COMMUNICATIONS

VHF COMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT

• Communication radios in general aviation aircraft use a portion of the Very High Frequency
(VHF) range.
• Limited to line of sight
• Range : 118.0 MHz – 137.0 MHz
• Emergency Radio Frequency : 121.5
TRANSMISSION OF NUMBERS
TRANSMISSION OF NUMBERS

Numbers containing a decimal point shall be transmitted

with the decimal point in appropriate sequence being
indicated by the word DECIMAL (in case of frequencies) or
POINT (in all other cases).

a)indicated by the word DECIMAL

124.725 - one two fower decimal seven two five.

b)pronounced point in all situations except for frequencies.

distance 11.5 miles - distance one one point fife miles.
EXCEPTIONS TO NUMBERS
• Azimuth in terms of 12 o clock in passing traffic information in radar environment shall be transmitted
as
• "ten", "eleven" or "twelve" o clock (e.g. “CTN 662, traffic information, traffic is
at 12 o'clock, 6 miles, passing left to right, B737, FL 350”)
• Course, heading, track, radial, flight level, speed
• (e.g. heading 300 – “tree zero zero”)
• QNH (1000)
• Squawk (7500)
• Instruction to fly a 360 turn, (e.g. "Make a tree sixty turn to the left.")
• Instruction to make a U-turn on ground, (e.g. "Make one eighty turn".)
• Visibility over 10 (ten) km.
TRANSMISSION OF LETTERS - PHONETICS
TRANSMISSION OF TIME
• All time references should be made in Co-ordinated universal time (UTC).
• used to be called Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).
• This time zone is referred to as Zulu (Z) in aviation.

EAT – Expected Approach Time

AERONAUTICAL STATION

• Aeronautical stations are identified

by the name of the location followed
by a suffix denoting unit or the type
of service provided.
CALL SIGNS - AIRCRAFT

An aircraft call sign shall be one of the following types:

• the characters corresponding to the registration marking of the aircraft; G-ABCD or Cessna G-
ABCD
• the telephony designator of the aircraft operating agency, followed by the last four characters of
the registration marking of the aircraft; Speedbird DCAB;
• the telephony designator of the aircraft operating agency, followed by the flight identification.
CTN 662.
CATEGORIES OF MESSAGES AND ORDER OF
PRIORITY

• Distress calls - A condition of being threatened by serious and /or imminent danger and of
requiring immediate assistance
- MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY– radiotelephony signal
• Urgency message - A condition concerning the safety of an aircraft but does not require
immediate assistance
- PAN PAN PAN – radiotelephony signal
COMMON TRAFFIC ADVISORY FREQUENCY (CTAF)

• UNICOM – aeronautical advisory station. (121.9)

Traffic Advisory:
Traffic Advisory, RP-C 9986, Cessna 152, Flying VFR, over Dinalupihan at 2000’, departed
Plaridel, destination Subic. For any traffic please advise.
PROCEDURE AT UNCONTROLLED AIRPORT

• Position report
I - Ident
P - Position
I - Intention

“Lingayen advisory, RP-C 9986, over Dagupan at 2000’, proceeding to Lingayen, any traffic on
pattern?”
COMMUNICATION WITH ATC

• Two – way radio communication.

• Must comply to the instruction given as long as it does not violate regulation or create an unsafe
condition.
• Required to respond when contacted.
• Transmission must be brief as possible
• Read back controller’s instruction in shorthand.
COMMUNICATION WITH ATC

• Poor technique:
Tower: “RP-C 9986, Plaridel Tower, you are number 2, to follow Cessna at left base, join left downwind,
for runway 35.”
RP-C9986: roger, 9986”

