MrBigAir

When on the ground at a uncontrolled field, what's the story about reporting a taxi?

If there are lots of airplanes on the ground, or an obvious conflict of traffic with a needed taxiway, I can see the need. But reporting every movement (tie-down to fuel ramp, ramp to compass rose for run-up, compass rose to threshold, etc) seems excessive.

I'm encountering an issue where the CTAF at my local field is used by several nearby airports which are moderately busy, and when working the pattern, I have pilots reporting their mundane taxi even though they are obviously the only a/c moving on the field and they are taxiing perhaps a distance of 150'. Often, it blocks calls they can't hear from neighboring airports, and can make discerning traffic at my airport more difficult-- blocking critical 45 deg. entry calls, etc.

I checked around and found AC 90-42F, which unfortunately for my case clearly states:

Communication/Broadcast Procedures:

Outbound: Before taxiing and before taxiing on the runway for departure.

Inbound: 10 miles out, and entering downwind, base, and final, and leaving the runway.

I was wondering if there was another AC out there that dealt with excessive ground chatter, or any other kind of informational literature that dealt with this issue. I am the dark horse at the moment who does not broadcast every taxi movement to the world, only when necessary, and I'm starting to get looks. It seems endemic of the culture at this particular field, I haven't been outside the norm anywhere else.

USMCFLYR

Ground comm is required to inform other traffic on the airfield of movement which might affect them. You don't have the big picture. I personally believe that just like big airfields where there are self-controlled movement areas (like ramps) that if moving in one of those areas at an uncontrolled field that it might not be necessary. Your example of moving a 100' from a parking space to a self-service fuel pump on an empty ramp is one instance. But if I were to have to get on any taxiway, cross any taxiway, or taxi to a location that I didn't have direct line of sight with; then I'm making a call. In addition, it is not always the call that can jam up the freq rather than the lack of pre-determined, concise communications to begin with and not some rambling commentary.

USMCFLYR

Craigo

This may be common sense, but I find also that on calm wind days, it's not a bad idea to at least announce what runway you are taxing to so as to avoid the people coming inbound to one runway and departing another (especially if there is only one runway)

WANNABE

AOPA web site describes the process to change the CTAF when frequency congestion becomes unmanageable. I couldn't copy the link but google search "how to change CTAF frequency" and it should pull it up. Looks like a fairly easy process as long as the CTAF owner/operator is on board.

Yeffro

I only call the taxi when my morning coffee has already "kicked in." I've found that when another airplane is taxiing opposite direction as me down the taxiway that either I get out of the way or they get out of the way.

I suppose there is an argument to be made about executing as many steps as possible to accomplish a given task.

I have no clue what airport the OP operates out of, but I can see where he's coming from here.

Up to this point, I've found that looking where I'm taxiing and not running into stuff has worked out well enough.

DirectTo

Same here. I will call it if the winds are calm on taxi just in case anyone is running around the pattern or hidden behind a hangar. I'll also call it if I'm going to depart downwind if things aren't busy. Otherwise, not wasting the time.