Lopez Island (S31) radio calls

Non-towered airport: self-announce on the CTAF

Sample calls at S31

Lopez Island has no operating control tower. Every call below goes out on the CTAF, 128.25, to the other aircraft, not to a controller. The runway shown is 16, which has a right-hand pattern; use whichever runway the wind and the traffic dictate on the day.

The aircraft is the AIM’s own example, Cessna Three One Six Zero Foxtrot; the squawk codes, altitudes and headings are illustrative. Frequencies, station names and runway numbers are this airport’s, from the FAA data.

1. Tune 128.25. Nobody clears you; you announce and you listen. The airport name goes at the start and the end of every call, and the runway is always a number, never "the active" (AIM 4-1-9 g 8).
2. YouLopez Island traffic, Cessna Three One Six Zero Foxtrot, taxiing to runway one six, Lopez Island.
3. YouLopez Island traffic, Cessna Six Zero Foxtrot, departing runway one six, departing the pattern to the north, Lopez Island.
4. Announce until you are about 10 miles out; on the way back, start announcing at 10 miles (AIM 4-1-9 c 1, TBL 4-1-1).
5. YouLopez Island traffic, Cessna Three One Six Zero Foxtrot, one zero miles south, two thousand five hundred, landing Lopez Island, Lopez Island.
6. YouLopez Island traffic, Cessna Six Zero Foxtrot, entering left downwind runway one six, full stop, Lopez Island.
7. YouLopez Island traffic, Cessna Six Zero Foxtrot, left base runway one six, Lopez Island.
8. YouLopez Island traffic, Cessna Six Zero Foxtrot, final runway one six, full stop, Lopez Island.
9. YouLopez Island traffic, Cessna Six Zero Foxtrot, clear of runway one six, Lopez Island.

If things change. Do not use "any traffic in the area, please advise"; the AIM says it is not to be used under any condition (AIM 4-1-9 g 1). Listen for ten miles before you arrive; most of what you want to know has already been said.

Phraseology from AIM 4-1-9 c 1, g 1, g 8, h; TBL 4-1-1; 4-3-3. What TowerTalk grades against →

The calls you will make here

• CTAF radio calls at non-towered airports →
• Traffic pattern position reports →

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