Welcome to Flightinfo.com

  • Register now and join the discussion
  • Friendliest aviation Ccmmunity on the web
  • Modern site for PC's, Phones, Tablets - no 3rd party apps required
  • Ask questions, help others, promote aviation
  • Share the passion for aviation
  • Invite everyone to Flightinfo.com and let's have fun

Extraneous useless radio phrases

Welcome to Flightinfo.com

  • Register now and join the discussion
  • Modern secure site, no 3rd party apps required
  • Invite your friends
  • Share the passion of aviation
  • Friendliest aviation community on the web
Register   Log in
M

Mach 80

Well-known member
Joined
May 25, 2004
Posts
468
Why in the world do some pilots use the redundant, totally useless, stupid phrase "with you" in their 'check-in' call to ATC. He KNOWS you are "with him". "Checking in with you" has to be the worse. Call sign and altitude is all ya need and all he wants. Quit wasting time on the radio.

Why, when asked your speed by ATC do some guys add the useless "...what do you need?". Just answer the question -- ATC will tell you what they need, if any change, after you answer the question.

Major airport control towers have local radar. Just tell the guy you are on final for the runway. You don't need some long drawn out call telling him whether you're "doing the visual" or "on the ILS" or that you are (again) "with him".

Don't tie up center frequency trying to sound cool by asking ATC "...how ya doing today?" at the end of your check-in.

ATC gives you on-coming trafiic above 18,000' solely so you won't get startled by seeing the traffic so there is absolutely no need to call back ATC a minute later to tell him you have him in sight --he doesn't care!
 
Last edited:
"Hey Center, it's 123AB, checking on board with ya at Eighteen-and-a-quarter for twenty eight. Smooth ride, doing .77, what do you need? And how YOU doin'? Oh, and any ride reports below 10 on this ba-YOO-teeee-ful summer afternoon?"


That work for ya? :D Any traffic, please advise... :rolleyes:
 
Feel better? :mad:

I tend to agree. There is a certain amount of beauty in ICAO standard.
 
"Hello Atlanta Center Acey111 Checking On With You Through fifteen point five for twenty-four thousand."

Also, when a controller says say SPEED that is always airspeed in knots. When they say: Say MACH NUMBER, that is obviously mach number. Not that difficult but I hear guys and have flown with guys who can't seem to get that straight.

Also a good point about the traffic above FL180. Although sometimes they will want you to report traffic passing so you can climb or descend through their altitude.
 
Last edited:
I always wondered why anyone would ask for a windcheck unless the winds are pushing the limits of the airplane. I am not sure why pilots say "we have him on TCAS". Unless you have the traffic visually, ATC does not care if you have him on TCAS.
 
Mach 80 said:
ATC gives you on-coming trafiic above 18,000' solely so you won't get startled by seeing the traffic so there is absolutely no need to call back ATC a minute later to tell him you have him in sight --he doesn't care!
Click to expand...

Well, there's where your wrong. Sometimes controllers need you to call traffic so that they can visually climb or descend traffic.


Anyway...... I guess your new to the buisness, becasue that crap used to bother me back in the day, but now who really give a sh$t.
 
Mach 80 said:
Don't tie up center frequency trying to sound cool by asking ATC "...how ya doing today?" at the end of your check-in.
Click to expand...

Sound cool..? We are all people, I think it is nice to ask how'z it going..
If you hear someone in south Florida saying "Hey how's it going down there, it's probably me.."

You should lighten up, life is not that bad.. If the freq is crazy busy, I agree non-essential chat should be kept to a minimum..
 
Last edited:
Some ATC'er correct me if I am wrong, but ATC cannot assign you to "maintain visual separation, climb maintain FLXXX..." in class A airspace. As previously posted, they only inform you this stuff in the flight levels as a courtesy, no "We're looking........traffic in sight" is necessary.
 
sweptback said:
Above FL180? No visual separation allowed up there.
Click to expand...

