Quote:
Originally Posted by eric_ca
If I am listening to ATC communications from a nearby major airport (tower frequency, for takeoffs and landings), is it safe to say that the pilot speaking to the air traffic controller is not the one flying the plane at that moment?
For the airlines, it is the non-flying pilot (PNF) handling the radios. There are times, however, where the flying pilot (PF) will handle ATC and that's whenever the PNF must leave the frequency, e.g. to make a PA or to go off on comm #2 to check ATIS or call operations.
At Delta, the need to go off and use the secondary radio is pretty rare. ATIS is retrieved via ACARS at most airports these days and there is not usually a need to contact Ops since Out/Off/On/In (OOOI) times are reported automatically. But there are still airports (e.g. most of those in the Caribbean) where ATIS must be copied from radio transmissions.
The other situation which might require the PF to handle ATC is during an abnormal situation. This could be a mechancial problem, requiring a radio patch to our dispatcher and maintenance via Atlanta Radio, or a medical situation in back requiring a radio patch to STAT MD, again via Atlanta Radio on comm #2.
And, lastly, if one pilot leaves the cockpit to use the lav, the remaining pilot handles all of the big three tasks: aviate, navigate, communicate.