What is the Common Traffic Advisory Frequency (CTAF) used for?

The Common Traffic Advisory Frequency (CTAF) is primarily used for carrying out airport advisory practices at non-towered airports. This frequency allows pilots operating in the vicinity of non-towered airports to communicate their intentions and situational awareness to others, thus enhancing safety as there is no control tower to manage traffic.

Using CTAF, pilots announce their positions, intentions for takeoff, landing, and other essential information. This practice is crucial because it helps prevent mid-air collisions by providing all pilots with vital information about what is happening in the area, even when they are not communicating directly with a control tower.

The other choices do not accurately describe the purpose of the CTAF. Coordinating traffic at controlled airports typically involves communication with Air Traffic Control (ATC), which assumes an organized structure that doesn't rely on CTAF. Broadcasting weather alerts is usually performed over specific frequencies dedicated to weather information and does not coincide with the purpose of CTAF. Communicating with ground control specifically refers to interactions at airports with a control tower, where ATC provides instructions and traffic management, rather than the advisory purposes of non-towered airports.