Comms

Guide
 Operational Hours

HS Scheduled operations

HJ Sunrise to sunset

HN Sunset to sunrise

SR Sunrise

SS Sunset

HX No specific hours

Readability Scale

1 Unreadable

2 Readable now and then

3 Readable but with difficulty

4 Readable

5 Perfectly readable

States of Emergency

Serious/imminent danger, requiring immediate

Distress
assistance

Concerning aircraft safety, but not requiring

Urgency
immediate assistance
 Q Codes

QTE True bearing from station

True bearing to station

QUJ
Query union jack
Magnetic bearing to station

QDM Cue De Magnets

Magnetic mommy
Magnetic bearing from station

QDR Cue De Radials

Doctor

Full Call Signs

Type A Aircraft registriation marking A6-XWB

Operating agency designator

Type B plus last 4 characters of the Speedbird ABCD
registration
Operating agency designator
Type C Scandanavian 937
plus flight number

Abbreviated Call Signs

First character plus

Type A G-BTRY G-RY
last two characters
The operating agency
designator followed
Type B Speedbird ABCD Speedbird CD
by at least two last
characters

Type C No abbreviation
 Classes of Bearings

Type A Within 2º

Type B Within 5º

Type C Within 10º

Type D Less accurate than Type C

Light Signals

Color To aircraft in air To aircraft on ground

Steady Green Cleared to land Cleared for TO

Continue approach/return to
Flashing Green Cleared for taxi
landing field

Continue traffic pattern —

Steady Red Stop
another aircraft has priority

Flashing Red DO NOT LAND Vacate runway/landing area

Land on this aerodrome and

Flashing White taxi to the apron. Await landing Return to initial position/apron
clearance
Do not land for the moment.
Red Pyrotechnic Disregard any other
instructions or signals.

Types of Communication

Simplex Between two stations which takes place in one direction at a time

Duplex Simultaneous data transmission in both directions

 Oktas

FEW 1-2

SCT 3-4

BKN 5-7

OVC 8

Weather Information in Flight

ATIS Automatic Terminal Information Service

Weather information for aircraft in flight, may not be available in all

VOLMET
geographical areas

ATC An aircraft can ask for weather information en-route

• Nil weather means no weather such as precipitation, but NOSIG would mean that there may be
light showers, but it is not significant

• When you request for weather from an ATC at an aerodrome you are not landing at, you only
have to read back the QNH

CAVOK - Conditions

“A combination of conditions where the visibility, cloud and present

weather are better than prescribed values”

Visibility 10km or more

No clouds below 1500m/5000ft, or below MSA, whichever is greater

Cloud
No CB

Weather No significant weather

 Breaking Action

Measured Coefficient Estimated Breaking Action Code

0.40 and above Good 5

0.39 - 0.36 Medium to good 4

0.35 - 0.30 Medium 3

0.29 - 0.26 Medium to poor 2

0.25 and below Poor 1

Call Sign — Suffix

Area Control CONTROL

Radar RADAR

Approach Control APPROACH

Aerodrome Control TOWER

DIRECTOR/DEPARTURE/RADAR/
Approach Control Radar Arrival/Departure
ARRIVAL

Ground Movement Control GROUND

Radar Arrivals ARRIVAL

Flight Information Service INFORMATION

Clearance Delivery DELIVERY

 Some Abbreviations

MSAW Minimum Safe Altitude Warning

MSA Minimum Sector Altitude

AIS Aeronautical Information Service

TCAS Traffic Collision Avoidance System

INS Inertial Navigation System

LPV Localiser Performance with Vertical Guidance

CTR Control Zone

PBN Performance-based navigation

TMA Terminal Control Area

AFIS Aerodrome Flight Information Service

BGS notes from next page

 BGS Notes
The correct order when requesting a radio check:
1. Aeronautical station identification
2. Aircraft identification
3. “Radio check”
4. Frequency in use

The crew must complete:

The logon (notification phase), including aircraft unique identifier
— Before using CPDLC

If a helicopter with landing skids requires a refuel, it should request by “Request air taxi to fuel
station” to the ATC

An APV is an approach procedure with vertical guidance

Traffic information can be excluded in a read back

‘OVER & ‘OUT are not normally used in VHF communications

A general call does not have to be acknowledged

PAN PAN Format:

1. Name of station addressed
2. Aircraft identification
3. Nature of condition
4. Intention of PIC
5. Present position, level, heading
6. Any other useful information

DEPARTURE is the ATS in charge of controlling traffic

A METAR would be immediately updated to an ATIS

Upon receipt of a METAR SPECI

Following instructions shall always be read back in full:

• Taxi/towing instructions
• Level instructions
• Heading instructions
• Speed instructions
• Airways or route clearances
• Approach clearances
• Runway in use
• Clearance to enter/land on/ take-off on
• SSR code
• QNH

VOLMET is obtained in flight through the datalink system ACARS

If an SSR transponder of an IFR flight fails, the pilot should inform the current ATC immediately
’
’
Sequence of elements for a standard position report:
1. Aircraft identification
2. Position
3. Time
4. Next position and time over
5. Ensuing significant point

The following cannot be omitted from a position report:

1. Aircraft identification
2. Position
3. Time

The callsign of the aeronautical station consists of two parts:

1. Name of location being called
2. Unit or service available

QNH is the Q-code to indicate:

The altimeter sub-scale setting to obtain elevation when on the ground

Flight regularity messages contain the following:

• Messages regarding maintenance
• Messages concerning aircraft servicing
• Messages concerning non-routine landings to be made by aircraft
• Messages concerning aircraft parts urgently required
• Messages concerning changes in aircraft operating schedules

Flight safety messages contain the following: — are ATC messages

• Movement and control messages
• Messages originated by an aircraft operating agency, of an immediate concern to an aircraft in
flight
• Meteorological advice of immediate concern to an aircraft in flight or about to depart
• Other messages concerning aircraft in flight or about to depart

Ground to air communications are one way communication from stations or locations on the
surface on the earth to aircraft

Ground-air communication is one way communication to aircraft from stations or locations on the
surface of the earth

VOLMET gives METARs of specific airports to aircraft in flight

“Go ahead” means proceed with your message

“Roger” means the tI have received all of your last transmission

QFE = Height — Atmospheric pressure at aerodrome elevation or at runway threshold

CAVOK:
• Visibility 10km or more
• No cloud below 5000ft/GND
Aeronautical Station:
A land station in the aeronautical mobile service, which may be located on board a ship or on
a platform at sea

Morse code identifier for a navaid:

Up to 3 letters/numbers followed by dots and dashes

Priority of Transmissions:
1. Distress
2. Urgency
3. Direction finding
4. Flight safety
5. Meteorological
6. Flight regularity