Tools to help to talk with ATC?

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Luke

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traindude2002
Is there any books or websites I can buy to teach me how to talk with ATC? Or will my flight school teach me how to do that? Thanks, Luke Frederick
 
Yes, and yes. You're welcome.

Check out sportys.com, they sell books and CDs etc on all that stuff. Or do a search on google, bunch of other sellers out there. Plus your instructor will train and expose you to ATC. And practice, and more practice. Will you be training at a controlled airport (has ATC, aka a Tower) or uncontrolled (no tower)?
 
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The more time you can get at a controlled tower and talking to ATC with Flight Following the better. You can learn the lingo, but proficiency and confidence only comes with practice in the real world.

Your CFI will teach you as you go, but if you want a great book to get a jump on what to expect see the link below...It was a great tool when I was starting out on the radio.

"Say Again, Please" by Bob Gardner. Bob is also an active participate on this board.

https://www.amazon.com/Say-Again-Please-Guide-Communications/dp/1560277602
 
Also, download the free LiveATC app and find a busy Class D tower to listen into.

http://www.liveatc.net

Between flight lessons I would park next to the filed and listen to the tower while watching the actual traffic in the pattern to get more familiar.

And to learn and drill the phonetical alphabet, I would read license plates out loud everywhere I drove.
 
Shawn said:
Also, download the free LiveATC app and find a busy Class D tower to listen into.

http://www.liveatc.net

Between flight lessons I would park next to the filed and listen to the tower while watching the actual traffic in the pattern to get more familiar.

And to learn and drill the phonetical alphabet, I would read license plates out loud everywhere I drove.
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:yeahthat: LiveATC is an excellent source!
 
Just practice. IMO you can't really learn communications effectively from reading a book. Get flight following on every flight and fly into towered airports as much as possible.
 
Listening to others on tower and approach frequencies will really help but there is nothing quite like actually doing it yourself. Practice makes perfect. If you hear any lingo or phraseology while listening on the radio, ask your instructor about it. While I am a big believer in the written word, a book is about the last place I'd go for this lesson.
 
Since you're just starting out, I'd let your CFI build the foundation before worrying about doing much on your own. Everything will make a lot more sense once you get the basics from your CFI.

Also, if you get into LiveATC, resist the urge to listen to airports with lots of commercial traffic. The pros are notoriously sloppy with proper phraseology - it's better to learn it right from the get go. As others mentioned, a busy Class D is ideal.

Have fun! :)
 
kayoh190 said:
The pros are notoriously sloppy with proper phraseology - it's better to learn it right from the get go.
:)
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What :eek:, 10-4 good buddy, copy dat, see you on the flipside, not professional?
 
White Knight, this here's the Rubber Duck and I'm about to put the hammer down...
 
kayoh190 said:
Also, if you get into LiveATC, resist the urge to listen to airports with lots of commercial traffic. The pros are notoriously sloppy with proper phraseology - it's better to learn it right from the get go. As others mentioned, a busy Class D is ideal.
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I will add another recommendation in listening to the LiveATC app based on experience and starting out. Even though you will not need it or need to fully comprehend it, have your CFI walk you through the mechanics of an IFR clearance that you will hear over coms and what it all means. I tell ya, starting out and listening in on the radio I had no freakin idea what they were saying or what it all meant. It was like hearing Greek over the radio. I finally asked my CFI and 15 min of ground work deciphering what they were sayin went a LONG way in understanding what I was hearing even though I did not need that info being VFR...but I at least understood it.
 
mscard88 said:
What :eek:, 10-4 good buddy, copy dat, see you on the flipside, not professional?
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Hahaha - I'm not throwing stones. I know I'm just as bad as the rest. :)
 
Luke said:
Is there any books or websites I can buy to teach me how to talk with ATC? Or will my flight school teach me how to do that? Thanks, Luke Frederick
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After you have some familiarity with airspace, talking to ATC, etc. call a nearby TRACON or ARTCC. Identify yourself as a student pilot and ask if it would be possible to "plug in" with a controller for an hour or two. Try to avoid the busiest "push" periods and you will have plenty of time to ask questions, get tips, and to appreciate what goes on on that end of the conversation. I have about 6 hours at a TRACON and a couple of hours at an ARTCC and those have been some of the most educational hours of my piloting life. Try to get some time visiting a tower too, though plugging in is usually not feasible. Again, avoid push time and you'll get a great education. In my experience controllers like to help and they also like to have knowledgeable pilots out there. It makes everyone's life easier and safer.
 
One way to learn to anticipate what ATC will say next is to go to www.faa.gov and type 7110.65W in the search box. This will take you to the controller's bible. Only a few of its chapters will apply to your flying, but you will see that controllers say the same things over and over. Chapters 2 (General control), 3 (Terminal), and 7 (visual) contain information useful for newbies.

As you will note from my sig, I disagree with those who say that you cannot learn from a book.

Bob Gardner
 
Like @airdale said, go and visit a tower, tracon, or center facility. all 3 would be best if you can manage.

This should take away the scare factor and show you that youre talking to other human being and there is a great deal of importance in what youre transmitting and how it needs to be done correctly.
 
Luke, you might also consider using PilotEdge. This would allow you to hook up your home sim (a very simple/cheap setup is fine) into a network that includes "real" ATC controllers. These are (typically) retired ATC personnel who enjoy helping pilots learn to fly in the "System". You will be able to practice talking to live professional ATC people from your home, with minimal fuss. See their site for more details. Although ideal for IFR students, it's also great for budding VFR pilots.
 
Hello:

Many mentioned LiveATC already, however if you listen to LiveATC and compliment listening with watching Flightradar24.com you will really learn quickly. I'm not a PPL yet, however I've been listening to LiveATC while viewing Flightradar24.com and you start to anticipate ATC instructions and subsequent responses and actions by the pilots. I particularly listen and watch LAX arrives and departures. You will start to memorize the departure, arrival, center and tower frequencies. You will instinctively hear the 'instruction words'...i.e. 'fly', 'descend', 'maintain', 'contact', 'cleared', etc. It also helps if you have the procedure plates available, so you can follow along with the IP. It gets to the point that you can respond as if ATC was actually speaking to you. If you don't have a lot of money, but an internet connection you are set.

https://www.flightradar24.com
http://www.liveatc.net
 
Hi Luke. I am a low time PP. For what it's worth -

I learned at an uncontrolled airport and am a very active communicator in the airport vicinity. I spent almost no time in controlled airspace during my training other than the requisite landings and flight following and such. As a consequence, I'm not very comfortable with controlled airports today. All of the pilots that I know now who learned at controlled airports take this communication as a normal part of flying and don't remember having to make a special effort to learn "tower speak". If it is at all practical for you, spend as much training time as you can at controlled airports and you will absorb a much greater ability than those of us who chose not to. Best of luck, I hope you have fun in your training.
 
Best recommendation would be to spend a lot of time listening to LiveATC.net. Not some big airport with only heavy metal but a Class D with a good mix of traffic and lots of VFR. Listen to hear various scenarios that develop and how pilots and ATC communicate.
 
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