Flight Training - September 2013 - 35

DON'T BE 'THAT GUY'
Want to sound professional?
Drop these from your lexicon.
We stress about how we sound on the
radio, but pilots generally are forgiving
and understanding of the stumbler or the
stammerer in the cockpit. Ask them to talk
about their pet peeves, and it's a different
story. Here are a few that are good for
hours (and hours) of discussion.
• The ATITPPA guy: Even if you don't recognize the abbreviation, you'll recognize
this pilot when he calls from 15 miles out
on the common traffic advisory frequency:
"Any traffic in the pattern please advise."
• Chatty Kathy: This pilot uses a CTAF or
unicom frequency for extended conversations about where he is, where he's going,
and what he plans to have for dinner. And
on and on.
• The CB Good Buddy: This pilot substitutes CB radio lingo ("10-4") for proper
aviation terminology.
A friend who flies for the airlines says
one of his pet peeves is when a pilot at a
nontowered airport announces he is "taking the active." (Where, exactly, are you
taking it?) And one air traffic controller

patch cable that sends audio to the video
recorder. He can strip the audio file from
the video if the student wants to listen,
rather than watch a video.
Invest in a noise-cancelling headset. “I
have found these to be a major enhancement for hearing both ATC and CFI
communications, and hence a confidence
builder,” says Flight Training Contributing Editor Greg Brown. “Every student to
whom I’ve ever recommended these to
address communications challenges has
thanked me for it afterwards.”

experience, friendliness, and encouragement. I’ve found it helps a great deal to
put a friendly face with the voice.”
The constant back-and-forth of communications in busy controlled airspace
can cause some pilots consternation
because they can’t understand everything
that’s being said to everyone. “Listening to
the radio is a lot like being at a big, noisy
party,” says Brown. “You ignore most
conversation going on around you until
or unless someone calls your name. Your
name, of course, is your N-number.”
Consider what ATC’s response is likely
to be to your radio call. This will help you
THE ATC SHAKES. Then there are those of
to think ahead.
us who are perfectly fine with using the
Request VFR traffic advisories—flight
radio at a nontowered airport, but seem
to develop a serious case of the stammers following—whenever possible, even if
or sweaty palms—or both—when flying in you’re headed to another nontowered aircontrolled airspace. This affliction mainly port. You get another set of eyes to watch
for traffic, along with practice at commuaffects pilots who train at nontowered
nicating with ATC (see “Technique: Flight
airports, but it shouldn’t be ignored or
brushed off, lest you find yourself avoiding Following,” August 2012 Flight Training).
Are you avoiding towered airports?
towered airports in the future.
Don’t. Start with a not-too-busy airport in
Class D airspace and move on to others.
Even if you’re quite comfortable with
your radio technique, there might be room
for improvement.

told me that she suppresses an eye roll
when she hears someone say "With you

FOR EVERY PILOT, JUST BECAUSE:

at..." when checking in. "You're not with

Take some time to review the Pilot/
Controller Glossary in the Aeronautical
Information Manual. Learn the verbiage
as well as the correct meaning of those
terms. (“Roger” and “affirmative” are not
interchangeable.)
Listen to yourself once in a while, just
to check your radio technique. If you’re
not in the habit of recording your flights,
you can check LiveATC.net’s extensive
audio archives to see if you’re in one.

me," she says. "You're up there and I'm
down here."—JWT

FOR THE PILOT WHO DOESN’T
LIKE TALKING TO ATC: Understand

that controllers are people, just like you.
Contact your nearest towered airport or
terminal radar approach control facility and ask for a tour. Independent flight
instructor Jim Cunningham says that
when he arranges tower tours for anxious
students, he’ll tell the controller the reason for the tour: “The student is scared of
talking on the radio and needs a positive
A SCRIPT such as the one
Peg Ballou created for her
flight students is a study
tool that can be used to
practice calls on your own
(left).

Jill W. Tallman is technical editor of Flight Training
magazine. She is an instrument-rated private pilot.

LISTENING TO THE RADIO IS A LOT LIKE BEING AT A BIG,
NOISY PARTY. YOU IGNORE MOST CONVERSATION UNTIL
OR UNLESS SOMEONE CALLS YOUR NAME.
SEPTEMBER 2013 FLIGHT TRAINING

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Flight Training - September 2013

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