phraseology - general
TRANSCRIPT
PHRASEOLOGY - GENERAL
Author: Stas Jessy © IVAO BeLux Region pg. 1
PHRASEOLOGY – GENERAL
This document is intended for simulation use only on the IVAO network! Do not use for real
life or in other networks.
In this document we will teach you the most common general phraseology used in aviation
by an ATC. This document only covers the general phraseology which is used throughout all
ATC stations.
We have a set documents which correspond with every ATC station
Delivery – Phraseology Delivery
Ground – Phraseology Ground
Tower – Phraseology Tower
Departure/Arrival – Phraseology DEP/APP
Control – Phraseology Control
INFO – Phraseology INFO
We suggest you follow the list from top to bottom in order to help you advance in your
Virtual Air Traffic Control Career.
LETTERS AND NUMBERS GENERAL REMARKS
To avoid confusion over the frequency it was agreed to use phonetic spelling. Minimizing the
risk of mixing letters or numbers.
Using the phonetic spelling should be used within the aircraft call sign, for headings, speed,
altitude, VOR indications, abbreviations… (e.g. BUN, 250…)
Names, companies, fixes… are not mandatory to be spoken by phonetics if correct reception
is not affected. (e.g. Boeing, SOPOK…)
L ET T ERS
Letter Word Pronunciation
A Alpha AL FAH
B Bravo BRAH VOH
C Charlie CHAR LEE or SHAR LEE
D Delta DELL TAH
E Echo ECK OH
F Foxtrot FOKS TROT
G Golf GOLF
H Hotel HO TELL
I India IN DEE AH
J Juliett JEW LEE ETT
K Kilo KEY LOH
PHRASEOLOGY - GENERAL
Author: Stas Jessy © IVAO BeLux Region pg. 2
Letter Word Pronunciation
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 Whiskey WISS KEY
X X-ray ECKS RAY
Y Yankee YANG KEY
Z Zulu ZOO LOO
NUMBERS
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
EX AMPL ES
Aircraft call signs Transmitted as
BEL128 Beeline one three eight
JAF45T Beauty four five Tango
PHRASEOLOGY - GENERAL
Author: Stas Jessy © IVAO BeLux Region pg. 3
Headings
100 degrees Heading one zero zero
080 degrees Heading zero eight zero
Wind direction and speed
200 degrees 70 knots Wind two zero zero degrees seven zero
knots
160 degrees 18 knots gusting 30 knots Wind one six zero degrees one eight knots
gusting three zero knots
Transponder codes Transmitted as
2400 Squawk two four zero zero
4203 Squawk four two zero three
Runway
27 Runway two seven
30 Runway three zero
Altimeter setting
1010 QNH one zero one zero
1000 QNH one zero zero zero
Altitude
800 Eight hundred
3400 Three thousand four hundred
12000 One two thousand
Visibility
1000 Visibility one thousand
700 Visibility seven hundred
Frequency
131.000 One three one decimal zero
131.025 One three one decimal zero two five
131.050 One three one decimal zero five zero
PHRASEOLOGY - GENERAL
Author: Stas Jessy © IVAO BeLux Region pg. 4
131.075 One three one decimal zero seven five
131.100 One three one decimal one
Time
0920 TOO ZE-RO or ZE-RO NIN-er TOO ZE-RO
1643 FOW-er TREE or WUN SIX FOW-er TREE
When transmitting time, only the minutes of the hour should normally be required. The hour
should be included when any possibility of confusion is likely.
PHRASEOLOGY - GENERAL
Author: Stas Jessy © IVAO BeLux Region pg. 5
STANDARD WORDS AND PHRASES The following words and phrases shall be used in radio transmission as appropriate.
