Step 4 - Example of communications

THE FOLLOWING STAGES ARE SIMPLIFIED TO GET YOU STARTED AND WILL GENERALLY BE THE MINIMUM COMMUNICATION REQUIRED BETWEEN YOU THE PILOT, AND ATC. OVER TIME YOU WILL BE ABLE TO BUILD ON THESE BASICS AND BECOME EVEN MORE PROFESSIONAL.

ALL ATC ON FSOPEN HAVE BEEN TRAINED TO RECOGNISE DIFFERING PILOT ABILITIES, AND HAVE INFORMATION ON HAND TO EASILY ASCERTAIN YOUR ABILITY (PILOT RANKINGS) - SO DO NOT FEEL INTIMIDATED!

REMEMBER TO READBACK ALL INSTRUCTIONS, FOLLOWED BY YOUR CALLSIGN.

TIP: HAVE A PEN AND PAPER AT HAND TO SCRIBBLE DOWN THE ATC INSTRUCTION - IT WILL MAKE IT MUCH EASIER TO REMEMBER WHEN READING BACK.

SO, YOU HAVE JOINED THE SESSION, SET UP YOUR FLIGHT PLAN, LOGGED INTO TEAMSPEAK, AND YOU ARE SITTING THERE PLUCKING UP THE COURAGE TO CONTACT ATC - AND GUESS WHAT? - YOU DON'T KNOW YOUR CALLSIGN! THIS HAPPENS TO EVERYONE FROM TIME TO TIME, EVEN EXPERIENCED PLAYERS. SIMPLY DO THIS - GO TO THE CHAT WINOW AND TYPE IN THE FOLLOWING COMMAND

!Callsign

THE SOFTWWARE WILL REPORT BACK TO YOU IN SECONDS SHOWING YOUR CALLSIGN!


GET CLEARANCE FOR YOUR FLIGHT PLAN

You should wait until the channel is clear and then say: "Hello this is (Your Call Sign such as BAW286) I am ready to copy my flight plan".

The ATC will read back to you the flight plan you have submitted and also provide you with information for the airport such as: Active Runway, QNH and any additional information he feels you need. At this stage you will also probably be given the direction to fly after takeoff and also the initial altitude to climb to. If you do not understand some of the information, ask ATC to explain. Basically, there are two types of transmission from the ATC - an instruction and/or information.

You should always read back an instruction to the Controller, although it is often acceptable to simply acknowledge information given to you.


Examples of instructions -

ATC: "BAW 286, after departure fly runway heading, climb and maintain 5000.

PILOT: " After departure fly runway heading, climb and maintain 5000, BAW286.

ATC: "BAW 286, turn left heading 260.

PILOT: "Left heading 260, BAW 286


Example of information

ATC: "Surface wind 180 @ 10 knots.

PILOT: "Copy the winds, BAW286.


ASK ATC FOR PERMISSION TO PUSHBACK AND START YOUR ENGINES.

PILOT: "BAW 286, READY FOR PUSHBACK AND START.

ATC: "BAW 286, PUSHBACK AND START APPROVED. CALL ME READY FOR TAXI.

In your own time, pushback and start your engines. DO NOT START TO TAXI! Inform ATC you are ready to taxi.

PILOT: "BAW 286, READY TO TAXI.

ATC: "BAW 286, TAXI TO RUNWAY 23R VIA TAXIWAY DELTA, LIMA, KILO, JULIET, HOLD SHORT JULIET SIERRA AND CALL ME WHEN READY"

PILOT: "TAXI TO RUNWAY 23R VIA TAXIWAY DELTA, LIMA, KILO, JULIET, HOLD SHORT JULIET SIERRA AND CALL WHEN READY, BAW 286"

Taxi to the runway. If you are unsure of the taxiways, ask ATC to give you progressive taxi (directions along the way). Do not exceed 20 knots. Inform ATC you are holding short of the runway.

PILOT: "BAW 286, HOLDING SHORT JULIET SIERRA, FOR 24R"

ATC: " BAW 286, LINE UP AND WAIT 24R.

PILOT: "LINE UP AND WAIT 24R, BAW286.

