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Radio phraseology guides
The calls that trip up student pilots — explained simply, straight from the AIM.
Your first radio call: who, who, where, what
The four-part structure of an initial radio call to ATC — who you're calling, who you are, where you are, and what you want.
How to read back a hold-short instruction
Hold-short instructions are safety-critical and must be read back verbatim, including the runway. Here's exactly how.
CTAF self-announce calls at non-towered airports
At non-towered fields you announce your own position on the CTAF. The standard format and example calls.
Getting cleared into Class B airspace
You may not enter Class B without an explicit clearance. What to listen for and read back.
Copying an IFR clearance with CRAFT
IFR clearances follow a fixed order — Clearance limit, Route, Altitude, Frequency, Transponder. Use CRAFT to copy and read back.
Aviation numbers and the phonetic alphabet
How to say numbers and letters on the radio — niner, fife, tree — and the NATO phonetic alphabet.
How to request VFR flight following
Flight following gives you traffic advisories and a controller watching your tail on a VFR flight. How to ask for it and what to read back.
Position reports in the traffic pattern and en route
What to say and when — pattern legs at a non-towered field, and en route position reports when asked.
Frequency changes and handoffs
How handoffs work, what to read back, and the right way to check onto a new frequency.
Light-gun signals: flying NORDO at a towered field
If your radio fails at a towered airport, the tower controls you with a light gun. What each color and steady/flashing signal means.
Go-around and missed approach calls
What to say when you break off a landing — VFR go-around in the pattern and the IFR missed approach.
Then put it into practice — graded radio scenarios →