In this video we're talking about the most intimidating things that pilots face. Talking to air traffic control, radio communications, and how to master them. Coming up. Hey everyone, Carl with the Aviation Guys here, and if you like training tips, going on flights, and aviation gadget reviews, then this is the channel for you. If you like what you see...
please consider subscribing. Now let's get going. Let's start out by saying who this video is for.
This video is primarily for student pilots who are ready to take control of the radios, but it's also for certified pilots who don't usually fly into controlled airports. But the whole idea is to help you learn how to get around, fly into, and out of your local airport. But here's the bottom line.
The FAA requires certain communications to happen on the radio, and that puts a lot of pressure on air traffic control, and so they have to put pressure on the pilots to make sure they're in compliance as well. So let's make radio communication as simple as possible. There's three basic parts, the request, instructions, and confirmation.
So you make a request to air traffic control. They give you instructions, and then you repeat those instructions back to confirm that you heard them correctly. Then, unless they've asked you to contact them or you have a new request, you only receive instructions and confirm it as air traffic control gives you updated information. That's it.
That's all radio communication is. But because what you say and how you say it matters, we're going to dig a little deeper. So we're going to walk through...
this as if we're going on a flight and at an airport with air traffic control there's multiple controllers if you're on the ground you'll start by contacting ground control to get you to the runway and after you have the runway you'll contact the tower to clear you for takeoff so since we're on the ground we're going to start with our initial contact with ground control this initial contact is basically asking permission to enter the movement area which is anywhere where there's taxiways and runways in order to enter those areas you have to give them all the information that they need to be able to grab to entrance into into the movement area. Watch here as I make my initial contact with ground. Are we on ground?
Looks good. Is it really that quiet today? Really that what?
Quiet. I know, right? Deer Valley Ground, Cessna 75600 at Romeo 8 requesting taxi for Northwest departure with information Zulu. Again, your communication with air traffic control on your initial contact has to be have a lot of information. To keep things simple, we're going to use the W's of ATC communication.
When you make your initial contact with air traffic control, whether you're in the air or on the ground, it has to include these five things. Who you're talking to, who you are, where you are, what is your request and intentions, and with what airport information. This is everything air traffic control needs to know to give you clearance and instruction. Now, the W's aren't the end-all in radio communication.
It's just a good technique to help you get going. In fact, the order of what you are, where you are, and what your requests are doesn't even matter. But by using the W's in your communication, it helps things flow better and feel more natural.
Now, the first communication was the hardest one. From here, you just have to listen to what air traffic control says. says and repeat it back to them so they know you heard them correctly. Let's watch the rest of this transmission.
Now that we're cleared to taxi, we'll follow the instructions air traffic control gave us to the run-up area. Just a side note, not all airports have a designated run-up area like mine. Sometimes you complete your run-up at the end of the runway or the runway access point, but what's important here is is that I just entered a non-movement area, as indicated by these lines, which means that once my run-up is complete, I have to contact ground again for clearance into the movement area.
But because I already gave them all the information they needed about me and my initial contact, I only have to advise them on the things that they requested, which in this case is that my run-up is complete. Deer Valley Ground, Cessna 75600, run-up is complete. By now you should have noticed two things that I'm doing with every communication.
The first is that I'm addressing who I'm talking to and saying who I am. These are the first two W's inside of our steps. Anytime you're making contact... with air traffic control, Unicom, or even air-to-air frequency, you should always start with who you're talking to and who you are. Second, I close my transmission by using my tail number, or rather in this case the last three of my tail number, to help speed things up.
technically not required to do so you could just end your transmission by lifting the push to talk button but using this technique is common and helps others in the area know that you're done communicating. Also speaking of using the last three of your tail number to help speed things up air traffic control might do the same thing so make sure you're actively listening for the last three of your tail number whenever you're inside of the traffic area. Now back to my taxi and just like before I'm going to listen to the instructions I'm giving and confirm them.
Alpha 4. Taxiing via Alpha to Alpha 4 for 7L. 6-0-0. Alright, now we've followed the instructions given to us by ground control, completed our run up, made it to the runway, and are holding short. But ground control can't give us clearance to take off.
Only tower can. So we have to change our radio frequency to tower to make our next transmission. Deer Valley Tower, Cessna 75600 is holding short of that. 7 left, ready for departure. Now because we switched over to a different controller, we not only had to tell them who we are again, but we had to use our full tail number.
but also tell them where we were and what our request is, and in this case it was a request to depart. The rest of our intentions, like where we were going and what airport information we had, was already handed over to Tower from Ground Control, so we didn't need to tell them that again. No matter what instructions you're given, you just need to confirm and comply to them. In my case, I was told to hold short, but they could give you any number of instructions from here. Here are just a few of them.
Hold short of runway. You'll hear this if there's an aircraft about to land or the runway isn't clear. Fly straight out or fly runway heading.
You'll hear this if you're departing the airport and they want you to fly until you reach the required altitude. I'll call your crosswind. You'll hear this when the tower is trying to keep separation between traffic.
They'll let you know when you can turn. Left or right closed traffic approved. You'll hear this when you're approved to stay in the traffic pattern for touch-and-goes. Turn at your discretion. You'll hear this when you're leaving the airport and you can turn for departure whenever you'd like.
Line up and wait. Here you've been cleared onto the runway to get ready for takeoff, but not actually do so until you get clearance. Cleared for takeoff.
This one's kind of self-explanatory. That's 600. Fly straight out to advise runway 7L. Clear for takeoff. Clear for takeoff on 7L. It's 600. Flying straight out.
Great. You're up in the air. You fly away from the airport for some maneuvers. You do some stalls, maybe a couple spins. Your instructor simulates an emergency.
Soon enough it's time to head back to the airport. Once you're ready you have to make contact with air traffic control letting them know that you're ready to come back for a landing. Just like when you're on the ground you have to contact them to be allowed into their airspace and your transmission would sound something like this. Deer Valley Tower, Cessna 75600 is over the shooting range, inbound requesting touching goes. With information Zulu.
So if you're paying close attention, you realize I used the five W's again. The process for contacting Air Traffic Control is the same whether you're on the ground or in the air. The information just changes a little bit because you're not calling out an airport intersection, you're calling out a local landmark that Air Traffic Control is used to. Or, you could be using a reporting point found on a sectional.
From here, Air Traffic Control will give me instructions that I just have to repeat to confirm. 75-600, Deer Valley Tower, roger. Left base runway 7L, report over canal freeway. Reporting over canal freeway for 7L-600.
From out here, Air Traffic Control can give you all kinds of instructions. In my case, they asked me to report back to them when I got a little bit closer to the airport. Now typically, I would have called Air Traffic Control at the reporting point that they asked me, but anything can happen when you're inbound to an airport. And in my case, they gave me updated instructions before I got to the reporting point.
Set to 6-0-0 for traffic. Make a left turn and fly eastbound. I'll let you know when you can make a right turn back to downwind. Making a right turn to eastbound. I'll listen for your caller.
Yes, eastbound left turn. 6-0-0. In situations like these, it's important to just confirm and comply, because air traffic control really could ask you to do any number of things.
Here's a short list of things that they could ask you to do. Extend your downwind. I'll call your base.
Air Traffic Control is trying to space the landings. Just keep flying until they tell you to turn. Enter left or right base for runway. This information is to tell you how Air Traffic Control would like you to approach the runway.
Enter right or left traffic for runway. This is the same thing as entering a left or right base. Air Traffic Control wants you to enter the traffic pattern and is telling you how to approach the runway. Continue straight in. You're already flying runway heading, so you can fly straight in and skip the pattern.
Cross over midfield and make right or left traffic. You're on the wrong side of the airport in this situation, so air traffic control is directing you to fly over the field and have you join the pattern. Remain outside class delta.
This means stay out of their airspace. They may have too much traffic or something else is going on and they just don't want you in there yet. Follow traffic at your 12 o'clock.
I use 12 o'clock as an example here, but you'll typically hear this when air traffic control wants you to follow someone else in the pattern and they're telling you where to look. If you see the traffic you would respond with, traffic in sight. Otherwise you would respond with, looking for traffic. Cleared for the option.
Typically you would have to request the option to be cleared for it, but if air traffic control says that you've been cleared for the option, you can do whatever type of landing you want. Full stop, touch and go, and even a stop and go. Clear to land on runway.
This one should be obvious, but make sure you don't land unless you hear it. The same rule applies for any type of landing. Just make sure air traffic control says what type of landing you're looking to attempt.
Now going back to my landing, air traffic control told me why there was a delay for my entry into their area, but usually they don't have to tell you. But just like I was asked, I flew east until I was told to come inbound to the airport. 6-0-0, 8-Premitive, left turn to the east.
