Things/Sayings You Hate Hearing On The Radio!

jordane93

jordane93

Touchdown! Greaser!
Joined
Sep 9, 2013
Messages
10,615
Location
Long Island, NY
Display Name
Display name:
Jordan
for me the two things that annoy the heck out of me is when pilots always start off their transmissions with and. Example: AND cessna 123 left downwind runway 18. you don't need to start off with and, just say your numbers! another one is when atc gives out traffic advisories and you hear. looking for them on the fish finder. What about you guys! all fun and games, just want to know what you guys think.
 
Sac Arrow said:
Can you repeat that?
Click to expand...

sure, here you go.


jordane93 said:
for me the two things that annoy the heck out of me is when pilots always start off their transmissions with and. Example: AND cessna 123 left downwind runway 18. you don't need to start off with and, just say your numbers! another one is when atc gives out traffic advisories and you hear. looking for them on the fish finder. What about you guys! all fun and games, just want to know what you guys think.
Click to expand...
 
jordane93 said:
for me the two things that annoy the heck out of me is when pilots always start off their transmissions with and. Example: AND cessna 123 left downwind runway 18. you don't need to start off with and, just say your numbers! another one is when atc gives out traffic advisories and you hear. looking for them on the fish finder. What about you guys! all fun and games, just want to know what you guys think.
Click to expand...

The first word break squelch and makes the second work understandable. As for the fish finder comment, it lets ATC know you have active traffic detection equipment aboard. It's not like /G where they know you have GPS.
 
jordane93 said:
for me the two things that annoy the heck out of me is when pilots always start off their transmissions with and. Example: AND cessna 123 left downwind runway 18. you don't need to start off with and, just say your numbers! another one is when atc gives out traffic advisories and you hear. looking for them on the fish finder. What about you guys! all fun and games, just want to know what you guys think.
Click to expand...

How about starting with "uh..."? The first syllable breaks the squelch, as noted by others, so it should not contain any information. "And" works as well as anything.

To answer your question, though, the hated (and prohibited) "Any traffic in the area please advise" bugs me more than anything.

Bob Gardner
 
"converging traffic 12 o'clock 3 miles type and altitude unknown"
 
Last edited:
I was on flight following in the area of Pensacola Naval Air Station. Pensacola approach says "Piper 969, squawk VFR, i can't keep up with all the traffic, you are on your own" In the next 5 minutes i saw 4 T34 Turbine Mentors, 3 OH-58's. Probably a lot I missed too. Was glad to get on the ground at Jack Edwards. Was my mother's first trip into Jack Edwards.
 
N12345 is over the high school, inbound for landing (there are at least 5 High Schools near the airport).
 
I have a phone number for you to call when you land. Possible pilot deviation. Advise when ready to copy.
 
I have two that get me and they are both responses to traffic advisories from ATC. "Tallyho" just sounds like you are trying to hard to be cool. I know it's a military response but unless you are a fighter jet pilot- leave it to those guys please!:). The other is "searching for traffic." Searching??!!- it's not a word search guys, and it's not a search and rescue. How about "looking" or better yet, negative contact.
 
pbramlett said:
I was on flight following in the area of Pensacola Naval Air Station. Pensacola approach says "Piper 969, squawk VFR, i can't keep up with all the traffic, you are on your own" In the next 5 minutes i saw 4 T34 Turbine Mentors, 3 OH-58's. Probably a lot I missed too. Was glad to get on the ground at Jack Edwards. Was my mother's first trip into Jack Edwards.
Click to expand...

All of NW Florida is one of the busiest places around.

My least favorite " is on a 10 mile RIGHT base"
 
jspilot said:
I have two that get me and they are both responses to traffic advisories from ATC. "Tallyho" just sounds like you are trying to hard to be cool. I know it's a military response but unless you are a fighter jet pilot- leave it to those guys please!:). The other is "searching for traffic." Searching??!!- it's not a word search guys, and it's not a search and rescue. How about "looking" or better yet, negative contact.
Click to expand...

In fact, it isn't even that. "Tally-ho" means nothing. It would also be an incorrect response even in the correct brevity form of "tally"....which means that you are visual of a hostile aircraft or target. "Visual" means that you see a friendly/wingman/etc. I guess it is over to interpretation as to whether conflicting traffic in a civilian environment constitutes hostile, but "visual traffic" should be the response. Yeah, just nerded out real big, but that is a very minor peeve of mine as well. As for the "fish finder" stuff, you can also just say "radar" in response. We do it all the time for traffic calls that are outside visual range.
 
