I think the “hey you” (1), “it’s me” (2), “I’m here” (3), “I’m doing or going to do this” (4), and “I’ll remind you that I’m at this airport” (5) is the best use of the radio on the Common Traffic Advisory Frequency (CTAF).

For example, “Winchester traffic (1), Cessna 4-4-6-4 Tango (2), left downwind runway 18 (3), touch and go (4), Winchester (5).”

This gets the attention of who should be interested in the information that follows (Guntersville traffic can ignore the rest) and thereby notifies everyone generally where you are (Winchester area), tells them who you are, and what kind of plane you are. The next item tells them more specifically where you are (left downwind in this case, or 10 miles north, or whatever). The “touch and go” notifies everyone of your intentions (not a full stop and will be climbing out initially, at least, to the south). The repeated location is useful if part of the radio call is blocked.

If the first part of the call is blocked and the airport name isn’t repeated, “…..left downwind runway 18” will make the pilots of those airplanes on left downwind 18 at Shelbyville and Podunkstown mighty nervous. Those pilots hearing, “squeeeaaal! left downwind 18, touch and go, Winchester”, won’t be concerned about you, but should keep scanning for traffic at their airport .

In my opinion, the last location is just that, a location. I think it’s a waste of breath to always repeat the word traffic, as in “Sewanee-Franklin County traffic, Cessna 57L, left base 25, Sewanee traffic.” The last “traffic” is unness, unniss, ..uh.., redundant.

AC 90-66C, Non-Towered Airport Flight Operations, Section 10, Communications Procedures, says “To help identify one airport from another, the correct airport name should be spoken at the beginning and end of each self-announce transmission.” No mention of the extra “traffic”.