Basic Radio Communications...Part I

The Rules

Any communication between a pilot and a controller is essentially just a conversation. However, there are certain "rules" to the conversation that help ensure proper understanding and add to the safety of aviation. These "rules" generally govern the way you provide information, and also which words you should use in certain situations. For the most part, they aren't particularly difficult, and we'll cover the basics in this article.

Think about a conversation that you would have with a friend. Generally, you either make a statement, ask a question, or respond to something that your friend said. Some people describe a conversation as being much like a simple game of throwing a ball back and forth. You are either throwing the ball, or you are catching it. When you ask a question or make a statement, you are throwing the ball. When you respond to something your friend said, you are catching the ball and tossing it back. Radio communications are handled the same way. There are essentially only two types of radio calls that you will be making: those where you are initiating the call (throwing the ball), and those where you are responding to a call (catching and tossing back).

Ok, let's start covering the "rules" of the conversation. Whenever you are initiating a radio call (by either asking a question or making a statement), you always start with who you are talking to, then who you are. Think about when you call a friend on the phone, you usually start with "Hey Jim, this is Bob…" This format is especially important with radio communications because there are a lot of people trying to use the same frequency. By starting with who you are trying to talk to, it gets their attention. Also, by saying who you are, they know who they are talking to. Lastly you either make a statement (reporting a position) or make a request. Here is an example: " New Bedford Tower, Cessna 11472, ready for takeoff at runway 32."

Now, if you are calling up someone for the first time (an initial call to ground control, or trying to establish communications with tower prior to entering their airspace) you want to let them know where you are, and what you want to do. Since we are initiating the call, we'll start with who we are talking to, then who we are. Example: "New Bedford Ground, Cessna 11472, at the Noreast ramp, westbound departure." If you are in the air, remember that your location includes not only where you are relative to a landmark on the ground, but also your altitude. Controllers think three dimensionally, so altitude is part of your location when in the air. Example: "New Bedford Tower, Cessna 11472, 10 miles west at 2,000 landing full stop New Bedford."

When talking about radio communications it is important to note that we are not seeking permission to do something, we are seeking a clearance. This may sound like a small technicality, but it leads people to believe that they must do what air traffic control tells them. However, a clearance is not a command, it is simply a way for us to accomplish what we need to do while staying out of conflict with other people. If we are unable (not to be confused with unwilling) to comply with a clearance, we can tell the controller "unable" and the controller will issue a different clearance. Controllers are not our bosses, rather they are our coworkers, and we are all trying to work together to stay safe and have fun.

Now, that being said, once you accept a clearance, it is expected that you will comply with it. In fact, if you don't comply with the clearance, you may find yourself having an unpleasant conversation with either the controller or the FAA. There is one exception to this rule: in an emergency we have the authority to deviate from a clearance as we feel necessary. In that case, just remember to let the controller know that you have an emergency and what you need to do.

On to the next section...Basic Radio Communications...Part II