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:
CONTACT Establish communications with…
CORRECT True
CORRECTION An error has been made in this transmission. The correct version is…
DISREGARD Ignore
GO AHEAD Proceed with your message
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 present heading”
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
excepted
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 the new
clearance replaces your previous clearance or part of that clearance
REPORT Pass me the following information…
REQUEST I should like to know… or I wish to obtain…
ROGER I received all of your last transmissions
Under no circumstances to be used in reply to a question requiring
READ BACK
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
PHRASEOLOGY - GENERAL
Author: Stas Jessy © IVAO BeLux Region pg. 6
UNABLE I cannot comply with your request, instruction or clearance
WILCO I understand your message and will comply with it
Abbreviation for will comply
WORDS TWICE a) As a request:
communication is difficult. Please send every word or group
of words twice
b) As information:
Since communication is difficult, every word or group of
words in this message will be sent twice
An air traffic control (ATC) route clearance is not an instruction to take off or enter an active
runway. The words "TAKE OFF" are used only when an aircraft is cleared for take-off, or
when cancelling a take-off clearance. At other times, the word "DEPARTURE" or "AIRBORNE"
is used.
AIRCRAFT CALL SIGNS There are three (3) types of aircraft call signs
Type Example
a) The registration OO-BRU or
Cessna OO-BRU
b) Telephony designator of the company, followed by the last 4
characters of the registration
BEELINE OSFX
c) Telephony designator of the company, followed by the flight
identification
BEELINE 456
If satisfactory communication has been established, and no confusion is likely to occur, call
signs may be abbreviated as follows
Type Example
1. First and at least the last two (2) characters of the aircraft
registration
O-RU or Cessna
O-RU
2. Telephony designator of the company, followed by at least the
last 2 characters of the aircraft registration
BEELINE FX
3. No abbreviated form possible BEELINE 456
PHRASEOLOGY - GENERAL
Author: Stas Jessy © IVAO BeLux Region pg. 7
COMMUNICATIONS When establishing communications, aircraft should use the full call sign of both the aircraft
and the ATC station
ATC | Pilot
Brussels Tower, OO-BRU
OO-BRU, Brussels Tower.
AL L ST AT IONS
If a ground station or aircraft wishes to broadcast information, the “all stations” call shall be
used
All stations, OO-BRU, joining right hand circuit runway 29 at Kiewit
All stations, new QNH 1012
W HEN I N DO UBT
If there is any doubt that a message has been correctly received, request a repeat of the
message.
Phrase Meaning
SAY AGAIN Repeat entire message
SAY AGAIN … (item) Repeat a specific item
SAY AGAIN ALL BEFORE… (the first word received
correctly)
Repeat specific part of message
SAY AGAIN ALL AFTER… (the last word received
correctly)
Repeat specific part of message
SAY AGAIN ALL BETWEEN … AND … Repeat specific part of message
If an aircraft calls an ATC station but the ATC station is uncertain about the identity of the
calling station, the ATC station should request a repeat of the call sign
Brussels Tower, 123
Station calling Brussels Tower, say again your call sign.
Brussels Tower, Beeline 123
PHRASEOLOGY - GENERAL
Author: Stas Jessy © IVAO BeLux Region pg. 8
ERRO R
When an error is made in a transmission, the word CORRECTION shall be used. The last
correct group or phrase shall be repeated and then the correct version will be transmitted.
Beauty 147 ARVOL FL 190 Correction ARVOL FL 180
Beauty 147, roger.
If the correction requires repeating the entire message, the phrase CORRECTION I SAY
AGAIN shall be used before transmitting the message a second time.
If reception is considered to be difficult, import elements of the message should be
transmitted twice.
Brussels, OO-BRU Atomium 1500 feet, I say again 1500ft, engine losing power,
engine losing power.
TRANSFER OF COMMUNICATIONS The ATC station will advise an aircraft to change from one radio frequency to another, in
accordance with agreed procedures.
Thomas Cook 963, Contact Brussels Approach 118.250
118.250 Thomas Cook 963
Thomas Cook 963, when airborne, contact Brussels Approach 118.250
When airborne, 118.250 Thomas Cook 963
ATC may instruct and aircraft to “stand by” on a frequency when it is intended the next
controller will initiate communications himself soon.
ATC may also instruct an aircraft to monitor a frequency on which information is
broadcasted.
