The International Cessna^® 170 Association

Here's some tower audio that'll get your atttention.

http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archives/a ... tml#196454

Question:

There's a student pilot that obviously didn't realize what was happening. Unless he was totally zoned out, he stayed on ground frequency during his run-up, as I'm in the habit of doing. Shoud we switch to tower immediately on arrival in the runup area, or stay on ground? Or should ground have made an announcement about the situation?

Miles

After listening to the tape it sounds to me like the situation was handled very well. Yes, I believe ground control should have informed other aircraft on the ground of the situation and should have frozen ground movement. I believe the best practice is to remain on ground in the runup area - due ground control often needing to move aircraft around at the approach end. When on the ground talk to ground control - when ready for flight go to tower. It sounds like the Saratoga misidentified traffic and had the midair with the traffic the tower had pointed out. Misidentifying traffic is easy to do at a busy terminal - as a result, I will often re-confirm with the tower the location of my traffic. Very fortunate set of circumstances.

That controller showed a very cool persona during what could have been a major incident. There have been times when I have been in some of those extremely busy GA airports and wished I was back home where two or three planes a day is the norm!

BTW Reklaw is on this weekend and it appears from the reports I have had there are already lots of planes there. We are going to DRIVE ( ) over in the morning. You guys flying in there tomorrow - - - - BE CAREFUL!!!!!!! According to VP Paul Wood - there has already been one "incident".

Jamie and I have returned from Reklaw, and it was a really successful fly-in... over 545 airplanes and lots of "drive in's" as well!

(Dave's gonna have to get a pvt freq.)