• Good technique:
Tower: “RP-C 9986, Plaridel Tower, you are number 2, to follow Cessna at left base, join left downwind,
for runway 35.”
RP-C9986: Number 2, join left downwind, runway 35, RP-C 9986.”
STANDARD WORDS AND PHRASES
• ACKNOWLEDGE - Let me know that you received and understood this message.
• ADVISE - Tell us/Inform us on/of/about...
• AFFIRM- Yes.
• AIRBORNE - The time the flight has started after the take-off phase.
• APPROVED - Permission for proposed action granted.
• CANCEL - Annul the previously transmitted clearance.
• CAUTION - Beware of the following conditions or situations.
• CHECK - Examine a system or procedure. (No answer is normally expected.)
• CLEARED - Authorized to proceed under the conditions specified.
• CLIMB - Climb to maintain (to level out).
• COMPLY - Act in compliance with a request or instruction.
• CONFIRM - I request verification of: (clearance, instruction, action, information).
• CONTACT - Establish communications with ...
STANDARD WORDS AND PHRASES
• CORRECT - True or accurate.
• CORRECTION - An error has been made in this transmission (or message indicated). The correct
version is...
• CROSS - Fly/taxi across. Pass from one side to the other side of...
• DEPART - Leave.
• DEPARTURE - Take-off, departing.
• DESCEND - Descend to maintain (to level out).
• DISREGARD - Ignore.
• ESTIMATE - Calculate/make approximate calculation.
• EXPEDITE - Speed up, increase speed/rate.
• HOLD - Keep in place or condition.
• HOLD SHORT - Keep at a distance/keep away of/ stop before reaching the specified location…
• HOW DO YOU READ - What is the readability of my transmission?
STANDARD WORDS AND PHRASES
• IMMEDIATEL(LY) - At once, without delay due immanent risk/hazard
• I SAY AGAIN - I repeat for clarity or emphasis.
• LEAVE - Depart, abandon, go away from.
• NEGATIVE - No/Permission not granted/That is not correct/Not capable.
• OUT - This exchange of transmission is ended and no response is expected. (Not normally used in
VHF communications)
• READ - Hear and understand
• READ BACK - Repeat all, or the specified part of this message back to me exactly as received.
• RECLEARED - A change has been made to your last clearance and this new clearance supersedes
your previous clearance or part thereof.
• REPORT - Pass me the following information...
• REQUEST - I should like to know/I wish to obtain...
• REVISION - Reconsidered or corrected version/calculation of time.
STANDARD WORDS AND PHRASES
• ROGER - I have received all of your last transmission.
• SAY AGAIN - Repeat all, or the following part of your last transmission.
• SLOW DOWN - Reduce your speed
• SPEAK SLOWER- Reduce your rate of speech.
• SQUAWK - Set the mode/code as instructed.
• STANDBY - Wait and I will call you.
• UNABLE - I cannot comply with your request, instruction or clearance. (normally followed by a reason)
• VERIFY - Check and confirm with originator.
• WILCO - I understand your message and will comply with it.
• WORDS TWICE –
a) As a request: Communication is difficult. Please send every word, or group of words, twice.
b) As information: Since communication is difficult, every word, or group of words, in this message will be
sent twice.
TEST PROCEDURES - RADIO CHECK AND
READABILITY SCALE
Q CODES
• The Q code is a standardized collection of three-letter message encodings, all
starting with the letter "Q", initially developed for commercial radiotelegraph
communication, and later adopted by other radio services, especially amateur
radio.
AUTOMATIC TERMINAL INFORMATION SERVICE
(ATIS)

• ATIS messages are broadcast to pass routine arrival/departure information on a discrete RTF
frequency or on an appropriate VOR.
• It is a recorded message being played in a continuous loop.
• It is coded using the phonetic alphabet and with every change in ATIS message, the code (name)
of the ATIS changes.
AUTOMATIC TERMINAL INFORMATION SERVICE
(ATIS)
• ATIS broadcast will include the following:

1. Message identification i.e. "This is Zagreb Information Alpha".

2. Time of origin of weather report
3. Weather report
4. Runway(s) in use
5. Short term AIS information such as unserviceability of NAV AIDS, runway surfaces, etc.
6. Any other routine information useful to pilots operating at the aerodrome.

An example of ATIS broadcast:

"This is Zagreb Information Alpha, 0850 hours weather. Wind 240 12kt 10 km, intermittent
slight rain, 3 octas 1000 ft, 8 octas 1800 ft, temperature +12, dew point +7, QNH 1011 hPa,
landing RWY 23.”
 ORDER OF INSTRUCTIONS IN AERODROME CONTROL
ENVIRONMENT
• VFR DEPARTURES
1. INITIAL CALL + TAXI (DEPARTURE) INSTRUCTIONS
2. ATC CLEARANCE
3. TAKE OFF CLEARANCE
4. AIRBORNE AND/OR POSITION REPORT
5. FREQUENCY CHANGE

•VFR ARRIVALS
1.INITIAL CALL + POSITION REPORT
2.JOINING INSTRUCTIONS
3.JOINING TRAFFIC CIRCUIT
4.LANDING CLEARANCE (LOW PASS/LOW APPROACH/ TOUCH AND GO CLR.)
5.INSTRUCTION TO VACATE THE RUNWAY (OR INSTRUCTION WHAT TO DO AFTER LOW PASS/LOW
APPROACH/ TOUCH AND GO)
ORDER OF INSTRUCTIONS IN AERODROME
CONTROL ENVIRONMENT
• IFR DEPARTURES
1. INITIAL CALL + DEPARTURE INFORMATION
2. START UP CLEARANCE
3. TAXI INSTRUCTIONS
4. ATC CLEARANCE
5. TAKE OFF CLEARANCE
6. AIRBORNE
7. FREQUENCY CHANGE

•IFR ARRIVALS
1.INITIAL CALL + POSITION REPORT
2.REPORT OUTER MARKER
3.LANDING CLEARANCE
4.INSTRUCTION TO VACATE THE RUNWAY
LOST COMMUNICATION PROCEDURES

• If your aircraft radio fails when you are on traffic pattern, fly the pattern and don’t land, make a
low pass abeam tower and rock your wings then make one more pattern, and look for a signal
from the control tower
• If your aircraft radio fails when landing at a controlled airport, you should observe the traffic flow,
enter the pattern, and look for a signal from the control tower
LIGHT SIGNALS
QUESTION AND ANSWER.

• Difference of MAYDAY MAYDAY and PAN PAN PAN?

• Explain the procedure for lost comm, while on traffic.
• What is ATIS?
• In Radio check, what scale is Readable now and then?