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Firstly please feel free to add to this list.
This is a post for people who may like to try ATC (both controlling and talking to ATC as a pilot) but are not really sure what to say and maybe afraid to ask in case they make a fool of themselves.
Which of course everybody knows they wont.
If your ever unsure what to say just ask the pilot or the controller what exactly it is they want(/ want you) to do.
Start off by saying something like...
"Hello Tower this is G123",
Tower "G123 PASS YOUR MESSAGE"
G123 "TOWER G123 I want to take off and fly with you giving me headings to land back here".
It's easier than you think.
You don't need a degree in Aviation Phraseology.
Just ask the controller for what you would like to do in basic English (sometimes French or Italian if I'm feeling adventurous
).
Also if your a controller....
BAW123 "TOWER GOOD EVENING BAW123, WE ARE 5 MILES SOUTH OF TRENT, INBOUND RUNWAY 05L ON A DAYNE 2A".
TOWER "BAW123 I'VE NO IDEA WHAT TRENT IS NEVER MIND A DAYNE 2A, COULD YOU EXPLAIN PLEASE"
As a controller you can then plan what you would like to do with the inbound aircraft and any others you have floating about the airfield.
IF YOU DON'T ASK YOU WILL NEVER KNOW!
Useful instructions.
HELICOPTERS
PARALLEL TO RUNWAY XX CLEARED TO TAKE OFF = Used if the heli wants to depart from the apron or helipad.
Heli would fly in the same direction as the runway keeping it parallel to one side.
AIR TAXI = used when the heli has no wheels only skids. The Heli would fly at slow speed following the taxiways close to the ground.
GROUND TAXI = If the Heli has wheels it is able to ground taxi the same as an airplane.
THRESHOLD, THRESHOLD ONLY CLEARED TO LAND = Land on the Threshold (runway numbers) only.
Used for many reasons, usually to get a controller out of a tight spot when they have a full airport.
GENERAL
LINE UP AND WAIT = Enter the runway and wait until told to take off.
AFTER DEPARTURE LEFT (OR RIGHT) TURN OUT = Turn left (or right) after you've taken off.
BACKTRACK AS REQUIRED = Taxi along the runway until you think you have enough room to take off, then turn around and get ready to take off.
You do not have to taxi the full length.
BACKTRACK FULL LENGTH = Taxi along the runway all the way until the end, then turn around and get ready to take off.
180 BACKTRACK = Usually given after landing, it just means turn around 180 degrees when you've slowed enough and taxi along the runway behind you.
You can turn around on the runway you do not have to find a turn around point.
SQUAWK = Not used by every controller in FSX but those that give them out use them so they can remember what pilots are doing.
For instance I know anything Squawking 7010 is in my circuit.
A 4605 squawk is doing a local flight and coming back, where as a 4335 is an IFR outbound to the south.
The Squawk is a 4 digit number that is input into the bottom of your radio stack .
In an F18 you can input the Squawk by pressing IFF in your cockpit, then entering the Squawk using the keypad in the cockpit and pressing the ENT button.
ORBIT LEFT (OR RIGHT) = Fly around in a tight circle left (or right) until the controller gives you a different instruction.
PASS YOUR MESSAGE = Tell the controller what you were going to say.
QNH or ALTIMETER = said as ALTIMETER (Measured in "of mercury) in some parts of the world and QHN (measured in Hectopascals) in others.
You can cheat in FSX and press B on your keyboard to automatically set this for the area you are in or input it manually.
This is 4 digits put into your Alitmeter to calibrate it correctly (very small numbers usually at the bottom).
If your flying with your friend and your altimeter is calibrated different to theirs, then even though you maybe flying in formation at the same height your altimeters would not read the same.
ATC will give you the local QNH/Altimeter so that all aircraft altimeters in that controllers area read the same.
Handy when aircraft cross over each over
CLEARED TOUCH AND GO = The aircraft flies the approach as normal but instead of stopping after touching down it increases power and takes off again.
CLEARED STOP AND GO = The aircraft flies the approach as normal, lands and stops on the runway before taking off again.
CLEARED TO LAND = A bit obvious this one but aircraft lands and vacates at the nearest taxiway if not given a taxiway to vacate at by the controller.
CLEARED LOW APPROACH = Cleared to fly a normal approach but instead of landing the pilot can fly at low altitude along the runway.
CLEARED FOR THE OPTION = Not a standard phrase used in UK Civil ATC but is used by the UK military, US and Australia. This instruction means that the aircraft can either do 1. A touch and go, 2. A stop and go, 3. A full stop landing and clear the runway or 4. A low approach.
A pilot may ask for the option, but may not be given the option by the controller.
For instance there maybe another aircraft behind and if the first were to do a stop and go it might cause problems for the number 2 aircraft.
IMO it's best to ask the controller for what you intend to do so that they know what to expect and give clearances to other aircraft accordingly.
If a pilot asks for a touch and go, then it's nice when the controller does give them the option.
If you've been given an instruction by a controller or your a controller and want to know what instruction to give then please post below and somebody will be able to answer.
