How can I work on radio communications at home?

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tommy vercetti

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tommyvercetti
Good morning everyone! Was wondering if you guys had any tips on practicing radio communications at home. I have not worked the radio before but I wanted to be prepared for when the time comes! Thanks, good day!
 
Listen to www.liveatc.net. <-- that's a website with live feeds of lots of ATC frequencies.
Your other thread says you're at KFRG. So:
https://www.liveatc.net/search/?icao=KFRG

Start by listening to Ground. It'll sound like gobbledygook at first, but there is a rhythm and flow that you'll learn to recognize with time and practice.

There's a formula to the conversation. When a pilot first calls, they say:
a) Who they're addressing ("Farmingdale Ground")
b) Who they are ("November One Two Three Four Five")
c) Where they are ("at the East Ramp")
d) What they want to do ("Taxi to runway <number>")
e) That they've already listened to the ATIS information and indicate this by saying what letter it was ("With Alpha")
The whole thing put together will sound something like "Farmingdale Ground, November One Two Three Four Five, at the East Ramp, request taxi to 25, with alpha".

Then the controller gives instructions, also starting with a) Who they're addressing, and b) Who they are. So: "November One Two Three Four Five,
Farmingdale Ground, Taxi to 25 via Hotel Delta <or whatever the names of the taxiways are>". And then the pilot will read back the instructions.

You'll also notice that you'll also hear regular English in there too. For instance, "There's a Piper that'll be passing in front of you, give way to him." Or a pilot asking "Where is the self-service fuel pump at this airport?" or whatever. Which means that, when in doubt, English also works.

When you get bored with Ground, you can try listening to Tower. This one will be more complicated, and will make more sense when you've taken a few lessons and get familiar with the names of the legs of the traffic pattern ("downwind", "base", "final", etc.). But you'll still hear the same pattern of calls that begin with a) Who you're talking to, b) Who you are, and c) What you want. Followed by gobbledygook that will make more sense later, don't worry.

Practice by incorporating this in real life. "Lunchlady, Jah-Christo, at the entree station, request spaghetti, with Meatballs." :)
 
While bush hogging the field or even mowing the yard I would mow for hours asking for clearances and doing "radio work". It helped me alot but yeah you have understand the syntax first. Like mentioned already, liveatc is your friend. Get your head in it now and it will become easier and easier. Good luck, relax, and have a blast!
 
Can I suggest "Say Again, Please," published by ASA? It has a chapter for each class of airspace (plus more) with transmissions and responses for arriving, departing, and just passing through. Before you get all tied up in "proper phraseology," read AIM 4-2-1(b), which says, in part, "Since concise phraseology may not always be adequate, use whatever words are necessary to put your message across." There is no such thing as proper phraseology.

Bob
 
bobmrg said:
Can I suggest "Say Again, Please," published by ASA? It has a chapter for each class of airspace (plus more) with transmissions and responses for arriving, departing, and just passing through. Before you get all tied up in "proper phraseology," read AIM 4-2-1(b), which says, in part, "Since concise phraseology may not always be adequate, use whatever words are necessary to put your message across." There is no such thing as proper phraseology.

Bob
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The most important thing I learned from that book was that I could say "Say again; SLOWLY". (At least, I think that's where I first heard that).
 
be careful about listening to live atc or a handheld to learn radio communications, there is a lot of bad habits out there in......
 
I'm probably in the minority here, but I find LiveATC extremely confusing. They mix multiple frequencies onto a single stream which makes it really difficult when you're new and figuring things out.

The most helpful solution for me was to record the audio of my flight lessons to the voice recorder on my phone (via headset cable) then listen to them after the lesson. You'll be amazed how many things get said on the radio and by your instructor that you completely miss. Listening to just one lesson you can write scripts down for different scenarios that you can practice between lessons. I learned how to fly at a very busy Class C airport and by lesson 3 I was operating the radios on my own with very little instructor help.
 
Not quite ATC but a weird thing that took me forever to learn was listening to, copying down, and comprehending ATIS broadcasts. Would recommend finding the phone number for a local ATIS and just copying it down whenever you have a few mins to spare
 
I think Live ATC is good if you already have some foundational knowledge of ATC communications and want to hear it in practice but as an early or initial primer, probably not.
 
Michael A said:
Not quite ATC but a weird thing that took me forever to learn was listening to, copying down, and comprehending ATIS broadcasts. Would recommend finding the phone number for a local ATIS and just copying it down whenever you have a few mins to spare
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I setup my kneeboard notepad with a template before every flight so I have a place to write all relevant information, makes it a lot easier.
 
Jah-Christo Decembre said:
Good morning everyone! Was wondering if you guys had any tips on practicing radio communications at home. I have not worked the radio before but I wanted to be prepared for when the time comes! Thanks, good day!
Click to expand...


Do you already know the mnemonic alphabet (alpha, bravo, charlie, delta,...)? If not, learn that first, and then listening to comms will make more sense.

Another plug for Bob’s excellent book. You’ll also find lots of good radio training on YouTube.
 
hamer said:
I'm probably in the minority here, but I find LiveATC extremely confusing. They mix multiple frequencies onto a single stream which makes it really difficult when you're new and figuring things out.
Click to expand...

Many aren’t mixed streams but some are. Some are a scanner with the priority frequency being Tower or whatever. Those that do a double stream are almost always left/right separated, so just crank the balance control the correct direction or grab headphones where you only stick in one ear.
 
Have someone help you write out the typical circumstances that you will be dealing with. Role play with yourself while driving, sitting on the throne, wherever. Play both sides.
 
Jumping in, to air a pet peeve (and drift the thread!).
What is the correct response when you get a point out and you do not have the traffic visually?
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
Jumping in, to air a pet peeve (and drift the thread!).
What is the correct response when you get a point out and you do not have the traffic visually?
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Pilot/Controller Glossary says “Negative Contact”.

“Point out” is a specific controller term for a procedure and they’ll chuckle at you if you claim to have received one as a pilot. It has no meaning between controller and pilot. You won’t find it in the FAR, AIM, or P/CG.

(I assume it’s in the 7110. But I’m not going to research that tonight.) :)
 
Chicken Dinner!
(why do we continue to hear all manner of responses, often rambling ones, which are useless to the controller?)


“Point out” is a specific controller term
Click to expand...
I think it to be known widely enough in the aviation community now that we can use it.


.
 
A standard used by the Military when talking to ATC is by using the Pilot/Controller glossary. Besides learning what to say there are tons of juicy tid-bits in there you will learn. Ppl seem to think just talking to ATC is fine and it is BUT speaking their language over yours is preferred and it provides a smoother flow at busier airports. And the best part about the glossary is it's FREE!!!

https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/media/pcg_4-03-14.pdf
 
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