A significant percentage of pilots do their initial training at nontowered airports. So it should come as no surprise that many of those same pilots do much of their flying from nontowered airports after they earn their certificate. That reality presents pilots with opportunities and challenges. For all the freedom and relaxed atmosphere that nontowered airports provide us, they often lull us into becoming rusty in our radio work. Fortunately, those skills can be polished and greatly improved—quickly and easily.
Federal Aviation Regulation 61.109(iii) specifies the aeronautical experience at a towered airport required of anyone applying for a private pilot certificate. It reads, “Three takeoffs and three landings to a full stop (with each landing involving a flight in the traffic pattern) at an airport with an operating control tower.”
Three landings and takeoffs fulfill the requirements, but they do not necessarily provide enough familiarity to make us truly confident when operating in a towered airport environment. And since avoiding controlled airspace in order to avoid using the radio can limit our travel options, we might enjoy flying more—and expand our potential destinations—if we practice some fairly simple radio communication procedures.
Fortunately, there are similarities between radio procedures for towered and nontowered airports. Let’s take a look at a hypothetical arrival at a towered airport to better understand the similarities and differences in communications between the two environments. In most cases the radio calls include the same basic information. The primary difference is that in a nontowered environment, pilots report what they are doing. In the towered environment, they request a clearance to perform the same actions.
Ten miles out. Tune and listen to the automatic terminal information service. ATIS provides a running commentary on the conditions at the airport. Along with pertinent information such as the altimeter setting, winds are included in this broadcast, which can give you an excellent idea of which runway is in use (many ATIS reports also specify the current active runway). Each broadcast is labeled with a letter of the alphabet, Alpha through Zulu.
First call: “Central City Tower, Cessna One-Two-Three-Four-Five.”
Tower response: “Cessna Three-Four-Five, Central City Tower.”
Your reply: “Cessna Three-Four-Five is 10 miles south, inbound full stop with Information Oscar.”
Tower reply: “Three-Four-Five, report two-mile right base for Runway 9.”
Your answer: “Three-Four-Five will report two-mile right base for Runway 9.”
As you can see, the tower controller has made some decisions for you and simplified your traffic pattern. Rather than having to listen to the automated surface observation system or automated weather observation system to determine which runway to use, then listen to the common traffic advisory frequency to verify that traffic is indeed using that runway, the tower controller has assigned a runway and an entry to the traffic pattern.
At the reporting point. The reporting point can be any place the tower needs you. He or she can bring you in on a left or right downwind leg, or a base leg, or straight in on final approach. Generally the controller will assign you an entry that is fairly direct for your route of flight. That simplifies the process for you, and the tower controller. It also speeds up the flow of traffic in the pattern and reduces congestion. In some cases the controller will assign you one runway while assigning another aircraft a different runway. Be alert for this and make notes as necessary. Stick with the instructions the controller gives you, and keep your eyes outside to see and avoid other aircraft in the pattern.
In this case, the tower asked you to report a two-mile right base for Runway 9. When you are established on a right base for that runway and positioned two miles from the extended centerline, you will make your next call. Second call: “Central City Tower, Cessna Three-Four-Five, two-mile right base for Runway 9.”
Tower response: “Cessna Three-Four-Five cleared to land Runway 9.”
Your reply: “Three-Four-Five cleared to land Runway 9.”
You are now cleared to continue on your base leg, turn final, and land. The runway is yours.
On the ground. After landing, there are three options. The controller may contact you and approve a frequency change to the ground control frequency, in which case he or she will read off the ground control frequency to you; he or she may say, “Taxi to the ramp with me,” meaning you should stay on the tower frequency while you taxi; or you may hear nothing. It all depends on how busy the controller is. If the controller is busy and doesn’t contact you, simply turn off the runway at your first safe opportunity, tune to the ground control frequency, and make your call.
Your call: “Central City Ground, Cessna One-Two-Three-Four-Five, clear of Runway 9, taxi to the FBO.”
Ground control response: “Cessna Three-Four-Five, taxi to the FBO via taxiway Delta and Foxtrot.”
And that’s it. You have successfully flown into a tower-controlled airport, made all the calls required of you, and you’re now taxiing to the FBO.
Departing from the FBO involves the same process, but in reverse order. First, listen to the ATIS broadcast. Then contract ground control to ask permission to taxi from the FBO to the active runway. Once you’re at the hold-short line for the active runway with your run-up completed, contact the tower and ask permission to depart in the direction you would like to go, and follow the instructions the controller gives you.
Keep in mind that at some larger airports, you may have to make one more call. If the airport has a published clearance delivery frequency, call that—in the same way—before you call ground for a taxi clearance. Clearance delivery wants to know your aircraft type, whether you’re flying VFR or IFR, your direction of flight, and requested altitude; usually the controller will give you a transponder code—go ahead and enter it. Sometimes the clearance controller will give you instructions for what to do after takeoff, and perhaps a radio frequency for departure control (who you would talk with after the tower controller hands you off); write it down where it will be handy.
Helpful tips. On the ground or in the air, if you hear a radio call addressed to you that you don’t understand, just ask the controller to repeat it or explain it. Generally speaking, controllers value order over all else. They have no problem repeating or explaining instructions if it means they’ll have a more orderly traffic pattern. The same is true on the ground. If the ground controller issues you a string of instructions that you don’t understand or assigns you to a taxiway you don’t see, you can always use the magic words, “Cessna Three-Four-Five requests progressive taxi.”
There is no shame in asking for a progressive taxi. Plenty of airline pilots do it. Some airports are so large and confusing that the controllers prefer the request to having a baffled pilot taxiing around erratically, lost and causing confusion on the airport. If you have even the slightest concern that you may not know how to get where you’re going, just ask. The controllers will be happy to help you.
Ironically, flying at a towered airport can be easier than flying at a nontowered airport. The radio work isn’t particularly demanding, and there is very little chance of an aircraft that isn’t on the tower frequency being in the traffic pattern or in the vicinity of the airport. You also won’t find another airplane taking off on an intersecting runway while you’re accelerating down the runway you thought was active. Plus, there is always at least one extra pair of eyes involved in assuring collision avoidance.
There is no reason to avoid towered airports just because you haven’t flown to one in a long time. So brush up on these simple radio skills and add a towered airport to your list of destinations. You’ll be a better pilot for it. You just might have some fun, too.
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