True, I stand corrected. I guess I am new to the buisness.... LOL

But really, we hear all kinds of crap on the radio. If it bothers you then thats just sad, because there isn't anything you can do about it.

Just look at your FO and say, Please god when you upgrade don't say that crap on the radio.
 
Last edited:
As long as morons waste time, add to radio clutter, and say these utterly stupid useless things -- watch for it next year and maybe the year after that too!
 
Looking back at the threads you've started (see below), you seem to have some sort of OCD re: the term "with you."

Mach 80 said:
Here's a tip -- no need to ever tell a controller that you are "with him" as he knows that by the fact you are talking to him. It sounds so student pilotish to hear it.
Click to expand...

Mach 80 said:
Professional pilots sound like student pilots when they use "with you" in their initial transmissions to ATC. Here's a clue -- ATC knows you are "with them" by the fact you are talking to them! It's redundant and a waste of radio time....especially the stupid "checking in with you". Try dropping the "with you" crap and sound a bit more professional and like you've flown in other parts of the world. Next time you hear "with you" consider how stupid it sounds....and is. It's just a bad habit.

Also...drop the "Any chance..." when what you really meant to do is request something. i.e. "Comair 123 requesting direct xyz".
Click to expand...

Mach 80 said:
Is there any more pathetic unprofessional response to ATC's "cleared for take-off" than "on the roll"?

I heard a flight mumble that response the other day that and the tower thought he was saying "Positon and hold" so the tower had to repeat "Cleared for Take-off". Finally the flight read back "cleared for take-off". This is too important a clearance to respond with anything other than "cleared for take-off". Anything else might create confusion.

Over the years I have observed pilot radio phraseology deteriorate.
Click to expand...


Mach 80 said:
Why in the world do some pilots use the redundant, totally useless, stupid phrase "with you" in their 'check-in' call to ATC. He KNOWS you are "with him". "Checking in with you" has to be the worse. Call sign and altitude is all ya need and all he wants. Quit wasting time on the radio.

Why, when asked your speed by ATC do some guys add the useless "...what do you need?". Just answer the question -- ATC will tell you what they need, if any change, after you answer the question.

Major airport control towers have local radar. Just tell the guy you are on final for the runway. You don't need some long drawn out call telling him whether you're "doing the visual" or "on the ILS" or that you are (again) "with him".

Don't tie up center frequency trying to sound cool by asking ATC "...how ya doing today?" at the end of your check-in.

ATC gives you on-coming trafiic above 18,000' solely so you won't get startled by seeing the traffic so there is absolutely no need to call back ATC a minute later to tell him you have him in sight --he doesn't care!
Click to expand...
 
LIke I said man "As long as morons waste time, add to radio clutter, and say these utterly stupid useless things -- watch for it next year and maybe the year after that too!"

Even though some more experienced guys who should know better still do it, ya know I have to educate the new guys coming into the industry to stop this ugly trend.
 
When I was doing my instrument training, I had a bad habit of saying "1234 in the box" and "punchin' out," which I picked up from the CFI who did my private. My CFII chastised me and said I sounded like I was in some F'kn John Wayne movie and I never uttered those words again. Looking back, I can see how ridiculous I must have sounded.
 
Mach 80 said:
Why, when asked your speed by ATC do some guys add the useless "...what do you need?".
Click to expand...


There's a B727 doing .80 going into BOS in the morning on the heels of a barbie jet doing .75. After asking ATC "what do you need", I've oftentimes been given the option to climb two thousand feet & give him .86 so we could pass the rj.

I all the time hear ATC ask the rj's if they can pick up the speed and all too often the pilot seems inconvenienced and usually says that they "might" be able to push it up to .78.

I say "what do you need" simply as a courtesy, letting ATC know that I have the capability to speed up anytime to .86 in order to help them out.
 

Share this page

Latest posts

Latest resources

Latest media

Carbon Cub FX-3 Shenandoah Valley
Carbon Cub at Kittyhawk
FX-3 in the backcountry
IFR Panel in a Carbon Cub FX-3
Cub-Provo-UT-c.jpg
Back
Top