Standard Words and Phrases
The following words and phrases shall be used in radiotelephony communications as appropriate and shall have the meaning 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.” |
BREAK | “I hereby indicate the separation between 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 clearance.” |
CHECK | “Examine a system or procedure.” ** |
CLEARED | “Authorised to proceed under the conditions specified.” |
CONFIRM | “I request verification of: (clearance, instruction, action, information).” |
CONTACT | “Establish communications with . . .” |
CORRECT | “True” or “Accurate”. |
CORRECTION | “An error has been made in this transmission (or message indicated). The correct version is . . .” |
DISREGARD | “Ignore.” |
HOW DO YOU READ | “What is the readability of my transmission?” |
I SAY AGAIN | “I repeat for clarity or emphasis.” |
MAINTAIN | Continue in accordance with the condition(s) specified or in its literal sense, e.g. “maintain VFR”. |
MONITOR | “Listen out on (frequency).” |
NEGATIVE | “No” or “Permission not granted” or “That is not correct” or “not capable”. |
OUT | “This exchange of transmissions is ended and no response is expected.” *** |
OVER | “My transmission is ended and I expect a response from you.” *** |
READ BACK | “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.” **** |
SAY AGAIN | “Repeat all, or the following part, of your last transmission.” |
SPEAK SLOWER | “Reduce your rate of speech.” |
STANDBY | “Wait and I will call you.” ***** |
UNABLE | “I cannot comply with your request, instruction, or clearance.” |
WILCO | (Abbreviation for “will comply”.) “ I understand your message and will comply with it.” |
WORDS TWICE | “Communication is difficult. Please send every word or group of words twice.” or “Since communication is difficult, every word or group of words in this message will be sent twice.” |
-Notes-
* To be used where there is no clear distinction between the text and other portions of the message.
** Not to be used in any other context. No answer is normally expected.
*** Not normally used in VHF communications.
**** Under no circumstances to be used in reply to a question requiring “READ BACK” or a direct answer in the affirmative (AFFIRM) or negative (NEGATIVE).
***** The caller would normally re-establish contact if the delay is lengthy. STANDBY is not an approval or denial.
The phrase “GO AHEAD” has been deleted, in its place the use of the calling aeronautical station’s call sign followed by the answering aeronautical station’s call sign shall be considered the invitation to proceed with transmission by the station calling. You may however still hear this in some countries like the UK.
CALL SIGNS
Aeronautical stations are identified by the name of the location followed by a suffix. The suffix indicates the type of unit or service provided.
Unit or service Call sign 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 APRON
Company dispatch DISPATCH
Aeronautical station RADIO
When satisfactory communication has been established, and provided that it will not be confusing, the name of the location or the call sign suffix may be omitted.
An aircraft call sign shall be one of the following types:
Type | Example |
|---|---|
The characters corresponding to the registration marking of the aircraft; | G-ABCD or Cessna G-ABCD |
The telephony designator of the aircraft operating agency, followed by the last four characters of the registration marking of the aircraft; or | FASTAIR DCAB |
The telephony designator of the aircraft operating agency, followed by the flight identification. | FASTAIR 345 |
Note. — The name of the aircraft manufacturer or name of aircraft model may be used as a radiotelephony prefix to the first option above.
After satisfactory communication has been established, and provided that no confusion is likely to occur, aircraft call signs specified above may be abbreviated as follows:
Type | Example |
|---|---|
The first and at least the last two characters of the aircraft registration; | CD or Cessna CD |
The telephony designator of the aircraft operating agency followed by at least the last two characters of the aircraft registration; | FASTAIR AB |
No abbreviated form. | - |
Note.— The abbreviated examples correspond to example above in the previous table.
An aircraft shall use its abbreviated call sign only after it has been addressed in this manner by the aeronautical station.
An aircraft shall not change its type of call sign during flight except when there is a likelihood that confusion may occur because of similar call signs; in such cases, an aircraft may be instructed by an air traffic control unit to change the type of its call sign temporarily.
Aircraft in the heavy wake turbulence category shall include the word “HEAVY” immediately after the aircraft call sign in the initial contact between such aircraft and ATS units.
AVIATION WORKSHEETS SUBJECTS DEMO
Welcome to ATIS Audio demo page! Practice listening to both standard and non-standard ATIS recordings, and test your comprehension with our questions. Designed to help you sharpen your listening skills and improve your ability to interpret ATIS broadcasts.