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    Miles - always nautical?

    When the tower says "contact when 2 miles out", does that mean nautical miles? In other words, when talking aviation, are the units always nautical miles?

  2. #2

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    Quote Originally Posted by kdahlhaus View Post
    When the tower says "contact when 2 miles out", does that mean nautical miles? In other words, when talking aviation, are the units always nautical miles?
    No, not all aviation miles are nautical

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    PaulDow's Avatar
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    Some planes have air speed indicators in statute MPH. That scale makes it seem like they go faster.
    It makes no difference to the controller when you make a call like that. They're just looking for you in the approximate area.

    Not much bugs a controller more than using a precise number off your GPS, such as saying you're 2.43 miles out, or 153.4 miles from some VOR.

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    Well, if you are on the ground weather is expressed in farenhite and statue miles. once airborne its Celsius and nautical miles. Air space is measured off in NM, but cloud clearance is statute miles. They do this just to mess you up.

    NM's have a relationship to latitude. Those black lines on a chart that run north and south have "tic" marks spaced in nautical miles and are a handy scale. Don't try it with the lines running E & W. They are distorted by the way they converge near the poles. They also do this to mess you up.

    Bob

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    gbrasch's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bob Dingley View Post
    Well, if you are on the ground weather is expressed in farenhite and statue miles. once airborne its Celsius and nautical miles. Air space is measured off in NM, but cloud clearance is statute miles. They do this just to mess you up.

    NM's have a relationship to latitude. Those black lines on a chart that run north and south have "tic" marks spaced in nautical miles and are a handy scale. Don't try it with the lines running E & W. They are distorted by the way they converge near the poles. They also do this to mess you up.

    Bob
    Thanks for a good chuckle!
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    FlyingRon's Avatar
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    Radio reports should be done in NM.

    Amusingly, while class D are nominally sized at 4.2 NM, this odd number stems from the fact that the old Airport Traffic Areas (which by the way were not controlled airspace nor charted) were 5SM. Even more oddly. Someone botched the conversion. 5 SM is slightly over 4.3 NM

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    I get a good chuckle out of distances from the airport, as without a time they can be meaningless.

    "Talladega traffic, Cardinal XYZ is ten miles west, landing on 22, entering the downwind across the airport, Talledega" is a correct call, but unless one knows what a Cardinal is, the "when" of his arrival is a mystery.

    Throw in experimentals and it's hilarity.

    "Talledega traffic, Nieuport 2GV is ten miles west, landing on 22, entering the downwind across the airport, Talledega" has often been met with a "Nieuport, what is your location" five minutes later, as someone is wondering if they can safely take off.

    The Cardinal would probably say "turning base to final" about that time. Me, I'm still five miles out. Or maybe seven, putt putting along at 55 mph.

    The whole purpose of calling out location and intentions to the traffic is to aid in "seek and avoid," so it's a good idea to know approximate time one will travel ten miles.

    Plus, when one is in the air it's an approximation. If one calls at ten miles, by the time it's heard and understood one is closer than that.
    The opinions and statements of this poster are largely based on facts and portray a possible version of the actual events.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Frank Giger View Post
    Throw in experimentals and it's hilarity.

    "Talledega traffic, Nieuport 2GV is ten miles west, landing on 22, entering the downwind across the airport, Talledega" has often been met with a "Nieuport, what is your location" five minutes later, as someone is wondering if they can safely take off.
    "Auburn Traffic, Fly Baby 848 entering downwind behind the 172, Auburn."

    (Apparent Student in the 172) "Fly Baby, do I need to do a 360 so you can get by me?"

    Told him I'd just throttle back a bit.

    Quote Originally Posted by Frank Giger View Post
    Plus, when one is in the air it's an approximation. If one calls at ten miles, by the time it's heard and understood one is closer than that.
    Another bit of fun 'n games is the term, "over", as in "above." I say I'm over a landmark when said landmark disappears beneath the leading edge. Others seem to use it when the landmark is over the horizon.

    Ron Wanttaja

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    Another bit of fun 'n games is the term, "over", as in "above." I say I'm over a landmark when said landmark disappears beneath the leading edge. Others seem to use it when the landmark is over the horizon.
    You just described more than one of my relationships with women back in my youth.
    The opinions and statements of this poster are largely based on facts and portray a possible version of the actual events.

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    Quote Originally Posted by kdahlhaus View Post
    When the tower says "contact when 2 miles out", does that mean nautical miles? In other words, when talking aviation, are the units always nautical miles?
    Does it really matter that much between statute or nautical, there's not that much difference between the two.

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