122.75: Air-to-Air Comms
...what about 1-2-3-4-5?
The FAA has an agreement with the FCC to regulate the radio waves we use on a daily basis. The decision was made years ago (ref AC 90-50D) that 122.75 should be an aircraft air-to-air frequency. If you're thinking of using "fingers", don't - it's in the reserved band for flight testing, and you could be interfering with someone testing an aircraft.
Tune 122.75 whenever you're working in the practice area. Other instructors and any solo students should be doing the same. You can even use this on solo flights to talk to a friend or ask a handy CFI what weather they see, e.g. cloud bases or showers.
Practice Area Ops
To report on air-to-air, you must first know where you are. The overlay is designed to help with this: if you're either not from the area or unfamiliar, it provides the opportunity to learn.
But the goal is not to stare at Foreflight! Instead, become familiar with landmarks and report your position by looking outside. The difference between two and three miles from a given point is negligible. Hint: Runways are roughly a mile long.
If you're heading to a specific area to practice, call it/claim it on the way. If you want to split an area with others, let them know you'll stay "east of X" or "south of Y...", that works!
Example Calls:
- "Academy traffic, Goldwing Twenty-Six Bravo is over Bell City at 3500, steep turns, Academy"
- "Academy traffic, Goldwing Thirty Bravo south of Cape heading east of Benton for ground ref maneuvers, Academy"
- "Academy traffic, Goldwing Fifty-Five Bravo approaching Daisy northbound. Goldwing Nine Alpha Bravo, are you on frequency?"
- "Academy traffic, Goldwing Twenty Six Bravo leaving Cape for Bird Hill, 3500 and above for airwork."
The goal is to understand each other's positions and intentions. Speak plainly on air-to-air. Just remember: look outside.