Dagger 11 flight 5 mile initial for the break.
 
YES. i totally forgot about this one. just say your numbers and altitude. the approach controller/center knows you are with them thats why you are talking with them!
txnightster said:
Piper 123pg WITH YOU

The with you has become so annoying to me.
Click to expand...
 
To add to the list, while not a specific phrase, just a lack of basic concise comm is my biggest peeve. Whether it be some clown clobbering up guard for no apparently good reason, or just using trucker comm to request something or read back a clearance. It always seems to happen when I have a time sensitive transmission to make, and generally drives me insane. Trucker comm is appropriate I suppose for unique situations where there is no concise means of getting one's point across, but that should be the exception not the norm.
 
AOPA has a good webinar about proper radio etiquette. It's worth the time.

"any traffic in the area please advise" is useless.

"Roger" is not the same as the proper response "Wilco" when given orders.

Flight following at first contact you should just say "Nxxxx, level at XXXX" or "Nxxxx climbing/descending to XXXX." And don't say level at FL 08. You're supposed to speak it out. "Nxxxx level at eight thousand"

These are just some examples from their web deal. Not saying they're gospel. I'll probably get my ass flamed off. That's normal here. :D
 
Last edited:
"Checking in..."

and every airliner checking in with "...getting light chop..."
 
ATC making multiple calls to some guy not paying attention - who sounds like you woke him up when he finally is answering.

Calling ATC up with "XXX Tower, Comanche 1234P, north hangars with Tango, ready to taxi request advisories to XYZ." with a response of "ugh, Cherokee 4231P, ugh, taxi to 32R via november, alpha, golf, advise tango, where do you want to go again" This seems to happen all the time at certain airports where I know they have someone staffing ground and tower . . .

Then there are the guys who chime on a frequency where a pilot and ATC are working something out and they step all over everything because they NEED TO CHECK IN RIGHT THIS MINUTE OR THEY ARE GONNA HIT SOMEONE.
 
Last edited:
comanchepilot said:
ATC making multiple calls to some guy not paying attention - who sounds like you woke him up when he finally is answering.

Calling ATC up with "XXX Tower, Comanche 1234P, north hangars with Tango, ready to taxi request advisories to XYZ." with a response of "ugh, Cherokee 4231P, ugh, taxi to 32R via november, alpha, golf, advise tango, where do you want to go again" This seems to happen all the time at certain airports where I know they have someone staffing ground and tower . . .

Then there are the guys who chime on a frequency where a pilot and ATC are working something out and they step all over everything because they NEED TO CHECK IN RIGHT THIS MINUTE OR THEY ARE GONNA HIT SOMEONE.
Click to expand...


I flew with a guy that when he was handed off, he changed frequencies and immediately hit the PTT button. :dunno:

Drove me nuts. He stepped on some people too.
 
35 AoA said:
To add to the list, while not a specific phrase, just a lack of basic concise comm is my biggest peeve.
Click to expand...

That reminds me of my first actual IMC approach to the home 'drome. A controller and airline pilot started talking about nothing and I blew through the localizer for 35 at FTG and was headed directly for the conga line into DEN. I couldn't get a word in until I was already through the localizer. Ended up making a steep turn in IMC to intercept (from the *other* side) and landed without incident. I was stupid to not just go missed. Of course missed from FTG is interesting 'cause ya never do the published. Seems like they should get that figgered out some day...
 
AITTPPA

(I had just announced myself on downwind before he made the call. I just kept quiet until my base call)
 
Can't have FL 08 (FL means 29.92, etc.) if transition altitude is higher, as in the US. FL 08 is appropriate in UK, for example, where transition altitude is 6k IIRC.

txflyer said:
AOPA has a good webinar about proper radio etiquette. It's worth the time.

"any traffic in the area please advise" is useless.

"Roger" is not the same as the proper response "Wilco" when given orders.

