Every flight starts at an airport. There’s a lot of radio calls to master in the airport environment. This is the starting point for airport-related radio call practice. This article alone is not sufficient for mastery. Practice listening to Live ATC on the web or with a handheld radio. Practice writing what your hear. Practice speaking out loud your responses.
| TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.) ATIS & AWOS 2.) Taxiing (towered) 3.) Taxiing (NON-towered) |
Weather
ATIS India
You’re on the ground at KHIO, a towered delta airport in Oregon. After engine start, you listen to the ATIS. It sounds a little something like this. . .
Transcript
“Hillsboro Airport information India, 1553Z observation. Winds calm, visibility 9. Light rain. Ceiling 2900 Broken, 3600 Broken, 6500 Overcast. Temperature 9, dewpoint 8 altimeter 3018 RNAV 31L approach in use. Landing and departing runway 31L and 31R. No flight following or practice approaches with portland departure. NOTAMs: Newberg VOR out-of-service. Runway 20 PAPIs out of service”
ATIS Mike
“Hillsboro airport information Mike, 1753Z Winds 160 at 7, visibility 10. Light rain. Ceiling 7000 Broken. 8,000 Overcast. Temperature 9, dewpoint 7. Altimeter 2992. Remarks: Pressure rapidly rising. RNAV 31L approach in use. Landing and departing runway 31L and 31R. UAS Activity 1 nautical mile north of the airport at 100 feet AGL. Newburg VOR unusable, runway 20 PAPIs out of service. Advise on initial contact, you have information Mike.”
Albany (S12) AWOS
“Albany Municipal Airport automated weather observation 1705Z. Winds 180 at 4 knots. Visibility more than 10. Sky condition clear below 12,000 Temperature 11 Celsius, dewpoint 10 Celsius. Altimeter 3022 Inches of Mercury.”
ATIS Juliette
“Hillsboro information Juliette, 1653Z Winds 120 at 4, visibility 6. Light rain. mist. Few clouds 4,200 Ceiling 4900 Broken. 6,000 Overcast. Temperature 9, dewpoint 9. Altimeter 3021 RNAV 31L approach in use. Landing and departing runway 31L and 31R. Notices to Airmen: Newburg VOR out of service, runway 20 PAPIs out of service. Hazardous weather information for Oregon and Washington available on flight service frequencies. Portland approach is not accepting any flight following or practice approaches. advise on initial contact, you have information Juliette.”
“Hazardous weather information available…” -> this is referring to an Airmet, Sigmet or Convective Sigmet is active in the area.
ATIS Echo
“Hillsboro Tower ATIS Echo 1653Z. Winds calm, weather better than 5,000 and 5. Tem– patchy fog. Temperature 4, dewpoint 2. Altimeter 3056. RNAV approach in use. Landing and departing runways 31L and 31R. Use caution for increased bird activity in the area. NOTAMS: Newburg VOR out of service. Drone activity 1.1 nautical miles northeast of the airport 150AGL. Runway 13R PAPI out of service. VOT out of service. Advise on initial contact you have Echo.”
ATIS Quebec
“Hillsboro Airport information Quebec 1553Z. Winds calm, Visibility 10 Sky clear Temperature 12 Dewpoint 8 Altimeter 3004 visual approach in use arriving and departing runway 31L and runway 31R use caution for increased bird activity, Newburg VOR out of service. Advise on initial contact you have information Quebec.”
Taxi
Parking->Runup->Runway (KHIO)
In this scenario, you are at Hillsboro Aero Academy. You need to perform a run-up before you takeoff. At this airport, the runup area is within the non-movement area (the parking area not controlled by ATC), so, you will simply notify to Hillsboro ground that you are going to the runup area. When you’re ready to taxi to the runway, you will need a taxi clearance because you’ll need to enter a taxiway.
Practice speaking out loud what the pilot says. . .