Beeline 753, stand by 118.6 for Tower
118.6 Beeline 753
Beeline 753, monitor UNICOM 122.8
Monitoring 122.8 Beeline 753
PHRASEOLOGY - GENERAL
Author: Stas Jessy © IVAO BeLux Region pg. 9
TEST PROCEDURES T RANSMI SSIO N
A Test transmission should be as follows:
• Identification of the station being called;
• Aircraft identification;
• The words RADIO CHECK;
• Frequency being used.
REPL Y
A reply to a test transmission should be:
• Identification of the station calling
• Identification of the replying station
• Information regarding the readability
READABIL IT Y CLASSES
The readability should be expressed according the following scale:
1. Unreadable
2. Readable now and then
3. Readable but with difficulty
4. Readable
5. Perfectly readable
EX AMPL ES
Brussels Delivery, Beeline159 Radio check on 121.950
Station calling Brussels Delivery, you are unreadable
Or
Beeline 159, Delivery, reading you three, loud background whistle
Or
Beeline 159, Delivery, reading you five.
PHRASEOLOGY - GENERAL
Author: Stas Jessy © IVAO BeLux Region pg. 10
NAVIGATION INSTRUCTIONS HEADING I NST RUCT IO NS
In order to let an aircraft change its heading or maintain a heading after passing over a
navigational point, the following transmission should be used:
• Turn left heading …
• Turn right heading …
• Maintain present heading
• Maintain heading …
L EVEL I NST RUCT IO NS
In order to make an aircraft change or maintain its altitude, use the following transmissions:
• Climb to [flight level… / … feet]
• Descent to [flight level… / …feet]
• Maintain [flight level… / …feet]
There is a difference between “descent/climb to xxxxft” and “descent xxxxft”. Descent xxxxft
will require to pilot descent xxxxft and not to xxxxft.
Example:
At 5000ft: “descent to 2000ft” -> pilot will descent to 2000ft
At 5000ft: “descent 2000ft” -> pilot will descent to 3000ft.
For communication only: If the FL is below FL100, we just say FL60 and not 060. This is to
avoid the pilot would mistake himself by flying HDG 060.
EX AMPL ES
Beeline 753, turn left heading 270.
Turn left heading 270, Beeline 753
Beeline 753, climb to FL 70
Climbing to FL 70, Beeline 753
Beeline 753, maintain present heading
Maintain present heading, Beeline 753
Beeline 753, maintain FL 110
Maintain FL 110, Beeline 753
PHRASEOLOGY - GENERAL
Author: Stas Jessy © IVAO BeLux Region pg. 11
If you want an aircraft to make an immediate action use the word IMMEDIATELY
Beeline 753, turn left heading 270 immediately.
Turn left heading 270, Beeline 753
Beeline 753, climb to FL 70 immediately
Climbing to FL 70, Beeline 753
ATC can always ask a pilot to change heading or altitude after passing a given point. Or he
can request to pilot to adjust his descent/climb as to cross a specific point at a specific
altitude.
Beeline 753, after passing FLO, turn left heading 300 and descent to 4000 feet, QNH
1025.
After passing FLO turn left heading 300 and descent to 4000 feet, QNH 1025,
Beeline 753
Beeline 753, descent to reach FL 180 at BATTY
Descending to reach FL 180 at Batty, Beeline 753
Once an instruction has been given, a further overriding instruction may be given.
Beeline 753, continue left turn heading 280.
Turn left heading 280, Beeline 753
Beeline 753, continue descent to 3000 feet.
Descending to 3000 feet, Beeline 753
Beeline 753, Stop climb at FL 170.
Stop climb at FL 170, Beeline 753
Beeline 753, recleared FL330
Recleared FL330, Beeline 753
PHRASEOLOGY - GENERAL
Author: Stas Jessy © IVAO BeLux Region pg. 12
Occasionally, for traffic reasons, a higher than normal rate-of-climb or descent may be
required
Beeline 753, expedite descent to FL 60.
Expediting descent to FL 60, Beeline 753
Beeline 753, climb to FL 250, expedite until passing FL 200
Climbing to FL 250, expediting until passing FL 200, Beeline 753
Always keep in mind that an aircraft may not be able to expedite. They will report as follows:
“Beeline 753, unable to expedite.”