Flight following at first contact you should just say "Nxxxx, level at XXXX" or "Nxxxx climbing/descending to XXXX." And don't say level at FL 08. You're supposed to speak it out. "Nxxxx level at eight thousand"

These are just some examples from their web deal. Not saying they're gospel. I'll probably get my ass flamed off. That's normal here. :D
Click to expand...
 
comanchepilot said:
Calling ATC up with "XXX Tower, Comanche 1234P, north hangars with Tango, ready to taxi request advisories to XYZ." with a response of "ugh, Cherokee 4231P, ugh, taxi to 32R via november, alpha, golf, advise tango, where do you want to go again" This seems to happen all the time at certain airports where I know they have someone staffing ground and tower . . .
Click to expand...

Called Ground "Pawnee, xxxxZ, south shades, VFR , xxx, with Yankee, negative Class B"

Grnd "xxZ say again type aircraft and location"
me, "xxZ, Pawnee, south shades"
Grnd, xxZ, say again full call sign and type"
Me "NxxxxZ, Piper Pawnee, PA-25"
Grnd "xxZ, taxi Rwy 7 via Gulf, verify you have Yankee"
Me, "xxZ, taxi Rwy 7 via Gulf with Yankee"
After I taxi clear of the shade hangers so he can see me
Grnd "xxZ, say again type aircraft and destination"
Me "xxZ, Piper Pawnee PA-25, destination xxx"
Grnd, "xxZ, verify negative Class B"
Me "xxZ, affirmative neg Class B"

I almost filed a NASA report over that one with all the questions while I was taxing. they expect you to taxi via the ramp to Gulf, even though they dont say so. It is in the non movement area that way and they are not resposible for you until you get to Gulf. Yes we have a Class D training tower tucked under a Class B shelf.
 
When I talked to our former KADS tower manager, who was also a contract Citation pilot, about whether our tower was a "training tower" he said "all towers are training towers, otherwise we'd never get anybody new into the system.

BillTIZ said:
Called Ground "Pawnee, xxxxZ, south shades, VFR , xxx, with Yankee, negative Class B"

Grnd "xxZ say again type aircraft and location"
me, "xxZ, Pawnee, south shades"
Grnd, xxZ, say again full call sign and type"
Me "NxxxxZ, Piper Pawnee, PA-25"
Grnd "xxZ, taxi Rwy 7 via Gulf, verify you have Yankee"
Me, "xxZ, taxi Rwy 7 via Gulf with Yankee"
After I taxi clear of the shade hangers so he can see me
Grnd "xxZ, say again type aircraft and destination"
Me "xxZ, Piper Pawnee PA-25, destination xxx"
Grnd, "xxZ, verify negative Class B"
Me "xxZ, affirmative neg Class B"

I almost filed a NASA report over that one with all the questions while I was taxing. they expect you to taxi via the ramp to Gulf, even though they dont say so. It is in the non movement area that way and they are not resposible for you until you get to Gulf. Yes we have a Class D training tower tucked under a Class B shelf.
Click to expand...
 
txnightster said:
Piper 123pg WITH YOU

The with you has become so annoying to me.
Click to expand...

"With you" is also annoyingly redundant to me as well.

However, that opinion has become tempered somewhat. Many, many times while IFR or VFR flight following, I'll have the following exchange:

ATC facility doesn't matter, let's say it's Indy Center:

Indy Center: Cessna 123, contact Indy Center on 123.45.
Me: Indy Center on 123.45, Cessna 123.
(change frequencies)
Me: Indy Center, Cessna 123 (that's all I'm required and expected to say. Altitude confirmation isn't needed since it's the same facility.)
Indy Center: Cessna 123, Indy Center, go ahead.
Me (awkwardly): Um, just checking in, Cessna 123.
Indy Center: Roger, altimeter 30.17.
Me: 30.17, Cessna 123.

So, I'm not required or expected to say anything else other than my callsign when changing frequencies within the same facility. The next controller took the handoff, and should know about me, but it often seems as if it's a surprise, or he thinks I have a request. When you change facilities, you're expected to say your current altitude for Mode C verification, but not with the same facility.

To avoid this, I've just started saying my altitude on ANY handoff between radar controllers. It's redundant and unnecessary, but it seems to help reduce transmissions.

So although I don't like "with you", I could see a similar benefit to saying that instead.
 
