Confirmation On Radio Usage & Squawk Code

Good afternoon forum,

Currently inflight from Marathon in the Florida Keys to the Bahamas and had a quick question regarding radio callouts and sqawk codes.

I filed my IFR flight plan and got my clearance. ATC then instructed me to call back in for IFR release once I was number 1 for departure.

At this time, would I then flip to unicom and do the call outs?

Ex.

Marathon Traffic Skyhawk Sierra Kilo Poppa taxing runway 07 via taxiway A

Then once I get to the hold short line flip back over and request IFR release?

And I got my squawk code but would I go to 1200 while on the ground around that airport and switch to assigned when at hold short and released?

Thanks in advance.

No one?

We must have some com experts around :slight_smile:

Since you are flying under IFR you can put your assigned squawk code into the transponder as soon as you get it. You would normally leave it in standby until you were ready to depart and then squawk Mode C.

There is no need to broadcast intentions when on the ground. At least I never did when I was flying. Unless you were given a different frequency to call when ready for departure, I would just stay on the same one you got your clearance from. When you are holding short at the end of the runway, give them a call and tell them you are ready to go.

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Is this the built in sim ATC? I have never heard them ask for that especially No. 1 for Departure.

When departing an uncontrolled field, you usually check ATIS while doing warm ups after engine start, then request IFR Clearance from the nearest ATC Departure facility. They’ll issue you departure freq, initial climb altitude after take off, squawk code and if needed, an time expiry on the clearance.

You then get back on the field’s UNICOM, transmit your intentions to taxi to the active. Perform your final runups while holding short or in a runup zone if available. You typically hold short to visually clear someone isn’t arriving or departing unannounced, then announce your take off intentions and direction of departure. Take the active and depart.

Once at 500’ and at least a half mile from threshold, switch to Departure and check in, following your filed plan.

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No, this is Pilot2ATC, haven’t turned on the in-game ATC since I discovered this :slight_smile:

Appreciate the response and yes that’s what I had thought and how I conducted the coms but wasn’t sure if it was correct.

I got my IFR clearance with instructions to advise when number 1 for departure. I then switched over to the published Unicom frequency for that airport and did “Marathon traffic Skyhawk 6 2 Sierra Kilo Papa taxing runway 07 via taxiway Alpha Marathon Traffic”

Completed the runups, taxing etc… Got to the hold short line and flipped back to tower and advised I was number 1 for departure, they gave me the clearance to depart and to call in when airborne.

I flipped back to Unicom and did “Marathon Traffic Skyhawk 6 2 Sierra Kilo Papa lining up runway 07 for straight out departure”

Took off, once I hit 500’ AGL flipped the lights off, brought the flaps up and notified tower I was at 500’ and climbing to assigned altitude.

So that all seems correct, the only other question I had was with regards to transponder. I set to standby with assigned squawk code and then flip to Alt when ready to taxi onto runway. In a situation like this where it’s uncontrolled would I do the same thing? or should I be on 1200 and squawking when rolling around and then flip to assigned once taxing onto runway?

Thanks in advance.

Ah, this is where I’m confused. At a controlled field, there is no UNICOM. Normally a controlled (towered) field has a Tower, Ground and Clearance freqs.

At a controlled field, you would listen to ATIS to get the Alpha Code for readback proving you have the latest information. Contact Departure if IFR filed. Departure gives you all the necessary info as previously discussed then hand you over to Ground. You contact Ground for push times and taxi clearance. Once at the run-up or hold short, you contact Tower for T/O. Everyone who is departing and arriving is supposed to be on Tower freq for deconflction purposes.

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It could be more me not explaining it properly (still learning).

Airport was KMTH. No tower (I don’t believe) and has ASOS. Uses Miami Center, I’d have to go look back in com logs but I think I was throwing in “Tower” when I should have been saying Center in the previous posts.

Ah ok. I operate out of an uncontrolled field in the sim as “home base” myself. Only has ATIS and UNICOM, with the nearest Class-B about 40nm away as a Departure Clearance.

Since he was given an instruction to call when he was ready for departure, I assumed it was an uncontrolled field and that’s what I based my answer on.

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