I recently had a phone call and email exchange with an air traffic controller named Mike, who has worked in several different ATC roles in the San Antonio, Texas region. He is currently an approach controller but has worked in many different functions.
We talked for over an hour about the things he wanted to share with the pilot community that would help make communications with ATC a lot smoother, and he followed it up with the email that I will copy verbatim below.
These tips are separated by functions in clearance delivery, ground control, tower, approach, and center. Enjoy!
Tips from an Air Traffic Controller
Advice for Clearance Delivery (CD) Communications
- Be specific with CD with what you want. Touch and goes in the pattern, air traffic services just to get to the edge of the Class B/C/D, or flight following to a specific destination.
- Help with flight following
- If ATC asks for “…your on-course heading” – it’s a heading direct to the airport you want to go to.
- If you want to sight see over somewhere first, give that heading and general area.
- Kilo for the airport destination is not necessary, just say the 3-letter identifier.
- If it’s a small airport/ranch (1TE4), give the closest class B/C/D airport near it.
Advice for Ground Control Communications
- Be reasonably familiar with where your parking/FBO/fuel pump is located on the field (left turn or right turn off the runway).
- Do not be afraid of asking for a progressive taxi.
- If the ground controller mentions anything regarding a runway, READ IT BACK WITH A FULL CALLSIGN (November-9er-1-6-delta-foxtrot).
Advice for Local Control/Tower Control Communications
- Tower is called Local Control in ATC language – in case you hear something like “advise local of your request”
- ATC interprets “ready for takeoff” as the next thing needed is to get on the runway and put full power and go. If you are not at the point, do not say “ready for takeoff”.
- ATC has a requirement to call traffic within 7 miles on final or in the vicinity of the airport. If ATC is asking “can you take it on the roll? I have traffic on a 3 mile final” that should mean no undue delay to get on the runway and takeoff.
- ATC has a reputation of talking too fast. Don’t be afraid of asking to repeat or slow down if you do not understand.
- When a heading is assigned or a pattern exit to go on course, validate the instruction if you are unsure. Don’t just assume or turn without the tower knowing what your plan is.
- When you land and get off the runway, cross the red hold short line. In another words, be sure the hold short line is behind you and you are closer to the taxiway than runway. Do your after landing checklist NOT between the runway and hold short line.
- At most tower-controlled airports, ground traffic will have to give way to traffic exiting the runway.
- Read back all hold short instruction with your COMPLETE CALLSIGN.
Advice for Approach Radar Operations Communications
- VFR flight following and traffic advisories are generally viewed as the same service in ATC
- IFR/IFR separation can be vertical, lateral, longitudinal, visual and diverging headings.
- IFR/VFR separation can be vertical or so long as there is lateral space between the radar targets.
- Heavy’s require greater separation
- Approach clearance for ILS will generally include PTAC phraseology.
- P – Position: Position from a fix (5 miles from ALAMO)
- T – Turn: Heading to join the localizer (turn left heading 1-5-5)
- A – Altitude: Altitude for the approach (maintain 3,000 till established on the localizer)
- C – Clearance: Cleared ILS runway 1-3 Right approach
- “N916DF is 5 miles from ALAMO. Turn left heading 1-5-5, maintain 3,000 till established on the localizer. Cleared I-L-S runway 1-3 Right approach.”
- Comply with speed restrictions as best you can. If you cannot, please advise.
- Approach clearances for non-precision approaches can vary. Generally it’s cleared direct to a fix/vector to final approach course, cross at an altitude, cleared for approach.
- RNAV approach clearance can be a vector to the approach course, direct to a T-fix (if applicable) or the IAF on the straight-in. If you want the hold, let ATC know.
- On practice approaches into uncontrolled airports, please remember to call once you have commenced the missed approach and you are clear of the traffic pattern.
- For pop-up flight following, start by identifying yourself and your location. Once you are acknowledged then give your type, destination and requested altitude.
- ATC does not know every aircraft type, so spell out the same identifier as you would write in your logbook.
- ATC does not know every destination so spell it out. The K in a US destination is NOT required.
- In the approach world, ATC knows the airports within their airspace (30-50 miles from the major airport named for the approach control) as well as a few outside of the airspace. If the destination is some ranch nowhere near that controller’s airspace, give ATC the closest larger airport.
Advice for En Route/Center Operations Communications
- The Center computer system is easier to manipulate for controllers therefore any flight plan changes (routes, altitudes, speeds) are more easily done with center vs approach/tower.
- Center has an easier ability to add 4-character destinations (I.e. 7TX2, ITE4).
- Center does not have the same requirement to give flight following like approach does. Do not take it personal if a center controller terminates your flight following at random.
- If your flight following gets terminated, don’t be afraid of asking for the next sector’s frequency should you want to try and get flight following with them.
- Centers generally transmit and receive on 2 to 6 different frequencies. This is quite normal which is why you might not hear the other aircraft they are talking too.
- Military generally communicates NOT on VHF.
- For pop-up flight following, start by identifying yourself and your location. Once you are acknowledged then give your type, destination and requested altitude.
- ATC does not know every type, so spell out the same identifier you write in your logbook.
- ATC does not know every destination so spell it out. The K in a US destination is NOT required.
General Information
- Any questions about MOA, Restricted Areas, and other Special Use Airspace are all valid questions to ask. Do not be afraid to ask if in doubt.
- Flying through active MOA’s is NOT a good idea. Although completely legal when VFR, you are not helping yourself or the safety culture we are in by adding yourself in a place that can be dangerous to non-participating aircraft.
- If in doubt about any clearance, do not be afraid to ask for clarification.
- Should an emergency happen, declare your emergency and do what you need to do. Although ATC might ask for more information, do not be afraid to say “I’ll get back to you/not right now” something along those lines.
- ATC wants to talk to you – it makes our job easier when we know what you are doing.
More Resources on Air Traffic Control Communications
Looking for more content on air traffic control? Check out our article on 13 ATC communication tips and tricks for pilots (based on hundreds of hours in Class B airspace), as well as our video below: