Pilot’s Radio

Communications
Guide
The comprehensive radio
communications guide for
VFR & IFR pilots.

4th Edition

Darren Smith, ATP, CFII/MEI

 Darren Smith, ATP, CFII/MEI
Certificated Flight Instructor
www.cfidarren.com
“...the safety of the operator is more important than any other point.
Greater prudence is needed rather than greater skill.”
— Wilbur Wright, 1901

Purpose of this guide: This guide is meant to help pilots with their Radio
Communication skills. As a review and reference for all pilots, it strives
to present the information to keep you current. I would love to hear from
you regarding your experience with this guide. Often pilots comment
about the right way, the wrong way, and the FAA way. The result is
most pilots chose the “practical way” which is a combination of all three.
I caution all pilots to err on the side of the “safe way” so that you do not
become a statistic.

Copyright © 2004-2010 by Darren Smith. All rights reserved. Subject

to change without notice. This publication is not a substitute for compe-
tent flight instruction.

Limitation of Liability: By accepting this publication, you understand

the following: this service/information is provided solely for your individ-
ual, non-commercial use. There are no representations or warranties of
any kind made pertaining to this service/information and any warranty,
express or implied, is excluded and disclaimed including but not limited
to the implied warranties of merchantability and/or fitness for a particu-
lar purpose. Under no circumstances or theories of liability, including
without limitation the negligence of any party, contract, warranty or strict
liability in tort, shall the author or any of its affiliated or related organiza-
tions be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential
or punitive damages as a result of the use of, or the inability to use, any
information or skills provided through this service/information/training
even if advised of the possibility of such damages. You covenant and
agree, on your behalf and on behalf of your heirs, executors and as-
signs, not to sue the author or any of its affiliated or related organiza-
tions under any of these theories of liability and to indemnify and hold
them harmless from your breach of these terms.

Pilot’s Radio Communications Guide / Darren Smith

ISBN-13: 978-0-9823940-7-6
ISBN-10: 0-9823940-7-1
Table of Contents
ATC Services………………………………………………….………………………5
Radar Services
Transponder Usage
Transponder Phraseology
ATC’s Top 9 Pet Peeves
10 Tips to Immediately Improve Your Radio Technique
Common Frequencies / Numbers & Letters
FAR Review………………………………………………….………………………21
IFR Lost Communications
Radio Communications
Required Reports
Light Gun Signals
Transponder
NASA Reports
Clearances…………………………………………………………………………..27
Obtaining Clearances
Clearance Format
Clearance Phraseology
Clearance Shorthand
FARs on Clearances
Aviation Safety………………………………………….……………………….....33
Preventing Runway Incursions
Best Practices: Aircraft Lighting
Collision Avoidance Phraseology
Radio Phraseology…………………………………………….…………………..37
VFR Radio Phraseology
IFR Flight: Who do I talk to?
IFR Radio Phraseology
Enroute: What does it mean…
Arrival: STARs, Cruise, Holding
Tower: What does it mean…
Approaches: Clearance, Full Approach, Visual & Contact Approach
Approach: What does it mean…
ASR Approach & LAHSO
Emergencies……………………………………………….…….………………….67
How ATC Responds
Lost Communications VFR & IFR
Pilot Intercept Signals
Appendix…………………………………………………….……………………….71
Personal Minimums Checklist
Metric Conversion Chart
Clearance & Flight Plan Forms

3
Ten Commandments for Safe Flight
Author Unknown

1. Thou shalt abstain from the intersection takeoff for, verily, the
runway behind thee, as the altitude above thee, cometh not to
thine aid when thou needest them.

2. Thou shalt not linger on active runways lest thou become like
unto ground sirloin.

3. Ignorest thou not thy checklists for many are the switches,
handles, gauges & other demons awaiting to take cruel venge-
ance upon thee.

4. Thou shalt cast thine eyes to thy right and also to thy left as
thou passeth through the firmament lest thy fellow pilots bring
flowers to thy widow and comfort her in other ways.

5. Buzzeth not, for this shall surely incur the wrath of thy
neighbors and the fury of the FAA shall be called down upon thy
head.

6. Thou shalt be ever mindful of thy fuel lest there be nothing in

thy tank to sustain thee upon the air and thy days be made short.

7. Trust not thine eyes to lead thee through the cloud lest the
Archangel Gabriel await thee therein.

8. Thou shalt not trespass into the thunderstorm lest the tempest
rend the wings from thy chariot and cast thee naked into the fir-
mament.

9. Put not thy trust in weather prophets, for when the truth is not
in, then they shall not accompany thee among thy ancestors.

10. Often shalt thou confirm thine airspeed on final lest the earth
rise up and smite thee.

4
"Flying was a very tangible freedom in those days, it was beauty,
adventure, discovery -- the epitome of breaking into new worlds."
— Anne Morrow Lindbergh (1906-2001)

ATC Services

Topics:
Radio Frequency Spectrum
Radar Services
Transponder Usage
Transponder Phraseology
ATC’s Top 9 Pet Peeves
How to Immediately Improve Your Radio Technique
ATC Responsibilities
Separation & Flow Control
Professionalism
General Rules of Radio Communication

5
 ATC Centers
Anchorage
ZAN Seattle
ZSE
Boston
Minneapolis ZBW
Salt Lake City ZMP
ZLC Cleveland New York
Chicago ZOB ZNY
Oakland ZAU
ZOA Denver Indianapolis Washington
ZDV ZID
Kansas City ZDC
Los Angeles ZKC Atlanta
ZLA ZTL
Memphis
Albuquerque ZME
ZAB Ft. Worth
ZFW Jacksonville
Honolulu ZJX
CERAP ZHN
Houston
ZHU Miami
Guam CERAP
ZMA
ZUA
San Juan
CERAP
ZSU
Structure
The chart above depicts 21 ARTCC (Air Route
Traffic Control Center) or “Center” and 3 CERAP Denver
(Combined Center and Radar Approach ZDV
Control) areas. To the right is the Denver
center’s airspace. The circle depicted is
“Denver Approach” which is a TRACON
(Terminal Radar Approach Control) for
Denver International Airport and the
surrounding area. Each “Center” has
at least one TRACON and usually
several to handle the traffic into and
out of the large metropolitan areas. Additionally there are some ATC
facilities called RAPCONs. For example, Seymour Johnson AFB has a
RAPCON (Radar Approach Controller). You can think of this as a mini-
TRACON. All of these of areas are subdivided in endless numerous
ways. These subdivided areas are called “sectors” and are created
based on workload so that an individual controller is not overloaded by
the traffic within his sector.

7
 “I owned the world that hour as I rode over it . . .
Free of the earth, free of the mountains, free of the clouds,
but how inseparably I was bound to them.”
— Charles A. Lindbergh (1902-1974)

Radio Communications
FAR Review

Topics:
IFR Lost Communications
Radio Communications
Required Reports
Light Gun Signals

21
such as glide slope failure, loss of one of the two course indicators, or
loss of RAIM capability while executing an approach.

FAR 91.130 Operations in Class C airspace

Each person operating an aircraft in Class C airspace must meet
the following two-way radio communications requirements.
SAME AS CLASS D AIRSPACE BUT PERTAINING TO CLASS C
AIRSPACE

FAR 91.131 Operations in Class B airspace

No person may operate an aircraft within Class B airspace except
in compliance with
FAR 91.129 (class D airspace) and the following rules.
FAR 91.131 Operations in Class B airspace
The operator must receive an ATC clearance from the ATC facility
having jurisdiction for that area before operating an aircraft in that
area.

Taxi Instructions
Pilots should always read back the runway AND intersection as-
signment when taxi instructions are received from the controller.
Pilots required to read back any hold short instructions, particularly
those concerning runways. Always include runway numbers AND
intersections.
Controllers are required to confirm any runway hold short assign-
ments and you are required to read them back.

Light Gun Signals, FAR 91.124

Ground Air
Steady Cleared for
Cleared to Land
Green Takeoff
Flashing
Cleared to Taxi Return to Land
Green
Steady
Stop Give Way
Red
Flashing Taxi Clear of
Do not Land
Red Runway
Flashing
Return to Ramp Not Used
White
Alternating Warning-Use Warning-
Red/Green Caution Use Caution

25
"The engine is the heart of the airplane,
but the pilot is its soul."
— Sir Walter Alexander Raleigh

Clearances

Topics:
Obtaining Clearances
Clearance Format
Clearance Phraseology
FARs on Clearances

27
 "With you eleven thousand."
— Idiot, making an incorrect radio call

Aviation Safety

Topics:
Preventing Runway Incursions
Taxi Phraseology
Best Practices: Aircraft Lighting

