The Blue Side Up blog has an interesting post outlining the signs of a pilot radio hog. To start with, the author of the post apparently works in an airline environment where there are no doubt more than a few radio hogs or pilots who are just a little bit too much into talking on the radio. Moreover, it was written:
Out there somewhere is the silver tongued airline pilot that has a voice that is the gift for radio. His voice is deep and he has great diction. He is the master of clarity, his voice beckons for you to get to know him. We have all heard him at some point in our careers. He may not even be alive today but chances are good you have heard him too.
Unfortunately, most people don’t have a smooth sounding voice that makes them fit to be a radio announcer. Moreover, the following are a few tell tale signs of a radio hog:
- Love to hear themselves talk. Radio hogs are pilots who hog the radio with unnecessary chatter about unnecessary things.
- Attempt to have a cool airline pilot voice that’s actually not the least bit cool. In fact, the voice may come across the radio as being too nasal.
- Calls with just the call sign. A radio hogs don’t state what they want during the initial transmission just so they can make extra transmissions to so that everyone can hear their voice – again.
- Answers the “disregard” call by saying “disregarding” etc. When ATC begins a command then changes their mind by saying “disregard,” there is no point in not ignoring something that someone telling you to ignore.
- Asks ATC on every sector how the rides are. Waiting a few minutes and listening to other pilots and radio hogs should answer that question.
Finally and according to the author of the post, a radio hog in the airline industry tend to be the same pilots that wear their sunglasses when they come out of the cockpit to use the bathroom.
Are there any other signs of a pilot radio hog that were left out from the above list – especially in the world of general aviation?