Chapter 4

General Operating Procedures

INTRODUCTION
The radio provides the means by which pilots communicate with other radio stations. If used
properly radio communications assist in the safe and efficient operation of the aircraft. If used
badly, using the wrong terminology, poor English etc, then misunderstanding occurs. Poor
communications procedures have and will continue to be a major cause of both incidents and
accidents. This manual is designed to help you understand the terminology for both VFR and IFR
communications.

TRANSMITTING TECHNIQUE
The following technique is a guide to good radio practice:

Before transmitting:

Check that the receiver volume is set at an optimum level

Listen out on the frequency to be used. This stops you transmitting over
other users.

Know how to operate your microphone

Speak in a normal voice (shouting distorts the transmitted signal)

Speak with an even rate of speech
Maintain a constant volume
Dont hesitate, know what you are going to say
Make sure you press the transmit switch full
Do not release the transmit switch until you have finished speaking, a term
known as clipping

Boom Microphones Keep the microphone at a constant distance from your lips
(a simple guide is to pucker your lips so that they are just touching the
microphone)

Hand Held Microphones

Do not turn your head while speaking
Keep the distance between your mouth and the microphone constant
(more difficult than when using a boom microphone)

Finally, always ensure that you have fully released the transmit button after transmitting.
TRANSMISSION OF LETTERS
International radio communications use the phonetic alpahabet. Phonetic spelling is only used if
there is a chance of misunderstanding. When using aircraft callsign, each letter is spoken
separately. The phonetic alphabet is not used for Q-codes.

PHONETIC ALPHABET
Letter Word Pronunciation
A ALPHA AL FAH
B BRAVO BRAHVOH
C CHARLIE CHAR LEE or SHAR LEE
D DELTA DELL TAH
E ECHO ECK OH
F FOXTROT FOKS TROT
G GOLF GOLF
H HOTEL HOH TELL
I INDIA IN DEE AH
J JULIETT JEW LEE ETT
K KILO KEY LOH
L LIMA LEE MAH
M MIKE MIKE
N NOVEMBER NO VEM BER
O OSCAR OSS CAH
P PAPA PAH PAH
Q QUEBEC KEH BECK
R ROMEO ROW ME OH
S SIERRA SEE AIR RAH
T TANGO TANG GO
U UNIFORM YOU NEE FORM or OO NEE FORM
V VICTOR VIK TAH
W WHISKY WISS KEY
X X-RAY ECKS RAY
Y YANKEE YANG KEY
Z ZULU ZOO LOO

Note : Syllables to be emphasised are underlined

TRANSMISSION OF NUMBERS
When using the English language, numbers are transmitted using the following pronunciation.

Numeral or Numeral Element Pronunciation

0 ZE-RO
1 WUN
2 TOO
3 TREE
4 FOW-er
5 FIFE
6 SIX
7 SEV-en
8 AIT
9 NIN-er
Decimal DAY-SEE-MAL
Hundred HUN-dred
Thousand TOU-SAND

Note: The syllables in capital letters are to be stressed.

The table below gives illustrations of transmission numbers for callsigns, flight levels, headings,
wind direction and speed, transponder codes, runway, and altimeter settings.

Number Transmitted as

Aircraft Callsign
CCA 238 Air China two three eight
OAL 242 Olympic two four two

Flight Levels
FL 50 Flight level five zero
FL 100 Flight level one hundred
FL 180 Flight level one eight zero
FL 200 Flight level two zero zero
(or Flight Level Two Hundred
may be used in the UK.)

Headings
100 Heading one zero zero degrees
080 Heading zero eight zero
degrees

Wind Direction and Speed

200/70KT Wind two zero zero degrees
seven zero knots

160/18G30KT Wind one six zero degrees one

eight knots gusting three zero

Transponder Codes
2400 Squawk two four zero zero
4203 Squawk four two zero three

Runway
27 Runway two seven
30 Runway three zero

Altimeter Setting
QNH 1010 QNH one zero one zero
millibars
QFE 1000 QFE one zero zero zero
millibars

The exceptions to the above rule are whole hundreds, whole thousands, or combinations of
thousands and whole hundreds. Whole hundreds and thousands are transmitted by pronouncing
each digit in the number of hundreds and thousands followed by the word HUN-dred or TOU-
SAND as appropriate. Combinations are transmitted by pronouncing each digit in the numbers of
thousands followed by the word TOU-SAND and then the numbers of hundreds followed by the
word HUN-dred.
Examples are given in the table below:

Number Transmitted as Pronounced as

10 ONE ZERO WUN ZE-RO
75 SEVEN FIVE SEV-en FIFE
100 ONE HUNDRED WUN HUN-dred
583 FIVE EIGHT THREE FIFE AIT TREE
2500 TWO THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED TOO TOU-SAND FIFE HUND-red
5000 FIVE THOUSAND FIFE TOU-SAND
11 000 ONE ONE THOUSAND WUN WUN TOUSAND
25 000 TWO FIVE THOUSAND TOO FIFE TOU-SAND
38 143 THREE EIGHT ONE FOUR THREE TREE AIT WUN FOW-er TREE

The transmissions for altitude, cloud height, visibility, and RVR information use the transmission
rules for whole hundreds and thousands as shown below:

Number Transmitted as
Altitude
800 Eight hundred
3400 Three thousand four hundred
12 000 One two thousand
Cloud Height
2200 Two thousand two hundred
4300 Four thousand three hundred
Visibility
1000 Visibility one thousand
700 Visibility seven hundred
Runway Visual Range
600 RVR six hundred
1700 RVR one thousand seven hundred

If a number contains a decimal point, insert the word DAY-SEE-MAL at the appropriate point as
shown below:

Number Transmitted as Pronounced as

118.1 ONE ONE EIGHT DECIMAL ONE WUN WUN AIT DAY-SEE-MAL WUN
ZERO ZERO ZE-RO ZE-RO
120-375 ONE TWO ZERO DECIMAL THREE WUN TOO ZE-RO DAY-SEE-MAL
SEVEN FIVE TREE SEV-EN FIFE

Note: All three decimal places are transmitted when identifying VHF frequencies, unless they are
all zero, e.g. 118.000 would be transmitted as ONE ONE EIGHT DECIMAL ZERO.
TRANSMISSION OF TIME
When transmitting the time only the minutes of the hour are normally required. If there is a
possibility of confusion include the hour as well.

