With the heightened congestion on air communication frequencies these days, one of the most difficult portions of flight training has become efficient radio communication with air traffic control (ATC) as well as with other pilots on unicom frequencies. At the big airports during airline rush hours, dead air on ATC approach and surrounding center frequencies can be such a rare occurrence that even if you manage to get a word in, you must make sure it's quick, meaningful, and professional sounding, or else you could be denied access to that airport or its airspace until the traffic subsides. "Think before you speak" takes on renewed meaning when flying around large airports.
Cold call?
In initial contact with an ATC facility there is some debate about whether pilots should call a facility and make their request in the same breath or make a cold call to establish communications first. An example of the cold-call exchange would be: "New York Approach, Skyhawk One-Two-Three-Alpha."
"Skyhawk One-Two-Three-Alpha, New York, go ahead."
"Skyhawk One-Two-Three-Alpha, off Allentown, request VFR advisories to Harrisburg at four thousand five hundred." This method requires more transmissions; however, it also assures that the controller is ready to copy down your information so that he can make up a "strip" to put you into the ATC system. Many controllers believe the cold call is the more courteous method, especially during busy times. The Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM) suggests that if the request is brief — "Socal Approach, Navajo One-Two-Three Alpha, IFR Fullerton" — cold calling is not necessary. Longer transmissions, such as those giving current position, altitude, requested altitude, and destination, would likely be too much for a controller to swallow on the initial call. In such a case, the cold call would be the more appropriate method. Use your judgment — if the frequency is jammed and/or the controller seems busy, a cold call would likely be more appropriate.
Once communications are established, packing the most punch into your requests will likely pay off with a clearance. A controller who has no knowledge of your piloting background has to establish your credibility in just a few radio calls. First impressions are indeed important. Calling a busy controller with the request, "Dulles Approach, this is Cessna Two-Three-Alpha requesting flight following to Winchester," doesn't tell a controller much of anything and will only force him to play 20 questions with you. ATC needs the type of aircraft, full call sign, current position and altitude, and request. This can be better taken care of by saying, "Dulles Approach, Skyhawk One-Two-Three-Alpha, five miles north of the Martinsburg VOR, climbing to four thousand five hundred, request VFR advisories to Winchester."
Using "Skyhawk" instead of "Cessna" tells the controller that you're in a 172, which will be put on the strip with your full call sign. Giving your current position in relation to a well-known navaid (five miles north of the Martinsburg VOR) allows the controller to quickly find you on his scope, eliminating the need to search for your target among the many others on the screen. Most important, the latter call won't require the controller to extract bits of information with multiple transmissions that clog his frequency. Your professionalism on the radio hopefully will help you avoid the dreaded response, "Unable flight following, remain clear of Class B airspace."
Once in the system, pilots — both professional and amateur — say a lot of unnecessary things on the radio out of habit. For example, on a simple handoff from one controller to another, "Salt Lake Approach, this is Skyhawk One-Two-Three-Alpha with you at one-one-thousand feet" could be shortened to: "Salt Lake Approach, Skyhawk One-Two-Three-Alpha, one-one thousand." Phrases such as "this is," "with you at," or "checking in at" are simply not necessary. In the same category are phrases such as "climbing out of" or "descending down to." A controller needs to hear the vitals such as the altitude you're climbing or descending to (many also like to hear your current altitude to cross-check the Mode C readout), but the added phrases are not necessary.
Another breach of hand-off etiquette is the pilot who immediately starts talking on the new frequency as soon as it is entered in the radio. This interrupts any conversation that may have been under way on the frequency. Hand-offs are not typically a time-critical affair, so pausing several seconds before checking in with the new controller is not a problem. Besides, the controllers have already worked out the hand-off behind the scenes via landline. They probably know that you're on board before you call.
