Someone brought up the subject of PIREPs in the General forum. Here's one that bugs me, that I've heard for as long as I've been in this business. Superdooper Airline flight 123 calls Superdooper Airline flight 456 on 121.5 and tells them to go to company frequency or 5 across. So, of course we immediately tune our tunable transceiver into that frequency and hear, "Just left XYZ, moderate to severe turbulence on departure from runway 26", or "CB on the departure path runway 08".

What's with that? A PIREP for everybody, not just your company, would be nice.

Never heard that happen out here. Is this really a common occurrence? I didn't know you gals could change frequencies . Isn't there a rule about that?

We have a tunable transceiver, for use when the main transmitter/receivers fail. If I hear someone say "Go company" or "Go 5 across"...I'm there! Never know when you're gonna get a good PIREP!

I'd say it happens very month or three on average.

ahramin wrote:Never heard that happen out here. Is this really a common occurrence? I didn't know you gals could change frequencies . Isn't there a rule about that?

We can only transmit on certain frequencies, but we can eavesdrop on whoever we want. I usually have the PAL or 126.7 tuned up. Or like lil said, company whenever we hear someone going to that.

5 across is the new Chat line, why doesn't anyone tell me these things, I've been on 12345 all this time.

5 across is 12345...just another way of saying it.

lilfssister wrote:5 across is 12345...just another way of saying it.

It better be... You guys just don't want me chatting with you.. =(.

your sneaky lilfssister !!!! very sneaky !!

Hey, info is info, no matter how you get it! And I'm in the info business.

lilfssister wrote: "CB on the departure path runway 08".

What's with that? A PIREP for everybody, not just your company, would be nice.

I've been in this situation, and it _is_ explainable. I'm launching out off of runway xx in someplace someprovince. I _know_ there are some planes gonna launch behind me, and at least one of them is a <insert light twin of choice> that is NOT equipped with radar or stormscope. The forecasts say layers, and no mention of towering types. The moment I say 'towering' or 'nimbus' on an ATS frequency, it becomes a pirep, and works it's way into the system, it's now a 'known' condition. If i keep my mouth shut, that guy without radar can launch legally. I open my mouth, and he's still gonna launch, but now he's exposed to a violation, for just doing what we've all been doing for the last 30 years.

I've been in the shoes of that young kid, and it's an unbelievable pressure to be sitting on the ground, watching the other guys come and go, knowing that boss will likely fire you for not launching, and knowing you are exposed to violation if you do launch. Young fella doesn't need that kind of pressure. Get the word to those folks thru a non ats frequency, hint strongly they should launch off of runway yyy instead of xxx . The normal situation is, you pop up out of the low stuff and get a look around, see the towering stuff, and avoid anyways, but, sometimes avoid is a lot easier if you come off of runway yyy.