33
 “Make as small a nuisance of yourself as possible
and you’re more likely to get what you want.”
— Paul Berge, Controller, Pilot, Writer at IFR

Radio Phraseology

Topics:
Non-Towered Airport Operations
Towered Airport Operations: Takeoff & Landing
Transitions Through Airspace: Class B, C, & D
Entering Class C or Class D
Calling FSS & Flight Watch
How to Request VFR Flight Following
IFR Flight: Who do I talk to?
IFR Radio Phraseology
Enroute: What does it mean…
Arrival: STARs, Cruise, Holding
Approach Clearances
Tower: What does it mean…
Approach: What does it mean…

37
Entering Class C or Class D
To enter Class C or Class D airspace, you must establish contact:

Class C Class D
Aircraft: “Daytona Approach, Aircraft: “Henderson Tower,
Skyhawk 631DS” Skyhawk 631DS”
Approach: “Skyhawk 631DS, Tower: “Skyhawk 631DS,
Daytona Approach” Henderson Tower”

If you hear:
“Aircraft calling Franklin Tower, Stand by”
Then you have not established contact and must remain clear of the
airspace.

Calling FSS
Aircraft: “Seattle Radio, Skyhawk 123AB
receiving on Port Angeles RCO 122.6”

Aircraft: “San Diego Radio, Skyhawk

123AB on 122.1 receiving Oceanside
VOR”

Aircraft: “St Louis Radio, Skyhawk 123AB

on 122.45. (Note that the VOR Frequency is
underlined meaning ‘No Voice’ - you can’t use 122.1
here and expect to receive the FSS on 117.4. You
will only be able to pick up HIWAS on this freq.)

Often times, you can reach FSS on 122.2, a very common frequency.

When FSS answers, remember the basics:

Who you are, Where you are, What you want

Calling Flight Watch

Flight Watch (also known as Enroute Flight Advisory Service) is avail-
able above 5000AGL from 6am to 10pm (local) on 122.0 Mhz. Use the
local ATC name to call:
Aircraft: “Minneapolis Flight Watch, Skyhawk 123AB

44
Clearance: What does it mean…?
“Advise when ready to copy full route clearance.” This means that
the routing on the flight plan you filed was not accepted and you will
be given a lengthy new route. If you accept the clearance, be sure
that you look at it on your navigational charts prior to taxi.

What if you miss your clearance void time? Be sure that you con-
tact clearance delivery or FSS where you got the clearance and ask
for another. You will be given a new clearance.

Amended Clearance
Departure: “Skyhawk 631DS I’ve got an amendment to your clearance,
advise when ready to copy.”
Aircraft: “Ready to copy. Skyhawk 631DS”
Departure: “Skyhawk 631DS Cleared to Montgomery radar vectors to
GOTBY then V7, Fly heading 190, Maintain 5000..
Aircraft: “Cleared Montgomery radar vectors to GOTBY then V7, 190,
Maintain 5000.
Departure: “Readback correct.”

Pilot flies heading 190 and

checks the new routing and ATC Clearance
finds it’s a much shorter route.
MGM
C—Cleared to_____________ AF
Enroute Handoff BHM3 V521
R—Route _____________________
Departure: “Skyhawk 631DS 5000
A—Altitude _________ / _________
Contact Montgomery Approach
at 124.0.” 123.8
F—Frequency__________________
Aircraft: “Skyhawk 631DS” 4604
T—Transponder________________
Pilot switches frequency. Frequency
Heading Altitude
Aircraft: “Montgomery ap- 190,V7 5000 123.8
proach, Skyhawk 631DS level 124.0
5000”
Approach: “Skyhawk 631DS
Montgomery Altimeter 30.01”
Aircraft: “30.01 631DS”

Pilot keeps track of all handoffs and

heading/altitude assignments:

56
“Talking and flying are mutually exclusive activities”
— Hank Canterbury, Writer

Emergencies

Topics:
How ATC Responds
Radio Failures
Pilot Intercept Signals

67
“What freedom lies in flying, what Godlike power it gives
to men . . . I lose all consciousness in this strong unmortal
space crowded with beauty, pierced with danger.
— Charles A. Lindbergh (1902-1974)

Appendices

Topics
A. Personal Minimums Checklist
B. Metric Conversion Tables
Clearance & Flight Plan Forms

71