshkosh
Arrival ATIS (Not expected to be used)
|
125.9
|
|
Fond du Lac
Temporary
Tower (Not expected
to be used)
|
120.4
|
|
Oshkosh
Tower
(Alternate,
Runways 9 and 27)
|
126.6
(118.5)
|
|
Oshkosh Ground
|
121.9
|
|
MSN VORTAC
OSH VORTAC
|
108.6
111.8
|
|
FISK Approach
|
120.7
|
Before engine
start each pilot should listen to Madison ATIS.