My plan is, I've got a, the downwind is pretty stretched out, so I'm going to put you behind everybody. Roger, 6-0-0. Here are the rest of the updates as I came in for my landing. I think it's accurate.
6-0-0, traffic approaching your 3 o'clock higher on downwind, Seminole. Traffic is in sight. Cess 600 you can turn inbound and follow the Seminole that's in midfield. Turning right following traffic 600. There is a breeze up here tonight.
Cess 75600 follow the Seminole just crossed the freeway and final 27 left cleared to land. Cleared to land looking for traffic 600. Okay, now we've landed, but our last contact with air traffic control tower is going to be telling us to pull off the runway and contact the ground for our taxi instructions. So that's 600, contact ground point A.
Contact the ground, 600. After clearing the runway, we change our radios over to ground control to make our last call. And you guessed it, use the five W's, all except for the last one, because that information isn't required to taxi to the hangars. Deer Valley Ground, Cessna 75600. at Alpha 9 requesting taxi to North Hangers. Tester 75600, Deer Valley Ground, taxi Alpha to North Hangers.
Taxi via Alpha to North Hangers, 600. So that's a really brief overview of air traffic control communications to help you get in and out of your vehicle. and out of an airport. Now this was specifically for class D airspace, and it also works for class C and B airspace with slight variations, but we're gonna save that for another video.
So I know what you're thinking, now how do I get good at all this? Well, practice. Practicing your transmissions is the best way to perfect them. Starting with your initial transmission, go ahead and use the five Ws. Most of us fly out of the same airport, so you can even write these down if you want to and read them back to air traffic control.
But practicing not only how- helps you with what to say, but helps your transmissions feel more natural. Just remember to practice all three parts of the transmission for all stages of flight, in the air and on the ground. You can anticipate what air traffic control is going to say and practice those confirmations. Also practice your transmissions out loud, not just in your head.
When you say them out loud, it helps you articulate them better and get them into muscle memory. This will help you from freezing when you push that push to talk button. Another great way to practice is to listen to the radio communication. from your flights.
I use a little pocket recorder and a couple of cables that I plug into the airplane to be able to record all the communications I have. I'll have links to these down inside of the description below so that you can record your own audio. Reviewing the audio helped me tremendously inside of my practice, especially since every flight I went on, I heard something new.
Another good resource for air traffic control audio is liveatc.com. It may not be your audio, but it'll still help you practice and hear the different things that controllers will say. All right.
Now... Now it's time for some pointers to help you become a radio communications master. Use a single transmission. When you make your transmission, make sure to provide all the required information at once. Don't keep pressing and releasing the push to talk button.
If you break up your transmission, air traffic control may not hear everything that you say or make you repeat it all in a single transmission. Actively listen for your call sign. If you're in a stage of flight that requires you to communicate with air traffic control, make sure you're paying extra close attention.
If you have passengers, just ask them to them to be quiet for a bit so you can manage the radios better. Wait your turn to communicate. Sometimes we have to be patient to talk to air traffic control. They can be busy and stepping on someone else's transmission causes confusion and frustration for everybody.
Don't hesitate to ask them to repeat what they said or to talk slower. If you don't understand the instructions, ask them to say again or speak slower so you can make sure you're doing exactly what they asked you to do. Also, don't hesitate to tell air traffic control.
control you're unable. If you find yourself in a situation where their instructions make you feel uncomfortable or nervous, let them know that you're unable and ask for different instructions. Last and probably my most important piece of advice to help you become a radio communications master is don't feel stupid. Remember, air traffic control is there to help you.
If you want to take a deeper dive into radio communications, there's a couple of resources that you can use. First, you can check the aeronautical information manual or AIM. In section two, chapter four, it goes over the...
lot of details on how to communicate on the radios. You can also check out the pilot controller glossary. This goes over almost every aviation term known to man and its definition.
I have links to these resources in the description below but you can also find them on the tool sections on our website at flywiththeguys.com That's it for this video and I wanted to give a shout out to my instructor and honorary aviation guide Jim Pittman whose help on this video was invaluable. You can check him out at flywithjim.com Hey guys, thanks for watching the video. If you liked it, make sure to give it a thumbs up and hit that subscribe button. Also, tell us what you think inside of the comments down below. As always, share aviation wherever you can, and we'll see you in the next one.