On the ground at large airports things can get hectic, especially with the FAA's heightened awareness of runway and taxiway incursions. This is especially burdensome on general aviation pilots who aren't particularly well-regarded in this sea of airliners. Expect long taxi clearances using multiple taxiways and multiple ramp and ground frequencies. Having the airport diagram out and writing down the clearance are musts to avoid a potential call to the tower or worse — a mishap involving an airliner. Having a basic knowledge of the airport layout and major taxiways is also a very good idea, as is having a current set of charts. Airport diagrams are available free from the AOPA Air Safety Foundation on AOPA Online ( www.aopa.org/asf/publications/taxi/).
Controllers at large airports are anxious to move airplanes as quickly as possible, and frequency congestion is common. Nuisance calls such as contacting the tower to say you are "ready in sequence" when there's a line of aircraft in front of you are pointless. The controller knows you are there, as do the dozens of airplanes behind you. This call just adds to the frequency congestion and forces the controller to respond to tell you to hold short. If you are number one at the runway and there's no one on final approach, then you have a legitimate excuse to say you are ready at the end. Remember, at most large airports a hold-short clearance requires a readback.
The best way to learn about life on the other side of the mic is to visit an ATC facility. There you will learn what a controller wants to hear and — just as important — what he doesn't.
Unicom chatter
When flying into or approaching the traffic pattern of a nontowered field, the first order of business is to listen. Starting at least 10 miles from the field, a pilot should be able to ascertain from others in the pattern which runway is in use and how much traffic is already there. How many times have you heard somebody key the mic on a busy unicom to request an airport advisory when the runway in use has been said five times in the last 30 seconds by others in the pattern? Of course, if no radio calls are heard, then calling the unicom operator for an airport advisory is obviously warranted.
If the pattern is a busy one, a short position report stating your location and intentions lets everyone know where you are and where you're going to be. For example, "Anytown Traffic, Cessna One-Two-Three-Alpha, 10 miles southeast inbound at two thousand four hundred, descending." This simple call is packed with information for all the aircraft arriving in or departing the area. (Unlike calls to ATC, we use "Cessna" instead of the specific model because it would be hard for the pilot of another airplane in the pattern to tell a Skyhawk from a Skylane.) A similar but useless call is, "Anytown Traffic, Cessna One-Two-Three-Alpha, 10 miles out for left traffic Runway 14." This doesn't tell anybody where or at what altitude to look for you.
Long aircraft registration numbers can be a mouthful to say on the unicom. Instead, try shortening it or dropping it altogether. "Anytown Traffic, Cessna's on downwind Runway 14, Anytown." If you're flying the only Cessna in a pattern of Pipers, you'll be easy to spot. This also works if you fly a less-common type of aircraft. "Anytown Traffic, Bellanca's turning base Runway 14, Anytown."
Along the same lines, military call signs don't really have a place in the traffic pattern because they usually don't specify an aircraft type. For example, a few years back the Civil Air Patrol began using the "CAP flight" call sign. This is fine to use with ATC but is not useful in the traffic pattern. How do others know what type of aircraft to look for?
Always a prizewinner in a busy pattern is the call, "Anytown Traffic, Cessna One-Two-Three Alpha inbound, any traffic please advise." This is likely to be met with a loud squeal as everyone pipes in at once with a position report.
If you are an instructor, strongly encourage your students to spend some quality time with chapter four of the AIM and/or purchase the Comm 1 radio simulator from e-publishing group. The Comm 1 product allows students to receive and reply to rapid-fire instructions from ATC. The creators have dissected all of the AIM information into an easy-to-use, real-world interactive simulator that you use on your personal computer. For more information, call 888/333-2855 or visit the Web site ( www.comm1radio.com).
For many aspiring pilots, mastering radio communications is one of the hardest parts of flight training. Listening to others and thinking before you speak is half the battle in avoiding radio babble and getting what you want from ATC.
Peter A. Bedell, AOPA 1136339, is a regional airline captain and former technical editor of AOPA Pilot.
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