Mic Fright

[Smokehouse]

I don't know what the deal is with that darn Mic, but does anyone have any type of checklist for proper radio communication? I know it sounds dumb, because I know what the procedure is, but when I hit that key switch, its...ahh ummm errr.

So I was just wondering if any of you pilots out there made up any kind of "cheat sheet" while you were training that helped you out, or where I could find one on the web.....any suggestions would be mighty helpful...


Newbie in Training

9.5hours and climbing

 

[RedheadCFI]

I see this a lot with new students, so don't feel bad. What I usually tell my guys is have an idea of what you're going to say before hand. If you need a "checklist" put this on a piece of paper.

Name of facility calling
Who you are (tail number)
Where you are
Intentions or Request

Then the next best thing to do is try to anticipate their transmission back so that you can think ahead.

A good way to help you get over this might be the COMM 1 radio simulator for PC or get yourself a scanner of some sort and listen to the local traffic. Just remember, those guys are there to help you don't worry so much about sounding "dumb" or anything along those lines focus on flying the plane and just talk to them. As you gain more experience the radio jargon will be second nature.
-Nick

 

[tarp]

Mic fright

1.) You are just a person talking to another person or group. Dont think of yourself on stage or as a radio DJ, you are just talking. So talk. Talk like you are on the phone. Talk like you are talking to the guy next to you. Talk like you are in a huddle for a game of touch football. Just push the button and talk - you don't have to be "Joe Cool".

2.) Before you push the button! Reherse. Not at home, not at the school - in your head. RedHeadCFI gave some good general tips, but read the AIM - Section 4-2-1 thru 4-2-14 and know your roles (section 5-5). If you are on the 45 to downwind at your home airport and need to make the call - think about what you are going to say - what's important and what's not. What is important is the kind of airplane and your relative position. Ergo: "Podunk traffic, Cessna 18-Kilo is on a 3 mile forty-five to runway one-niner." Say it in your head, then push the button and say it in the Mic.

3.) The uncontrolled field stuff is pretty easy because you are going to do the same thing almost every time. Call for advisories, announce entering the (usually 45) pattern, downwind, base and final. (PS. "Clear the active" intentionally omitted due to its redundancy at most airports!). Leaving, you do a radio check, announce the departure and maybe leaving the pattern if other traffic is inbound or definitely announce your intentions to stay in the pattern. Know what the calls are before you try to make them.

4.) When you get to control towers and ATC in general, you have to learn the "dance". Again in general, it's who you are, where you are and where you want to go. Sounds simple but there's a lot of info that has to be delivered pretty quickly. After the initial call up, the dance has begun. ATC will tell you to do something and you comply - often times you just repeat or parrot the commands right back.

TWR: "Cessna 18-kilo, make left base runway 23, report 3 miles"
18K: "Cessna 18-kilo left base runway 23 (and will report)"
The parentheses is an option. In the old days we would add "wilco" for will comply but this fell out of favor because people just started answering "wilco" or just "roger" and ATC was left with a hollow feeling of whether the pilot got the whole instruction. I add the "will report" because ATC told me to do two things and I am answering that I know both things - make a base and make a call. I don't just parrot a "report" phrase because that is followed with the question, "18-kilo, are you at 3 miles now?"

Like I said, this is a dance and you have to work with your partner.

5.) When working with ATC, the first step in the dance is you knowing stuff first. You have to be prepared - get the ATIS or AWOS for the airport. Know the FBO on the field and have a map of the airport with taxiway names. It's tough right now with 9.5 hours, but we talk about a person being ahead or behind the airplane. A person who is behind has planned nothing. A person looking ahead, knew minutes ago that they had to listen to ATIS, they knew they had to provide the answers to where they are now and where they want to go, call ATC, get instructions for the airport or airspace and comply. Which sounds better?

34K: "Philly Approach, Cessna 34-kilo."
or
34K: "Philly Approach, Cessna 1234-Kilo, information Zulu."

6.) Get your instructor involved. The easiest lessons to teach are the one's where the student admits not understanding. Tell him or her that you are having a problem. The solution will be that you make more of the calls, but practice makes perfect.

Good luck. Aviate, Navigate, Communicate.

Radio shack makes a $9 (might be $12 now) cheap transitor radio that picks up aviation VHF frequencies. You can just drive out to the airport and listen to other folks making calls. Rate the calls - give somebody a "9" for clear, simple, calls that you like. Give 'em a "2" for ums and ahs or rambling calls that take a lot of air time.

 

[bigD]

Smokehouse - lots of good advice here. Radio work was the hardest part of the private training for me. I cut my teeth at Van Nuys airport in L.A. years ago, and it was a lot like being thrown in the deep end and being expected to swim. I certainly made my share of mistakes out there, but after realizing that every pilot on the frequency was in my shoes at one time, I relaxed a bit, and it all began to fall together.