Taxi on to the runway and line up ready for takeoff. DO NOT TAKEOFF! WAIT FOR ATC TO GIVE YOU CLEARANCE FOR TAKEOFF.

ATC: "BAW 286, RUNWAY 24R, CLEARED FOR TAKEOFF, WIND 180@ 10 KNOTS"

PILOT: " CLEARED FOR TAKEOFF 24R, COPY THE WINDS, BAW 286.

Takeoff and fly according to the instructions given to you earlier by ATC during your Clearance Delivery.

BE READY TO TAKE INSTRUCTIONS FROM CONTROLLERS THROUGHOUT YOUR FLIGHT - HEADING, ALTITUDE, FLIGHT LEVEL, ETC. IF AT THIS STAGE YOU ARE UNFAMILIAR WITH HOW TO FLY TO A VOR, THEN ASK THE ATC FOR DIRECTIONS (HEADINGS) INSTEAD.


VFR APPROACH

IF YOU ARE FLYING VFR (Visual Flight Rules) YOU WILL BE DIRECTED TO A POINT WHERE YOU CAN REPORT VISUAL ON THE RUNWAY.

ATC: " BAW 286, YOU ARE 25 MILES NORTH, RUNWAY 33 IS AT YOUR TEN O'CLOCK, REPORT RUNWAY IN SIGHT.

PILOT: " WILL REPORT RUNWAY IN SIGHT, BAW 286"

Continue flying until you have the runway in sight.

PILOT: "BAW 286 HAS THE RUNWAY IN SIGHT"

ATC: "CONTINUE APPROACH, YOU ARE NUMBER ONE TO LAND"

Continue approaching the runway.

ATC: "BAW 286, CLEARED TO LAND RUNWAY 33, QNH 1007, WIND 270 @10 KNOTS"

PILOT: " CLEARED TO LAND RUNWAY 33, QNH 1007, COPIED THE WIND, BAW286"

Continue approach, and land runway 33.

ILS APPROACH

IF YOU ARE FLYING IFR (Instrument Flight Rules) YOU WILL BE GIVEN HEADINGS TO INTERCEPT THE LOCALISER.

ATC: "TURN LEFT HEADING 030, DESCEND TO 3500FT TO INTERCEPT LOCALISER AND REPORT FULLY ESTABLISHED"

PILOT: "LEFT HEADING 030, DESCEND 3500, AND WILL REPORT FULLY ESTABLISHED, BAW286"

Continue flying to establish with the localiser.

PILOT: "BAW286, FULLY ESTABLISHED RUNWAY33"

ATC: " BAW286, CONTINUE APPROACH, NUMBER 1 TO LAND"

Continue on the approach and expect clearance to land shortly, usually when you are approx 10 miles from landing, though this may be less during busy times.

ATC: " BAW286, RUNWAY 33 CLEARED TO LAND, QNH 1008, SURFACE WIND 270 @ 10 KNOTS"

PILOT: " CLEARED TO LAND RUNWAY 33, QNH 1008, COPIED THE WIND, BAW286"

Continue on the approach and land on runway 33

ATC: "BAW 286, VACATE RIGHT ON TO CHARLIE (taxiway C), REPORT CLEAR OF THE RUNWAY"

PILOT: "VACATING RIGHT ON CHARLIE, WILL REPORT CLEAR, BAW286"

PILOT"BAW286, HAS VACATED CHARLIE, REQUEST TAXI TO GATE"

ATC: " BAW286, TAXI ON CHARLIE, DELTA, LIMA, TO GATE 12"

PILOT: "TAXI CHARLIE, DELTA, LIMA, GATE 12, BAW286"

Continue taxi to the gate. At the gate, set your parking brake, and request permission to shut down your engines.

PILOT: " BAW286, ON STAND REQUESTING ENGINE SHUTDOWN"

ATC: " BAW286, SHUTDOWN APPROVED"

Shutdown your engines.

As mentioned previously, the above is a very simplified example of what to expect. By listening to the interaction between other pilots and ATC, you will soon learn more and more. If you hear instructions from ATC and/or pilot requests on the radio which you do not understand, write them down, and feel free to ask an off duty pilot or controller in The Lounge in Teamspeak. They will be happy to help.