Is there no call to announce "downwind, final .. etc."

[Guest]

Hi,After ATC gives me instructions to go downwind to a certain runway, and when I am downwind, I do not find any option to announce that I am downwind or on final and so on. FU3 had that feature and I assumed that those were standard call outs. Are they ?

[Guest KenG]

At most tower-controlled airports, you do not announce position calls. This is especially true if they have radar. At one of the local Class D airports that I've been practicing my S-turn ILS approach variants (my CFII thinks I'm going to add an inverted stage to it one day), we never announce our position in the pattern even when flying VFR. Reason, by the time you get in the pattern, the guys in the tower will most likely be able to see you, so long as weather is VMC. However, I have been told to announce my entry into the pattern at a Class D airport, but that is more the exception than the rule (at least from my limited experience). Also, it isn't uncommon to have the Tower guys announce your turns for you if traffic is heavy. For example, I've been instructed many times to "remain on downwind, I'll call your base." I did once hear a guy at a towered airport doing circuits call out a couple positions, he got chastized by the controller for cluttering up the airwaves.At non-tower airports, you do need to announce your position.

[Guest]

Thanks. I'll test this out today.