RussR said:
Indy Center: Cessna 123, contact Indy Center on 123.45.
Me: Indy Center on 123.45, Cessna 123.
(change frequencies)
Me: Indy Center, Cessna 123 (that's all I'm required and expected to say. Altitude confirmation isn't needed since it's the same facility.)
Indy Center: Cessna 123, Indy Center, go ahead.
Me (awkwardly): Um, just checking in, Cessna 123.
Indy Center: Roger, altimeter 30.17
Click to expand...

this really never happens to mewhen im switched to the same facility but on different freqs. last week when i was talking to boston approach i got cessna 123 switch to my frequency 123.4. when i switched freqs, i said boston approach, cessna 123. he said roger, thanks. this is what usually happens. i think it was just bad planning on their part
 
NOT hearing the airport name at the end of a nontowered call.
 
RussR said:
"With you" is also annoyingly redundant to me as well.

Me: Indy Center, Cessna 123 (that's all I'm required and expected to say. Altitude confirmation isn't needed since it's the same facility.)
Indy Center: Cessna 123, Indy Center, go ahead.
Me (awkwardly): Um, just checking in, Cessna 123.
Click to expand...

There's a difference between "Contact center at xxx.xx" and "Change to my frequency xxx.xx". If you are asked to "contact center" then that's a new controller unfamiliar with you that's getting a handoff. "Change to my frequency" keeps you with the same person but on a different transmitter location as you move across the ground. When I get a "change to my frequency" request I change and key up with "Cessna 123 with you on xxx.xx", never had a problem that way.
 
While I am flying my airplane, I try to fly only my airplane and to allow the other pilots to fly theirs. If they are communicating information or requests and I understand what they are, then I'm OK with the terminology they use. Here is a glossary for those who don't understand. You may notice that mostly the original phrase uses up less radio time than the explanation.

Beginning a transmission with "and", "um", "like", or whatever: "I'm beginning to speak and want you to be aware of it."

"Can you repeat that?": "Say again"

Any CB radio terms: Whatever they mean to CB radio users.

"Any traffic please advise": "I don't see any traffic, but I'd sure like to know if there is someone in the pattern that I overlooked."

"Tally ho": "Traffic sighted visually."

"With you": "I'm just changing to your frequency, not asking for any request."

"Checking in": Same as "with you"

"Over": "Your turn to respond."

"Roger": "I heard you say something."

"Wilco": "I will do whatever I thought you said."

"Roger wilco": "I heard you say something and will do whatever I think you said."

"Out": "Don't bother responding, I'm no longer listening."

"Taking the active": "Preparing to take off. Watch out for me."

"Flight level 08": "Altitude 8,000, level"

Certainly in some circumstances, more information or more precise information would be welcome, but in each of these cases, something has been communicated that helps me fly my airplane more safely.
 
Last edited:
AuntPeggy said:
While I am flying my airplane, I try to fly only my airplane and to allow the other pilots to fly theirs. If they are communicating information or requests and I understand what they are, then I'm OK with the terminology they use.
Click to expand...

But Aunt Peggy, you'll never get your panties in a wad with an attitude like that, and what fun is that? :wink2:

I go pretty easy on other pilots' communication styles too, perhaps partly because I've been guilty of saying "with you" before I knew better (thanks for the bad habit, regional pilots!).
 
The frequency used in the San Diego area for air to air traffic is 122.75, that is the frequency that students use to let people know what their next shenanigan is going to be, along with their wild guess as to where they are going to attempt doing it. For some reason, being able to tell others what you are up to gives a student a little comfort, along with a false sense of security

When I was a student flying solo out to the NE practice area, when I tuned into 122.75 there were a couple of pilots from the Los Angeles area dominating the frequency like it was their own personal intercom. I still had a ways to go, so I just listened to their incessant chatter about important things such as what they did a few days ago, what they were thinking about having for lunch, what airport to land at for lunch, assorted conversations about cars and motorcycles, and so on.

When I arrived at the practice area about fifteen minutes or so later, I found that I could not report my intentions about doing steep turns, stalls, etc. They had the frequency locked up. After numerous attempts while gong through my practice maneuvers of getting on the frequency, I was finally able to squeeze in between their sentences.

I carefully explained to them what this frequency they had locked up was actually being used for in the San Diego area, as in students reporting their intentions. I suggested they switch to another frequency that is less used, like 121.5 hoping they would be dumb enough to use it for their chatter. They did get off the frequency, but then it seemed like all the students got on at the same time, I still had to wait to announce my intentions.

That has been my only real pet peeve when it comes to radio work, people needlessly tying up the frequency. Those two airplanes from LA had it tied up for close to an hour.

-John
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top