This way everybody can learn.
This is a post for people who may like to try ATC (both controlling and talking to ATC as a pilot) but are not really sure what to say and maybe afraid to ask in case they make a fool of themselves.
Which of course everybody knows they wont.
If your ever unsure what to say just ask the pilot or the controller what exactly it is they want(/ want you) to do.
Start off by saying something like...
"Hello Tower this is G123",
Tower "G123 PASS YOUR MESSAGE"
G123 "TOWER G123 I want to take off and fly with you giving me headings to land back here".
It's easier than you think.
You don't need a degree in Aviation Phraseology.
Just ask the controller for what you would like to do in basic English (sometimes French or Italian if I'm feeling adventurous
).Also if your a controller....
BAW123 "TOWER GOOD EVENING BAW123, WE ARE 5 MILES SOUTH OF TRENT, INBOUND RUNWAY 05L ON A DAYNE 2A".
TOWER "BAW123 I'VE NO IDEA WHAT TRENT IS NEVER MIND A DAYNE 2A, COULD YOU EXPLAIN PLEASE"
As a controller you can then plan what you would like to do with the inbound aircraft and any others you have floating about the airfield.
IF YOU DON'T ASK YOU WILL NEVER KNOW!
Useful instructions.
HELICOPTERS
PARALLEL TO RUNWAY XX CLEARED TO TAKE OFF = Used if the heli wants to depart from the apron or helipad.
Heli would fly in the same direction as the runway keeping it parallel to one side.
AIR TAXI = used when the heli has no wheels only skids. The Heli would fly at slow speed following the taxiways close to the ground.
GROUND TAXI = If the Heli has wheels it is able to ground taxi the same as an airplane.
THRESHOLD, THRESHOLD ONLY CLEARED TO LAND = Land on the Threshold (runway numbers) only.
Used for many reasons, usually to get a controller out of a tight spot when they have a full airport.
GENERAL
LINE UP AND WAIT = Enter the runway and wait until told to take off.
AFTER DEPARTURE LEFT (OR RIGHT) TURN OUT = Turn left (or right) after you've taken off.
BACKTRACK AS REQUIRED = Taxi along the runway until you think you have enough room to take off, then turn around and get ready to take off.
You do not have to taxi the full length.
BACKTRACK FULL LENGTH = Taxi along the runway all the way until the end, then turn around and get ready to take off.
180 BACKTRACK = Usually given after landing, it just means turn around 180 degrees when you've slowed enough and taxi along the runway behind you.
You can turn around on the runway you do not have to find a turn around point.
SQUAWK = Not used by every controller in FSX but those that give them out use them so they can remember what pilots are doing.
For instance I know anything Squawking 7010 is in my circuit.
A 4605 squawk is doing a local flight and coming back, where as a 4335 is an IFR outbound to the south.
The Squawk is a 4 digit number that is input into the bottom of your radio stack .
In an F18 you can input the Squawk by pressing IFF in your cockpit, then entering the Squawk using the keypad in the cockpit and pressing the ENT button.
ORBIT LEFT (OR RIGHT) = Fly around in a tight circle left (or right) until the controller gives you a different instruction.
PASS YOUR MESSAGE = Tell the controller what you were going to say.
QNH or ALTIMETER = said as ALTIMETER (Measured in "of mercury) in some parts of the world and QHN (measured in Hectopascals) in others.
You can cheat in FSX and press B on your keyboard to automatically set this for the area you are in or input it manually.
This is 4 digits put into your Alitmeter to calibrate it correctly (very small numbers usually at the bottom).
If your flying with your friend and your altimeter is calibrated different to theirs, then even though you maybe flying in formation at the same height your altimeters would not read the same.
ATC will give you the local QNH/Altimeter so that all aircraft altimeters in that controllers area read the same.
Handy when aircraft cross over each over
CLEARED TOUCH AND GO = The aircraft flies the approach as normal but instead of stopping after touching down it increases power and takes off again.
CLEARED STOP AND GO = The aircraft flies the approach as normal, lands and stops on the runway before taking off again.
CLEARED TO LAND = A bit obvious this one but aircraft lands and vacates at the nearest taxiway if not given a taxiway to vacate at by the controller.
CLEARED LOW APPROACH = Cleared to fly a normal approach but instead of landing the pilot can fly at low altitude along the runway.
CLEARED FOR THE OPTION = Not a standard phrase used in UK Civil ATC but is used by the UK military, US and Australia. This instruction means that the aircraft can either do 1. A touch and go, 2. A stop and go, 3. A full stop landing and clear the runway or 4. A low approach.
A pilot may ask for the option, but may not be given the option by the controller.
For instance there maybe another aircraft behind and if the first were to do a stop and go it might cause problems for the number 2 aircraft.
IMO it's best to ask the controller for what you intend to do so that they know what to expect and give clearances to other aircraft accordingly.
If a pilot asks for a touch and go, then it's nice when the controller does give them the option.
If you've been given an instruction by a controller or your a controller and want to know what instruction to give then please post below and somebody will be able to answer.
This way everybody can learn.
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