The first two pieces of information allow the listener (the controller) to determine how he or she can help you to accomplish the third task. This doesn't sound much like airplane radio talk, but all radio communications are simply forms of you acting out your role as the boss, the pilot in command, who wants to make his or her wishes known. If you give the controllers enough information, they'll be able to help you get from A to B expeditiously. If it takes two calls to give them the info they need, so be it. Better to get it all into one transmission, but two is fine, particularly when you're new to flying. If the controller wants more info, he or she will ask you for it.
While you're the boss as pilot in command, remember that you are obligated to follow instructions ATC issues you. Working with controllers as teammates is the best way to get what you want, as efficiently as possible.
By the way, that experiment to send "ready" signals via the transponder never did work out to our company's satisfaction: We still use exactly the same words in my Boeing 757 or 767 to request taxi clearance as you do in your Cessna 172. You and I are both in charge of making our wishes known so that we can get from A to B.
How you say what you want can often be as important as what you say while talking on the radio. When you're new to flying, it can be intimidating to find yourself in the middle of a professional arena when you figure your experience level may only qualify you to sit on the sidelines. You're the boss, as much as any other pilot is, and you must clearly state your needs or intentions.
As the boss, you need to taxi out for takeoff, and if you're not familiar with the taxi route, you may need assistance. Controllers like to help others since it makes them look good, expedites the flow of traffic, and gets everyone where they want to go-a major goal of aviating. You can help them do their job by giving them as much information as possible, including your experience level at both flying and airport navigating.
Even airline pilots get lost occasionally (mostly on the ground). Late one night after clearing the active runway at Buffalo, New York, I found myself staring at a taxiway and a chain-link fence. Having no idea which way to turn to get to the terminal, I told my first officer, "Ask ground for progressive taxi instructions; I haven't a clue as to whether I should turn left or right."
Your tone of voice and confidence level will help ATC to determine if you are a newbie or an experienced local. Body language is said to make up about 55 percent of verbal communications, while tone of voice conveys a whopping 38 percent-learning just 7 percent attributed to the actual words we use. Since radio communications are auditory only, we lose all of the advantages of body language while talking on the radio, making your tone of voice that much more important.
How do you say it in airplane speak? Actually, good ole' English works just fine when all else fails, but if you want to use a more professional-sounding style, try substituting some short-speak phrases (below)-just like you might text a friend on your cell phone.
First, think about what you're going to say and organize it in your mind (and on your clipboard if necessary) before you key the mic. Speak in the laundry-list style, using who (your airplane type and N number), where you are, and what you want to do.
The word "Roger" does not mean "Yes." It just means you heard what was said. It is not an answer to a question or an acknowledgement of a clearance. Those items require a readback, just as do all clearances that involve a runway.
Always speak slowly (so the other person will respond slowly) and clearly. If they don't respond at a comprehensible speed, just ask them to "Say again." Identifying yourself as a student pilot will also serve as a cue to the controller that he or she needs to slow it down a bit.
I've been known to ask controllers to repeat themselves two or even three times if I can't understand what they're saying. When all else fails, I request a phonetic spelling of the place in question.
Write down the instructions you receive. You've got lots on your mind, so why crowd it with data you can easily commit to paper? All pilots keep a notepad on their clipboard. Just remember to use your non-writing hand to key the mic so you can copy the clearance with your other one. Once you're finished with a frequency or altitude that you've written down, cross it out, leaving only the current data you need in front of you.
The key to understanding is familiarity. It really pays to spend some time looking at your departure and destination airport taxi routes so you know which way you hope to go and can then confirm ATC's instructions easily. The clearance (which is nothing more than a set of verbal instructions) will sound familiar to you when you receive a routing you've studied in advance.
If you speak with confidence, clearly stating the words, you'll find you get a much better response-and probably a quicker one. Be careful not to yell into the mic. Speak clearly and distinctly with perhaps a bit less speed than you'd use in normal conversation.
Another sin is not waiting until there is a pause in the chatter and you have heard other pilots finish their transmissions. Butting in, overlapping, or stepping on another pilot's transmission is impolite, will annoy the controller, and may get you put to the back of the line.
Listen before you key the mic; controllers, like bank tellers, strive to complete their immediate business with one customer before moving on to another. Listen, also, after you change frequencies (give it a silent count of three), before you begin to transmit. Often you'll find there is an exchange going on that you've just heard one side of. Listen for a moment to make sure that previous conversations have been completed before you begin, whether it be a simple, "Tower, Seven-Two-Kilo holding short Runway 1 right, ready for takeoff" or a longer request.
Radio speak is a learned art. The more you practice, the better you'll get. Take it at your own pace, listen carefully, write down what you hear, and soon you'll be talking like an old pro.
Capt. Karen Kahn is the author of Flight Guide for Success: Tips and Tactics for the Aspiring Airline Pilot and a career counselor. A Master CFI and 30-year airline pilot, she flies the Boeing 757/767 for a major U.S. carrier.
Things to remember
- Give the controllers enough information.
- How you say something can be as important as what you say.
- Clearly state your needs or intentions.
- Your tone of voice shows your confidence level.
- When all else fails, English works just fine.
- Think before you key the mic; organize your thoughts, then talk.
Say intentions-easier said than done?
We learn early in our flight training that when you have an emergency, it's better to fly the airplane and troubleshoot the situation than jump on the radio. But the downside to that training is that when pilots really need to call on ATC for assistance, they might not know how to ask for it. The AOPA Air Safety Foundation's online course, Say Intentions: When You Need ATC's Help, will get you over that hurdle by illustrating the value of asking for a flight assist. The course provides hands-on training on when to call for a flight assist and how to work with controllers to get yourself out of harm's way. The free course takes about 45 minutes to complete, but you can save your progress and come back to it at any time.
