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FAASTeam
FAASTeam Notice
Type: Local Air Safety Information
Notice Date: Thursday, June 15, 2017
Notice Number: NOTC7220
CTAF Procedure Review
This notice expired on
Sunday, December 31, 2017

There is potential trouble brewing at a number of Georgia's non-towered airports as well as the skies that surround them. The growing issue is nonuse/misuse/abuse of the CTAF, an often frustrating communications tool most airmen have experienced firsthand as they venture through our state airspace. The acronym CTAF stands for Common Traffic Advisory Frequency, which is a frequency designated for the purpose of carrying out airport advisory practices while operating to or from an airport without an operating control tower. The CTAF may be a UNICOM, MULTICOM, FSS, or tower frequency and is identified in appropriate aeronautical publications.  They were designed to allow pilots to communicate their position and intentions to each other both on the ground and aloft. This greatly aids situational awareness and when used properly helps facilitate safer operations.

The AIM provides guidance that when arriving at an airport pilots make a call 10 miles out. A responsible airman should hopefully be listening to the CTAF much farther out. If one has been paying attention, one would already know what runway is in use and have a general idea of traffic in the area. So those questions should not need to be asked. Pilots of departing aircraft should monitor/communicate on the appropriate frequency from start-up, during taxi, and routinely until 10 miles from the airport unless the CFRs or local departure procedures require otherwise.

Recent reliable reports indicate a disturbing and widespread disregard for CTAF procedure and policy by airmen of almost every certificate, aircraft type and operation in your geographic area. The FAA Safety Team strongly encourages each recipient of this Notice to review the three excellent and informative references appended below and adjust their communication habits as may be necessary.

Ref. #1: AOPA ASI advisory "Operations at Nontowered Airports" 

Ref. #2:  CFII/DPE Wally Moran 's article "Proper Use of CTAF" 

Ref. #3:  FAA Advisory Circular 90-42F