Razorback09

Ok folks, as an 80 hour pilot working on Comm 1 lab I'm doing a lot of cross countries into controlled airspace. I've spent the vast majority of my time at a tiny field in the middle of totally-uncontrolled nowhere. I've come to grips with the fact that I am flat out terrible on the radio with ATC, FSS, Memphis Center, whoever... My poor flight instructor has tried so hard to help me with it but I still am not up to what I consider proficient. I was going to ask if you guys had any ideas on material or training aids or videos or what not to help with my radio communications and operations in controlled airspace. Thanks for your help and all the help you've provided in the past!

HSLD

Sit in a chair, repeat out loud:

Who you are, where you are, and what you want to do. If you're working on the Comm., you already have the Inst. rating? Work on the readback for instrument clearances until you have those down cold too.

Chair flying is free, keep doing it until you've got it right lest you be "that guy"

Cubdriver

As you obtain more flight time within controlled airspace you will gradually realize that there is a fairly limited list of subjects in the routine pilot-to-controller-to-pilot dialog. You will get good at learning how the usual subjects transpire, and you will learn a stock of standard phraseology that you can be use to negotiate. It takes some time. Everyone has to learn the lingo at some point.

One trick I have found is, when you are receiving an ATC instruction take your eyes off the panel for a second and fix your gaze somewhere that is visually neutral in the airplane. Let your mind simply hear what the controller is saying and do only that. Switch to hearing and not seeing for a minute... just hear. You will be amazed how much easier your apprehension is using this technique, and with clear hearing comes a natural response. It takes a little time to develop and it is a skill. And as HSLD points out, you need to practice to get good. Armchair flying with a walkie-talkie on ATC might help, as will flying in controlled airspace a lot.

TonyWilliams

Get a cheap scanner, and listen at home.

rickair7777

What Tony said, plus practice responding to whatever you hear from ATC.

mmaviator

Listen to Live ATC (Air Traffic Control) Communications | LiveATC.net

click on busy airspace or neighborhood corners.......enjoy

shdw

Welcome to what I believe the problem is. I've trained students at airports like this, however, I was trained at a very busy Class Delta airspace. It was for the college, so we often had 10+ aircraft in the airspace at a time yapping away. First flight I was instructed on how to make taxi and takeoff requests.

Hind sight 20/20, I'd have put the radios off for 10 or so lessons to focus on the airplane. Then again, I've been into Boston at 5/6pm (decently busy) and felt completely comfortable except when the guy asked me to sidestep from 22L to 22R. Apparently "22R for seminole 123" doesn't work, you must say cleared in this read back..."cleared for 22R seminole 123."

Ok so enough rambling about my training. Get the book "Say Again, Please" and practice, practice, and more practice. Learn to trim the fat off your replies. Notice the brevity of the example reply above. Another simple example is midfield downwind call, commonly used when doing pattern work in controlled fields:

Wordy: "trenton tower this is cessna 123 at midfield, left, downwind, to land on runway 24"

Restated: "trenton tower cessna 123 left midfield for option" They already know you're on the left side, they assigned it to you. They also know you're landing 24, they assigned you that as well.

Last two tips: Whenever you read back instruction, you don't need to say everything he/she said and you should say your tail number last, not first, as you likely won't forget it and it's typically placarded just in case. Chair flying all this (already mentioned by other poster) is a brilliant idea, but drill it in by getting flight following every flight from here on out, making pilot reports to FSS/Flight Watch, or getting weather reports from them.

TonyWilliams

Ok, this is advice from my days on the "other side of the microphone". Yes, they may have assigned left downwind, but when there's a bunch of planes, sometimes they need all the help they can get.

That first bit of help is not "stepping" all over everbody (more than one person talking on frequency at the same time). No matter how hard you try, it will happen with the current generation radios (the next gen radios will have ATC override).

Second, of course, keep it brief. Tell 'em "important" info every time, even if you think they "should" know it.

So, I'd suggest, "Cessna 123, midfield, left downwind, Rwy 24, option". You can leave off the "Trenton Tower", because you've already established radio communication on your initial call when you told them you had the ATIS inbound.

The same goes for headings, speed assignments, etc. "Podund Tower, Cessna 123, ten east for full stop / option / Touch and Go / Overhead / straight in, ATIS Romeo", then add the "250 knots assigned" if appropriate (or heading 360 assigned, or traffic in sight, following the yellow Belchcraft, etc).

If it's an absolutely cold call, meaning that tower never heard of you, say, in the last 10 minutes, particularly if its busy, make that initial call extremely brief. "Podunk Tower, Cessna 123" and let ATC reply, or you might add "with Romeo" or "10 east", but that's about it.

You'll learn that every tower has it's own local procedures, which, with experience, will help you tailor your calls. But the basics are always the same.

Brief, clear, steady speech rate is probably the MOST fundamental. You'd be amazed how many experienced aviators and controllers alike speak so fast, monotone, too much info at once, etc, that the only response is "say again".

NoyGonnaDoIt

I'll join shdw and tony on the brevity piece. In busy airspace, I've heard "City Tower. Um, This is Cessna 1234X 8 miles to the east for a full stop with information Uniform" get "Aircraft calling 8 east stand by" and "City Tower. Cessna 1234X. 8 east landing X-ray" get right in

The other is to focus on AIM-standard (subject to the brevity piece). Think about getting clearances. We've all learned some form of CRAFT or other shorthand for taking down clearances, ATIS information, etc. They work precisely because ATC always gives us the same type of information in the same words in the same order. Think about getting a long clearance using non-standard terms with the order switched around. Makes it hard, huh? Language standardization speeds communication - both ways.

Problem is, we tend to be wordy (just look at this post ) The staccato of "Just the facts, ma'am" sounds a bit funny to our ears so we add fillers with no content ("with you" probably being the most famous of them). It's nice to add in a friendly "good morning."

All good. The problem is that people who say things the long way most of the time have a lot of difficult shortening it. But people who train themselves to be sort with only the essentials don't have any problem at all with engaging in longer conversation.

Saint

I scanned over the replies, did not see this suggestions:


V A T S I M!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Go get a cheap copy of MS Flight Sim 9, read up at Welcome to VATSIM - VATSIM - The International Online Flying Network what you need to get online, and go start flying! You don't even need to be flying large airliners in Flight Sim, just take up a 172 in a busy traffic patterns.

Vatsim will help immeasurably, the controller are very professional, and you'll be learning to communicate in a stress-free environment. Vatsim was the single tool that helped me become comfortable on the radio.

Send me a PM if you want and I'll help you get set up.