Pilot: “Hillsboro ground, Cessna 757JX at HAA taxi runup with Juliette southbound departure”
Ground: “Cessna 757JX Roger”
Now, after runup is complete. . .
Pilot: “Hillsboro ground 7JX ready taxi active”
Ground:
“Cessna 7JX runway 31L on Alpha-8 taxi via Alpha-8“
Pilot: “7JX taxi 31L on Alpha-8 via Alpha-8”
“31L ON ALPHA-8” -> This specifically means taxi to the 31L/A8 INTERSECTION. You will be doing an intersection departure, NOT taking off from the beginning of the runway.
BLUE: notify ground you are moving to the runup area
YELLOW: this is the runup area. it is not located in a taxiway, therefore you do not require a taxi clearance.
RED: BEFORE you taxi on A8, you need a taxi clearance, because this IS a taxiway.
Parking->Runup->Runway (KLVK)
In this scenario, you’re at a more usual airport. Here, the runup area is next to the runway. You have just finished refueling at the unattended “self-serve” refueling station:
Practice speaking out loud what the pilot says. . .
Pilot: “Livermore ground, CareerTrack330 at Self-Serve-Fuel taxi 25R with Mike”
Ground: “CareerTrack330, Livermore Ground. Runway 25R taxi via Juliette, Bravo.“
Pilot: “25R via Juliette, Bravo. CareertrTack330”
This taxi clearance allows you to taxi to Bravo and perform runup in the designated runup area at B. Once your runup is complete, contact tower directly for takeoff clearance.
YELLOW: these are the runup areas. They are within the taxiways, so you will first get taxi clearance, then follow your clearance to the runup area and runway.
Parking->Runup->Runway (KSEE)
You have just finished refueling at the unattended “self-serve” refueling station. You are ready to taxi for runup and departure.
Practice speaking out loud what the pilot says. . .
Pilot: “Gillespie ground, Cessna 26089R at Self-Serve-Fuel taxi active with Yankee”
Ground: “Cessna 26089R Gillespie Ground good afternoon runway 27R taxi via Alpha, Delta, cross runway 35“
Pilot: “27R via Alpha, Delta, cross 35. 89R”
This taxi clearance allows you to taxi all the way to the runway at taxiway Delta and perform runup in the designated runup area at Delta. Once your runup is complete, contact tower directly for takeoff clearance.
This time try identifying the runup area yourself!
Look for the “shoulder” area next to taxiway Delta nearby the runway. This is the runup area, very similar to KLVK (and many other airports).
Runway->Parking (KHIO)
In this scenario, you’ve just landed and would like to return to parking at Hillsboro Aero Academy (HAA). Here’s what the dialogue sounds like
Practice speaking out loud what the pilot says. . .
Pilot: “Hillsboro Ground Cessna 6605P on Alpha-5 request taxi HAA”
Ground: “Cessna 6605P, Hillsboro Ground, taxi via Alpha, Mike, Cross runway 2 at Alpha“
Pilot: “Taxi Alpha, Mike, Cross runway 2 at Alpha. 05P”
Runway->Parking (KHIO)
In this scenario, You’ve landed on 31R at KHIO and need to taxi to the south ramp, at the HAA flight school.
Pilot: “Hillsboro Ground Cessna 25836 on Delta-3 request taxi HAA”
Ground: “Cessna 25836, Hillsboro Ground, taxi to parking via Delta, Charlie, hold short runway 31L at Charlie“
Pilot: “taxi Dela Charlie hold short 31L at Charlie”
While waiting on taxiway charlie (green star) you hear. . .
Ground: “uh 836, Cross runway 31L at Charlie, cross runway 2 at Alpha. Continue via Alpha, Mike. Traffic will be holding in position”
Pilot: “Cross 31L at Charlie, cross 2 at Alpha. Taxi Alpha Mike”
“Traffic will be holding in position” -> Ground is informing you that there is traffic, but they will be stopped for you, so you do not need to be concerned. This does not need to be read-back.
