Definition
A radio communication practice used at airports without an operating control tower, in which pilots broadcast their position and intentions on the designated common frequency (typically the CTAF) so that other pilots in the area know where they are and what they plan to do. Self-announce calls are made at standard points such as approaching the airport, entering the traffic pattern, on each leg of the pattern, on final approach, when clearing the runway, and when taxiing for departure.
Plain English
When there is no control tower telling pilots what to do, each pilot tells everyone else what they are doing by saying it out loud on the radio. You announce who you are, where you are, and what you intend to do next, so other pilots in the area can stay clear of you.
Context Anchor
Used when arriving at, departing from, taxiing at, or flying near a nontowered airport.
Derivation
‘Self-announce’ is plain English: you announce your own position and intentions, rather than a controller doing it for you. The term highlights that responsibility for traffic separation shifts to the pilots themselves.
Why Pilots Care
Following these procedures maintains situational awareness and reduces the chance of runway conflicts or mid-air collisions at airports without controllers.
Intuition Check
Self-announce does not mean making up your own rules or asking for permission from other pilots. It means making clear, standard radio calls so everyone nearby can build the same traffic picture.
Example Sentence 1
Approaching the nontowered field, she used self-announce procedures on the CTAF: ‘Smithville traffic, Cessna 12345, ten miles south, inbound for landing, Smithville.’
Example Sentence 2
Before entering the runway, the pilot completed the required self-announce transmission to check for other traffic.