This document is intended to be a basic framework for communications at Class “G” non-towered airports. Some of the basic principles discussed here are the same or at least similar to those used in other environments, but additional information and knowledge of procedures are required to avoid serious issues in Class B, C & D airspace that are not covered here.

 

It is important to understand, as a starting point, that humans hear best what they expect to hear in the order they expect to hear it. For example, if I said I would count to 10 and proceeded to say, “One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten,” and then asked someone to repeat what I said, not many would have any trouble at all. However, if instead I said, “One, seven, five, three, six, two, four, eight, ten, nine,” not many would get it right, at least the first time. So, order is very important as is knowing what to expect in advance.

 

The basics of most radio calls include the following elements spoken in the order below:

 

TO: (whom do you intend to hear this message)

FROM: (your aircraft identification)

LOCATION: (where is your aircraft now)

MESSAGE: (what do you want the “TO” person or persons to know or to tell you)

AIRPORT NAME: (the name of the airport involved, if any)

 

Here are most of the typical scripts for each of the elements above:

 

TO:

The most common two calls are generic and are used in the hope someone is listening. Much of the time, there may be no response to these calls and they are made to advise the aviation public of your presence and intentions rather than to prompt a reply:

 

“Gooberdale Traffic” (Use when on the ground for taxiing, in the air in the pattern, approaching or departing the airport pattern or traffic area and for any message intended for all aircraft in and around the “Gooberdale” airport.)

 

“Gooberdale UNICOM” (Use to direct a specific message to the UNICOM or airport office at Gooberdale Airport. This assumes Gooberdale actually has a UNICOM and that it is manned.)

 

The rest of the TO set are calls to specific aircraft you want to speak to directly. Remember that aircraft band, and especially common traffic advisory frequencies at uncontrolled airports are not CB radio chat channels. Restrict messages to necessary communication that contributes to safe aircraft operations. The key to directing a message to an aircraft is to say something that will make the pilot of the aircraft understand you mean to speak to that aircraft. Below are some examples:

 

“Cessna two five golf” (Use to direct a specific message to a Cessna with a registration ending in 25G.)

 

“Beechcraft approaching Gooberdale” or “Beechcraft departing Gooberdale” (Use to direct a specific message to an aircraft you either see or heard in a previous message that you only know as a Beechcraft.)

 

“Gyroplane at the approach end of runway two-four” (Use to direct a specific message to a Gyroplane currently located on the ground at the approach end of runway 24.)

“Orange Trike on downwind for runway one-zero at Gooberdale” (Use to direct a specific message to a Trike you see or heard reporting on downwind for runway 11 at Gooberdale.)

 

“Aircraft on the GPS Approach to Gooberdale” (Use to direct a specific message to an aircraft approaching the Gooberdale Airport on an Instrument Approach.)

 

FROM:

This is your aircraft. In your initial call at an airport you should use your full aircraft type or brand along with the full tail number. If it is an experimental aircraft, preceed the aircraft type or brand with the word, “experimental.” After the first call, you may use whatever shorthand call sign you are comfortable with that reasonably identifies your craft for other pilots.

 

First Call:

Bonanza november four six three eight delta (for Beechcraft Bonanza N4638D)

Experimental gyroplane november two five five echo echo (for Experimental Gyroplane N255EE)

 

Subsequent Calls:

Bonanza three eight delta (for Beechcraft Bonanza N4638D)

Gyro echo echo (for Experimental Gyroplane N255EE)

 

Note:

It is not uncommon for high traffic environments, such as airshows and special events to adopt a “Color – Type” (eg: Pink Ercoupe ) identification protocol . Since the goal is to provide reasonable identification to other pilots in a Class G environment, this is also acceptable, but should be considered the exception, rather than the rule.

 

LOCATION:

This is your location at the time of the radio call. Where possible and as applicable, it should indicate position, direction of flight and altitude. Airspeed may be included if it is of any consequence.

 

“Ten miles South of Gooberdale level at 2000 feet”

 

“On the Upwind at 400 feet climbing to 5000 feet”

 

“Crossing midfield Northeast-bound at 1200 feet”

 

“Left Downwind for runway one four”

 

“Short final for runway one nine”

 

“Five mile final for runway one zero”

 

“Back-taxiing on runway two six”

 

“At the FBO”

 

“At the departure end of runway one five”

 

“Taxiing on runway two eight at midfield”

“Back-taxiing on runway one zero”

 

“At the hangar area”

 

MESSAGE:

The message, like the location, should be self-evident. You know who you are, where you are and who you want to speak to. What did you want to tell them? These usually fall into INTENTIONS, REQUESTS, WARNINGS or ADVISORIES.

 

INTENTIONS:

“Inbound for landing” (You are going on arrival.)

“Entering left downwind for runway three six” (Self-evident)

“Turning left base for runway three six” (Substitute any turn at any pattern point.)

“For touch and go” (This landing will be a touch and go.)

“For full stop” (This landing will be full stop and may require time to clear the runway.)

“Departing the area to the Southeast” (Leaving the airport area to the Southeast.)

“Left crosswind departure” (Leaving the airport area after a turn to left crosswind.)

“Straight out departure” (Leaving the airport area on an upwind heading.)

“For Departure” (Taking off. Other intentions may follow in another message.)

 

REQUESTS:

“Requesting airport advisory” (Typically, call to UNICOM or airport traffic in general.)

“Say position” (Call to specific aircraft for position report.)

“Say intentions” (Call to specific aircraft for clarification of intentions.)

“Say runway in use” (Indicate runway currently in use or last used.)

 

WARNINGS or ADVISORIES:

“Use caution, multiple slow-moving traffic in the pattern”

“Use caution, jumpers over the airport”

“Warning, aircraft taxiing on runway one three”

“Aircraft in the pattern are using left traffic on runway two seven”

“Warning aircraft at the approach end of runway one six”

 

 

The final portion of the Class “G” radio message, should be the airport name relating to the message, if that is appropriate. Since many airports in an area use the same frequency, adding the airport name to the end of the message allows pilots to ignore traffic information at other airports if the initial TO portion of the message was missed. It also serves to underscore the importance of a message when the airport name at the end matches the airport traffic area you currently occupy.

 

The next post will be examples of radio calls and expected responses along with situational explanations of the call and response.

 

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