One of the most intimidating aspects of learning to be a pilot can be learning how to talk on the radio. In you first few hours, your CFI will likely handle this so you can focus on actually flying the plane.
One of the most important books you will want in your arsenal is the FAR/AIM. For this post, we will be highlighting the AIM (Aeronautical Information Manual). This is the official source for good radio communication procedures. The pilot/controller glossary defines many words and phrases that are used in the aviation world. It is definitely something you will want to have handy throughout your training to refer to when you encounter something on the radio that may unfamiliar.
The Four “W’s”
Who you are calling: The first thing you will do on the radio is announce who you are intending to communicate with. Ex. “Airport name ground…” “Ground” will be changed depending on your situation. It may be traffic or tower (there may be more that I have yet to learn).
Who you are: The next thing you will announce is who you are (tail number) and what you are flying. Ex. “Cessna Skyhawk One-Seven-Two Hotel Xray…”
Where you are: Next is where you are located at the airport on the ground, or your location relative to the airport if you are in the air. Ex. “10 miles north at 2,500
What you want: This is what you are requesting to do. Ex. “Taxi for south departure…”
Put it all together and you get something like, “Janesville traffic this is Cessna Skyhawk One-Seven-Two Hotel Xray 10 miles north at 2,500, landing Janesville”.
These 4 W’s are the foundation for most all radio calls that you will make.
UNICOM and CTAF
UNICOM is an abbreviation for Unified Communications. UNICOM is available at most non-towered airports and may provide airport advisory information when needed. If no one is manning the UNICOM frequency at that particular airport, you will want to go to CTAF (Common Traffic Advisory Frequency).
CTAF is used for making radio calls and position reports at non-towered fields. Any aircraft in the area should also be on the same CTAF channel, as there is no ATC (Air Traffic Control) to provide direction. When you are at a non-towered airport, it is you responsibility to watch for other aircraft and listen to CTAF to see what planes are in the area and what their intentions are.
It is also important to keep in mind that if an aircraft is not announcing their intentions, their radio may be broken or they may not have one. Always rely on your eyes and watch what others are doing.
Towered Airports
Towered airports typically have much more traffic than a non-towered airport. This is where you will encounter ATC. This is who you will communicate your intentions to and they will tell you where and when to go. It is best be concise and prepared when speaking to ATC so that you do not clog up the frequency or talk over another aircraft. Having a scratchpad to write information down will be very helpful until you are able to remember what to listen for so you are ready to repeat back what you have to.
Chances are if you are learning at a towered airport, ATC is used to listening to student pilots and understand you are still learning. So don’t get too down on yourself if you make a mistake, just learn from it and be ready for the next time.
Quick Note: Time in radio communication is expressed in Zulu/Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) – OR – in the local time.