TIME TRANSMITTED AS Pronounced as

0803 ZERO THREE or ZERO EIGHT ZERO ZE-RO TREE or ZE-RO AIT ZE-RO
THREE TREE
1300 ONE THREE ZERO ZERO WUN TREE ZE-RO ZE-RO
2057 FIVE SEVEN or TWO ZERO FIVE FIFE SEV-en or TOO ZE-RO FIFE
SEVEN SEV-en

RADIO AIDS
Radio Navigation aids (VOR, ILS, NDB and DME) transmit identifiers in Morse code. It is
necessary to be able to confirm that the correct station is tuned by listening to these identifiers.
See the Radio Navigation section for more details. Detailed knowledge of Morse Code is not
required for the Communications Theory examinations.
STANDARD WORDS AND PHRASES
The following words used in radio telecommunications have the specific meanings given below:

Word/Phrase Meaning
ACKNOWLEDGE Let me know that you have received and understood this message
AFFIRM Yes
APPROVED Permission for proposed action granted
I hereby indicate the separation between portions of the message (To
BREAK be used where there is no clear distinction between the text and other
portions of the message)
BREAK BREAK I hereby indicate the separation between messages transmitted to
different aircraft in a very busy environment
CANCEL Annul the previously transmitted message
CHECK Examine a system or procedure (No answer is normally expected)
CLEARED Authorised to proceed under the conditions specified
CONFIRM Have I correctly received the following...? or Did you correctly receive
this message?
CONTACT Establish radio contact with..
CORRECT That is correct
CORRECTION An error has been made in this transmission (or message indicated).
The correct version is.
DISREGARD Consider that transmission as not sent
GO AHEAD Proceed with your message
This message is not normally used in surface movement
communications
HOW DO YOU What is the readability of my transmission
READ
I SAY AGAIN I repeat for clarity or emphasis
MONITOR Listen out on (frequency)
NEGATIVE No or Permission not granted or That is not correct
OUT This exchange of transmissions is ended and no response is expected
This word is not normally used in VHF communications
OVER My transmission is ended and I expect a response from you
This word is not normally used in VHF communications
READBACK Repeat all, or the specified part, of this message back to me exactly as
received
RECLEARED A change has been made to your last clearance and this new clearance
supersedes your previous clearance or part thereof
REPORT Pass me the following information
REQUEST I should like to know , or I wish to obtain
ROGER I have received all of your last transmission
Never to be used in reply to a question requiring READ BACK or a
direct answer in the affirmative (AFFIRM) or negative (NEGATIVE)
SAY AGAIN Repeat all, or the following part, of your last transmission
 Word/Phrase Meaning
SPEAK Reduce your rate of speech
SLOWER
STANDBY Wait and I will call you
VERIFY Check and confirm with originator
WILCO Abbreviation for Will Comply. I understood your message and will
comply with it
WORDS As a request Communication is difficult. Please send every word or
TWICE group of words twice
As information Since communication is difficult, every word or group
of words in this message will be sent twice

RADIOTELEPHONY CALLSIGNS FOR AIRCRAFT

An aircraft callsign must follow one of the following rules:

Type Example
1. The characters corresponding to the G-ABCD or Cessna G-ABCD
registration marking of the aircraft
2. The telephony designator of the Fastair ABCD
aircraft operating agency, followed by
the last four chracters of the
registration marking of the aircraft
3. The telephony designator of the Fastair 345
aircraft operating agency, followed by
the flight identification

Once communication is established, provided that no confusion is likely, abbreviate the callsign.

Type Example
1. The first and at least the last two G-CD or Cessna G-CD
characters of the aircraft registration
2. The telephony designator of the Fastair CD
aircraft operating agency, followed by
at least the last two characters of the
registration marking of the aircraft
3. No abbreviated form

The pilot of an aircraft can only abbreviate the callsign after the relevant aeronautical station has
first abbreviated it.

No change of callsign is allowed during flight except where there is a likelihood of confusion. In
this case ATC will change the callsign temporarily.

Aircraft classified as HEAVY in the wake turbulence categories must include the word HEAVY
immediately after the callsign in the initial call to an ATSU.
CALLSIGNS FOR AERONAUTICAL STATIONS
Aeronautical stations are identified by the name of the location followed by a suffix. The suffix
indicates the type of unit or service being provided:

Unit or Service Callsign Suffix

Area control centre CONTROL
Radar (in general) RADAR
Approach control APPROACH
Approach control radar arrivals ARRIVAL
Approach control radar departures DEPARTURE
Aerodrome control TOWER
Surface movement control GROUND
Clearance delivery DELIVERY
Precision approach radar PRECISION
Direction finding station HOMER
Flight information service INFORMATION
Apron control/management service APRON
Company dispatch DISPATCH
Aeronautical station RADIO

Once satisfactory communications are established, and there is no likelihood of confusion, omit
the name of the location or the callsign suffix.
To assist in understanding the context in which phrases are used specific situations are built into
the following text. The following symbols represent the aircraft or ground station transmitting.
Numbers represent the order of the text.