CALLSING ABBREVIATIONS The phonetic alphabet has been developed in order to avoid confusion between the letters..

It is worldwide used also. When we communicate with airplanes, it is not a must to say the whole callsign always. It exists 2 ways of abbreviate: a) By the airplane registration, for example: EC-PBO > Eco Bravo Oscar L4567 > Lima Six Seven. This rule consists in saying the first letter of the country (E, L, etc.), followed by the 2 last characters. If there are two or more similar callsigns, for xample: EC-BCD and EC-ACD, the three last characters will be said in order to avoid confusion. b) By the name of the airline (not very frequent in FS): Each airline has its own callsing wich is not the same that the flight number. For example, BAW 3456 is Speedbird 3456 (British Airways is always Speedbird). UAL 456 would be United 456 (United Airlines). It does not fit any rule and some airlines has not normalized it neither. KLM 555 is KLM 55 (said Key Ell Em, not Kilo Lima Mike) As a general rule, commercial flights are NEVER abbreviated with phonemes. For example IB 2452 (Iberia 2452), is not said India Bravo 2452; QF 001 (Quantas 1), is not said Quebec Foxtrot 1. To name commercial flights ALWAYS complete callsigns, NOT like in aircraft registrations occurs. For example BAW 3456 is not Speedbird56, but Speedbird 3456.

CORRECT It is ok, is correct. I SAY AGAIN I repit to reinforce or to clarify the message. READ BACK Repit the message, or certain part of it. REPORT Inform about something requested (position, etc. ) REQUEST I want to know, to obtain. WILCO I have understood the message and I will proceed. TAXI TO Go to the indicated point of the airport and hold. HOLD SHORT Maintain position until you are cleared to enter the runway. CLIMB Ascend to a specific altitude or flight level (FL) and maintain. DESCEND Descend to a specific altitude or flight level (FL) and maintain. TURN Veer to specific heading. INTERCEPT Configure heading to track the specific course. CONTACT Make radio contact with... (they already have your data). MONITOR Keep attention to a specific frecuency. STAND BY Wait, I will call you back. CORRECTION There was an error in the transmission. The correct is... CHECK Check a procedure or a system. VERIFY Check and confirm.

OMISSIONS
Surface Degrees Knots Visibility Cloudiness Altitude Milibars

INTERNATIONAL PHONETIC ALPHABET

BASIC TECHNIQUES CONTROLLERS ALWAYS BEGIN TRANSMISSION saying the aircraft callsing (to get the pilots attention). PILOTS ALWAYS END saying their airplane callsign (to indicate the end of transmission). The only exception is in the initial contact with a controller, where the callsign is given at the begin. Controllers are not forced to say their callsing to the pilot, although saying it in the initial contact is the most usual way (not each time they transmit). Say messages CLEARLY, SLOWLY and TO THE POINT. Avoid too many commands at the same time, 2 or 3 are enough. For example: "Iberia 2452, descend to 4000, left heading 345, reduce speed 220, runway 36 right of Barajas airport, ILS frecuency 110.3 OBS 004, QNH 1014" Tis message would be better said in 2 transmission. Even, some data would be ignored: "Iberia 2452, landing runway 36 right of Barajas arport, QNH 1014" If the pilot has the approach chart, he knows the OBS and the frecuency of the 36R.. If not, he will ask the controller the information needed.

SUGGESTIONS 1) ROGER , OVER and COPY Try not to use them, real pilots never do. If you want to acknowledge about an ATC transmission (particularly one that does not need read back), SIMPLY SAY YOUR CALLSING. Only controllers can say the word "roger", to acknowledge when a pilot has read back correctly a clearance. 2) CLEARANCES When request a clearance, you must say your complete callsign, the destination airport and the flight level. 3) WHAT YOU SHOULD AND SHOULD NOT READ BACK You do not need to read back word by word all that the controller says. Do not read back winds, but always altimeter settings and all and each clearances. Otherwise the controller will force you to, do that way. You can develop your own style but mainly be concise and avoid unnecesary verbosity. 4) WHEN YOU SHOULD SPEAK Try not to step other pilots. When a controller transmits a message to other pilot, keep attention until he answer. When read back an ATC transmission, do not wait more than 5 seconds to transmit. If you need more time to analize the controllers message, say "stand by". 5) CALL SIGNS Always use your complete callsign. You ca abbreviate it only when the controller does it first place. 6) WHAT YOU DO NOT NEED TO REPORT (unless the controller requirement) a) Position reports. b) Outer Marker, Gear down. c) Speeds. d) Field in sight. 7) WHAT YOU NEED TO REPORT a) The altitude of the cloud layers. b) System failures. c) Altitude and heading changes. d) Icing. e) Wind effects. f ) Braking failures. g) Missed Approach and Going around.

PHRASEOLOGY
ACKNOWLEDGE Confirm if you have copied and understood the message. AFFIRM Yes (is the abbreviation form of "afirmative"). NEGATIVE No, it is not correct or cleared canceled. CLEARED Cleared to proceed according to the requested. CANCELED Cancelation of a certain autorization.

Case Example Aircraft registration EC-PBO Altimeter settings 29.92 Flight level FL45 Heading 080 Wind Direction/Speed 290/19 Transponder code Squawk 7436 Frecuencies 118.6

TRANSMISSION OF NUMBERS AND TIME

Transmitted as Eco Charlie Papa Delta Alpha Two Niner Niner Two Flight Level Four Five Zero Eight Zero Two Nine Zero, One Nine Squawk Seven Four Three Six One One Eight Decimal Six

A alpha B bravo C charlie D delta E echo F foxtrot G golf H hotel I india J juliet K kilo L lima M mike N november O oscar P papa Q quebec R romeo S sierra T tango U uniform V victor X x-ray Y yankee Z zulu

AGL Above Ground Level ATIS Automatic Terminal Information Service ATC Air Traffic Control CAV-OK Meteo better than espected (AGL5000ft, vis>6nm) ADF Automatic Direction Finder DME Distance Measurement Equipment ETA Estimated Time of Arrival IAS Indicated Air Speed IFR Instrumental Flight Rules ILS Instrument Landing System IMC IFR Meteorological Conditions ISA International Standard Atmosphere MET Meteorology / Meteorologic MSL Mean Sea Level NDB Non Directional Beacon PAPI Precission Approach Path Indicator QDM Magnetic heading to an ADF (without wind) QFE Altimeter setting to indicate altitude ASL QNH Altmeter setting to indicate altitude MSL SID Standard Instrumental Deaparture STAR Standard Terminal Arrival TAS True Air Speed TCA Terminal Control Area VASI Visual Approach Slope Indicator VFR Visual Flight Rules VMC VFR Meteorological Conditions VOR VHF Omnidirectional Range VOLMET Meteorological Information during flight

ABBREVIATIONS

AERODROME
PARKING TAXIWAY HOLDING POINT RUNWAY

RADIO CHECK
1 = Illegible 2 = Ocassionally legible 3 = Legible with difficulty 4 = Legible 5 = Perfectly legible

(*position report) a) CALL: - ATC, Aircraft registration b) MESSAGE (order): - Aircraft tipe - Registration* - Destination - Position and Heading* - Altitude/Flight Level* - Altimeter Setting - Flight Conditions - ETA/DME to the next point* - Request c) READ BACK TO ATC: - Message data, Aircraft reg.

IN FLIGHT REPORTS

VHF-COM, Radio communication for virtual pilots 2000 PIBO_5 [pablo_ferrer@hotmail.com]