Narrative:

After starting the aircraft, my student tuned the communication radio to pick up ATIS. The information that we received was the advisory that rhv tower uses when it closes at night, ie, 'reid-hillview tower suspended operations at XX00Z,' etc. Thinking that the tower was not open at the present time, around XX10 local, we taxied to the run-up area for runway 31R without making a call but monitoring the CTAF on 119.80. We were in the run-up area for around 5 mins when we were ready to depart. My student advised the area traffic that we would be taking the active runway 31R for a right downwind departure. Before we taxied onto the runway we did a 360 degree turn to scan for traffic. Once we had cleared the area, we began to taxi onto the runway. Just then rhv tower came on frequency and asked if we would like a wind check before we took off. We responded and said that we would like the wind check. Tower then came on and said 'wind calm.' a few seconds later rhv tower came back onto the frequency and said, 'skyhawk would you like a clearance before you take off?' my student and I were both shocked by this comment as we had been given no indication that tower had been open, until that moment. We responded by saying that we did not know that tower was in operation since ATIS said the tower was closed. In hindsight, this could have been prevented by checking the airport facility directory, or the ATIS that was being broadcast, for the time that the tower should have been open. We could have queried anyone on the CTAF frequency to ascertain the status of the tower or, we could have simply made a TA that we were taxiing to the active and that may have alerted ATC. In addition, ATC personnel made no attempt to contact us on any frequency before hand and apparently did not look outside their window at any time before our call.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DUAL TRAINING FLT TAXIED OUT WITHOUT TWR CLRNC DUE TO BELIEVING THAT THE TWR WAS STILL CLOSED.

Narrative: AFTER STARTING THE ACFT, MY STUDENT TUNED THE COM RADIO TO PICK UP ATIS. THE INFO THAT WE RECEIVED WAS THE ADVISORY THAT RHV TWR USES WHEN IT CLOSES AT NIGHT, IE, 'REID-HILLVIEW TWR SUSPENDED OPS AT XX00Z,' ETC. THINKING THAT THE TWR WAS NOT OPEN AT THE PRESENT TIME, AROUND XX10 LCL, WE TAXIED TO THE RUN-UP AREA FOR RWY 31R WITHOUT MAKING A CALL BUT MONITORING THE CTAF ON 119.80. WE WERE IN THE RUN-UP AREA FOR AROUND 5 MINS WHEN WE WERE READY TO DEPART. MY STUDENT ADVISED THE AREA TFC THAT WE WOULD BE TAKING THE ACTIVE RWY 31R FOR A R DOWNWIND DEP. BEFORE WE TAXIED ONTO THE RWY WE DID A 360 DEG TURN TO SCAN FOR TFC. ONCE WE HAD CLRED THE AREA, WE BEGAN TO TAXI ONTO THE RWY. JUST THEN RHV TWR CAME ON FREQ AND ASKED IF WE WOULD LIKE A WIND CHK BEFORE WE TOOK OFF. WE RESPONDED AND SAID THAT WE WOULD LIKE THE WIND CHK. TWR THEN CAME ON AND SAID 'WIND CALM.' A FEW SECONDS LATER RHV TWR CAME BACK ONTO THE FREQ AND SAID, 'SKYHAWK WOULD YOU LIKE A CLRNC BEFORE YOU TAKE OFF?' MY STUDENT AND I WERE BOTH SHOCKED BY THIS COMMENT AS WE HAD BEEN GIVEN NO INDICATION THAT TWR HAD BEEN OPEN, UNTIL THAT MOMENT. WE RESPONDED BY SAYING THAT WE DID NOT KNOW THAT TWR WAS IN OP SINCE ATIS SAID THE TWR WAS CLOSED. IN HINDSIGHT, THIS COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED BY CHKING THE ARPT FACILITY DIRECTORY, OR THE ATIS THAT WAS BEING BROADCAST, FOR THE TIME THAT THE TWR SHOULD HAVE BEEN OPEN. WE COULD HAVE QUERIED ANYONE ON THE CTAF FREQ TO ASCERTAIN THE STATUS OF THE TWR OR, WE COULD HAVE SIMPLY MADE A TA THAT WE WERE TAXIING TO THE ACTIVE AND THAT MAY HAVE ALERTED ATC. IN ADDITION, ATC PERSONNEL MADE NO ATTEMPT TO CONTACT US ON ANY FREQ BEFORE HAND AND APPARENTLY DID NOT LOOK OUTSIDE THEIR WINDOW AT ANY TIME BEFORE OUR CALL.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.