Communication and ATC

Air Traffic Control (ATC):

• 5 times ATC will give you priority handling.
• 5 ways to help ATC on your next IFR flight.
• 7 times ATC is required to ask you for a pilot report.
• 7 radio tips from a tower controller.
• Breaking down live ATC conversations for new pilots. (vid)
• Calling a busy controller (video)
• Class C airspace specifics.
• Class D airspace specifics.
• Clearances - the script for the most common calls
• ATIS, ASOS, AWOS
• Departure Info
• Departure clearance
• Taxi clearance
• Takeoff clearance
• Holding instructions
• Clearance beyond limit or holding fix
• Approach info
• Approach clearance x 3
• Landing clearance
• Each kind of landing clearance from ATC.
• What you can do with each landing clearance.
• Resort to Taxi clearance
• Establish two-way radio communication, - see Phraseology below.
• Ground Control:
• Contact ground point seven - what does it mean? Vid 131.
• Why can't I hear other aircraft on Ground Control? (vid 74).
• How to make your initial call to ATC.
• Landing:
• Are there ATC requirements to get a long landing? (Vid 8).
• Does ATC need to tell me where to turn off the runway? (Vid 12)
• Light gun signals explained. (also see Airports).
• Non-towered airports: see below.
• Online lessons - listen to live ATC
• Phraseology / Terminology:
• Contact ground point seven - what does it mean? Vid 131.
• Do you know these ATC phrases?
• 8 ATC climb and descent phrases?
• "Negative Contact:" Which of these is the WRONG use ... 6Qs
• This is a scenario where the closing rate… 6Qs
• You're holding short of the runway... 5Qs.
• You're in cruise at 5,500 MSL...5Qs. (FI).
• You're practicing takeoffs and landings... 5Qs
• You're practicing takeoffs and landings... 6Qs
• 'Establish Radio Communication':
• How to: Vid 205 or Vid 221.
• What does it mean? Vid 99.
• Have you heard these 11 ATC phrases?
• "Keep your speed up on final" - what do you do? (Vid 15).
• 'Roger' vs. 'Wilco': differences - Vid 51 or Vid 197.
• "Unable". 10 times it's OK to say 'Unable' to ATC.
• Pilot/Controller Glossary
• PilotSpeak - Beginner’s guide to the aviation lexicon.
• Tips to make better radio calls (7 tips).
• Towered airport:
• Conquering radio fear.
• Frequencies, explained. (Vid 31 or Vid 95).
• Radio tips from an ATC tower controller.
• Video tip: ATC tower communications.

Communication / Radios:

• 6 steps or 6 tips to improve you radio calls.
• Communicate like a pro. P&P.
• CTAF vs. UNICOM: What's the difference? Vid 204.
• FAA offers “NO-GO on the Radio” comm tips.
• The dos and don’ts of talking on the radio.
• Radio confidence.

Knowledge Check / Quizzes:

• IFR radio communication quiz...7Qs (FI)
• What should you do when ATC says '______'? 6Qs.

Lost Communication:

• IFR
  
• Lost communication review.
• What happens if you lose your radios on an IFR flight? (bm)
• VFR
• Can you hear me now?  Lost comm procedures. (mzeroa)
• Lost comm under VFR? Here are 6 things you can do about it.
• Also see Radio Failure in Emergencies.

Non-towered Airports:

• Non-Towered Airport Communications (Pilot Workshops).
• Non-towered radio calls made easy. (Free Pilot Training vid).

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My comments on communication...

Radio calls / etiquette:.

• Always think about your call before making it.
• Who am I calling?  Who am I?  Where am I?  What am I doing (any amplifiers)?  ("XXX traffic" when non-towered)?
• “Meadow Lake traffic, Skyhawk 30Q, left downwind, 15 (or runway 15), [any amplifier], Meadow Lake”.
• Amplifiers; touch-and-go, full stop, stop-and-go, low approach, etc.
• Clearing a runway.  If calling “Skyhawk XXX clear ‘active’, Meadow Lake”, I only give a partial picture. If I say “Skyhawk XXX clear, RWY 15”, now people know I'm clear and RWY15 is the active runway.
• "Fillers".  Adding “this is”, “and uh”, "and" “turning”, etc. to calls adds nothing.  The radio can be busy - do you want to hear long radio calls?
• “Please advise”.  I don’t answer that call.  It’s actually frowned upon and they’ll be advised with the next call in the pattern.
• "Last call".  Not recommended.  Your departure is clear when you call departing.
• Plain English.  I like these calls.  I use “plain English” (or Plane English) when we need to convey something or ask something for clarity.
• Classic example is in the runup area.  You’re wondering what another airplane is doing…just ask.  “Cherokee 34X, are you going to do a runup or are you about to takeoff?”
• Another…if someone is on downwind and approaching base but you’re worried about spacing, just ask them.  “Mooney 84Q, can I takeoff in front of you?”  Often, they’ll respond with “yes”, “affirm”, “yeah, no problem”, etc.  If there’s no response or hesitation, I would wait.

- FIG -