Like the others said, get a scanner and listen as much as possible when you're not flying, and rehearse your "lines" before you key the mic. Soon, you'll just realize you're not having to rehearse anymore, and it just flows out like magic. It's pretty cool.

 

[mattfish42]

One thing that really helped me was riding along in the backseat on other students' lessons. Once the pressure of having to do the talking was removed, it was much easier to understand what was said and what response was needed. Relax. It's just conversation. If somebody doesn't understand what you say, they'll ask for a clarification, you'll answer, that's the end of it with no hard feelings. When I say the wrong thing from time to time it's embarassing, but the embarassment is the best possible memory aid to avoid the same mistake in the future.

And having said all that, I need to point out that I'm experiencing some of the same problems again now that I'm working on instrument training with a whole new set of rules and jargon. Oh well.

 

[FlyingToIST]

I tried to make the training as simple as possible for my students. Here's the advice that I give them : Talking to ATC is the same as talking on the phone.

You first have to know who you are calling. (Know if you are calling approach, ground, tower, clearence delivery).

Then you dial the number (Dial the correct frequency and call the right people, such as XYZ ground).

Tell them who you are : This is Bob (Cessna 12345)
Tell them where you are : I am at home (At ABC Aviation)
Tell them what you want to do : I want to go out (Would like to depart VFR to NW)


If you explain this way to the student (if you are a student , if you perceive the all ATC comm like this) it takes the stress level down dramaticaly. Once you feel more comfortable, you can read the communications portion of AIM and get better idea what to say.

Also, having a scanner and listening to airlines helps a big deal. If you don't want to pay $$$ for scanners, then go online and listen to live ATC.. You would be surprised how helpful that can be..

 

[PA28/C172 Flyer]

Comms Checklist at Towered Fields

Smokehouse,
Like RedHeadCFI said, Comm1 is a great tool for practicing communications. I used the VFR one for my Private training, and continued to use it long after the checkride. I recently got the IFR Comm1 for my iFR training.

I made a checklist for my comms at towered fields, however, I don't think I ever actually used it because I felt comfortable after practicing on Comm1 so much. Apologies for the lack of better allignment, but the board is killing the tabs and spaces. But here it is...

DEPARTURE
(listen to ATIS first)

Clearance Delivery (if applicable, class C and B usually)
Who I’m calling: ____________ clearance delivery.
Who I am: November ________
Where I am:
What I want: has information __(ATIS code)__.
VFR. Climbing to _(alt)__ Heading __(hdg)__.
OR
VFR. Climbing to _(alt)__ Enroute to__ (place)__.

(Listen to instructions, read back Clearance Delivery's instructions)

Ground
Who I’m calling: ____________ ground.
Who I am: November ________
Where I am: at ___(location)___
What I want: ready to taxi to Runway ______ for departure.


Tower
(To be done after Before-Takeoff-Checklists)
Who I’m calling: ___________ tower.
Who I am: November ________
Where I am: Runway ______
What I want: ready for takeoff.


Departure Control (if applicable, once airborne)
Who I’m calling: ______________ Departure control
Who I am: November ________ is with you
Where I am: climbing through __(alt)__ for __(alt)__
What I want:

ARRIVAL
(listen to ATIS first, determine location)

Approach Control
Who I’m calling: ______________ Approach
Who I am: November _________ is a __(plane’s model)__
Where I am: -- approaching _______ miles from the (direction from airport)
OR
-- over __(some landmark)__
OR
-- _____ miles, bearing ___(degrees)__ from the _________ VOR

at __(alt)__
What I want: with information ___(ATIS)___ for landing/touch-and-go/the option.


( if there is no approach control, you can use the above script
substituting TOWER for APPROACH )
Tower
Who I’m calling: ______________ Tower
Who I am: November ___________
Where I am:
What I want: is with you.


Ground
Who I’m calling: __________ ground
Who I am: November __________
Where I am: on taxiway _________
What I want: going to ___(location at airport) _____

 

[jdog78]

In addition to all these great tips, always remember that even the most experienced pilots make mistakes on their radio calls so don't feel dumb...it's a rite of passage for all of us. Ask your instructor or a friend if they'll practice radio calls with you.
And also, some pilots like to turn their calls into long-winded monologues...just keep it short and sweet..."cessna 9251R at jetcenter with kilo, taxi VFR north." Leave out all the unnecessary filler words such as "ATIS information" and "ready to" because the controllers will still understand you without those extra words. However, feel free to start a call with a polite "good morning" as the controller may be more forgiving of radio mistakes made by a courteous pilot.

john