Originally Posted by
UAL250
Flew into Laramie, Wyoming recently. It appears there is no control tower there, which isn't terribly surprising since there's only one or two UA flights a day there.
What do pilots on UAX or UA do when flying into an airport with no tower? Are they always with the center the airport is in from takeoff to landing? For example, for DEN-LAR would Denver Center control them the entire way, including giving them clearance to land? Or is there some general frequency for the airport that the pilots will just announce their intentions to other aircraft in the immediate area? Thanks.
At uncontrolled airports there is a Unicom frequency where you announce position reports so other aircraft know where you are in the pattern.
We can do it on the air as well but once safely on the ground we’ll call a predetermined ATC center frequency to let them know we safely landed. That will close out our flight plan and avoid calling out the search and rescue team on us.
When departing we do the opposite. We’ll call the controlling ATC center and tell them we’re almost ready for departure. They will issue a “hold for release” clearance which allows us to depart an airport without any ATC assistance on the ground. Once airborne they can get us on radar and everything continues normally from there.