Notice, on your first taxi instruction, ATC told you to wait and hold short at a runway. While you wait here, stay alert to radio calls and keep your pencil and paper ready to write! ATC may call you suddenly, and often will want you to cross the runway in a timely manner.
FBO->Runway (int. dept. @ KHIO)
Pilot: “Hillsboro Ground 1277S at Aero-Air request taxi active with Echo”
Ground: “77S, roger, runway 31L at charlie, intersection departure, taxi via alpha and say direction of departure.”
Pilot: “31L at Charlie via Alpha. Northbound”
“at Aero-Air” -> this is the name of an FBO (where pilots can park their planes and get fuel).
“intersection departure” -> ATC says this to emphasise that you are taking off 31L AT CHARLIE. Excersize caution not to depart heading 130 instead of 310!
“Say direction of departure” -> Nobody is perfect. If you forget to mention a piece of information, or ATC forgets/couldn’t hear you they will simply ask you to repeat the information!
Runup->Runway 31L via A9 or A8? (KHIO)
Pilot: “Hillsboro Ground 259 at runup request taxi active”
Ground: “45259 is it easier for you to take uh A9 A8 or eh, A9 Alpha?”
Pilot: “31L at Charlie via Alpha. Northbound”
Ground: “Cessna 259 roger taxi 31L on Alpha-8 taxi via Alpha-9, Alpha.”
“is it easier for you to take uh A9 A8 or eh, A9 Alpha?” -> ATC is asking you if you prefer to exit the runup area via A9. When the runup area is very busy, you might prefer to use A9 then go to Alpha 8.
Exit Runway-> Return to Runway (KHIO)
You are practicing touch-and-goes on 31R at KHIO. On one landing, you accidentally float too far down the runway. Instead of taking off, you decide to exit the runway and taxi back for departure to continue flying in the traffic pattern. when you exit the runway, this is what your communications sound like with ground. . .
Pilot: “Hillsboro Ground 4203P at Kilo Request taxiback 31R “
Ground: “4203P Hillsboro Ground, runway 31R taxi via Delta, are you just going back out for pattern work?”
Pilot: “31R via Delta, Affirmative.
Ground: “Roger, thanks.”
“is it easier for you to take uh A9 A8 or eh, A9 Alpha?” -> ATC has instructed you to taxi via delta, without specifying Delta-3 or Delta-4. in this case, it is assumed you will taxi to the beginning of 31R (Delta-4)
FBO -> Runway or Runup? (KHIO)
Pilot: “Hillsboro Ground Cirrus 7AX at Aero-Air, request taxi 31L Northbound with Lima.”
Ground: “Cirrus 7AX runway 31L taxi via Alpha-5, Alpha, cross runway 2 at Alpha.”
Pilot: “31L via Alpha-5, Alpha, cross 2 at Alpha. 7AX.”
Ground: “Cirrus 7AX you gonna be ready at the end?”
Pilot: “7AX I’ll need a runup”
Ground: “uh Cirrus 7AX for a runup you can turn right there on … alpha 8 and the runup area is… theres a little painted square for it there.”
“31L via Alpha…” -> ATC has assigned you to taxi to 31L via…. NOT 31L at an intersection. Because no intersection was specified, it is assumed you will taxi to the beginning of 31L (A9).
“Cirrus 7AX you gonna be ready at the end?” -> ATC is asking you if you will be ready for departure when you reach the runway, or if you will need time for checklists or runup.
“gonna” -> American nonstandard phrase for “going-to”
NON-TOWERED!
Runway->Refueling Station (KMMV)
Now, at a NON-towered airport, each pilot will need to announce their taxi instead of requesting it! Here, the pilot has just landed and is announcing their taxi to the refueling station.
Pilot: “McMinnville Traffic Cessna 48868 Crossing runway 0-4 at delta and then via A2 taxi to fuel station McMinnville Traffic”
