Airways R/T Terminology

[Hansard]

Hoping someone can give a definitive answer to a quick r/t question.

When making the initial call to, for example, London Control, what's the correct terminology?

Is it

"London Control Albatross 17 maintaining FL 60"

or

"London Control Albatross 17 level FL 60"

or simply

"London Control Albatross 17 FL 60"

or what?

Thanks!

[Charlie Fox]

I expext you will hear all the answers but "London Control Albatross 17 FL 60" is the most correct.

[mad_jock]

I always thought you had to stick where you were going on the end as well?


"London Control Albatross 17 FL 60 direct (whatever)"

or

"London Control Albatross 17 FL 60 heading 230 degrees" if you have been given a steer.

MJ

[5milesbaby]

m-j, the UK AIP under "position reports" states that only callsign and FL should be passed on first contact. However it then goes on to say that position and time should be passed in every subsequent transmission so I think I need to keep reading some more

From practice having the position report added helps us controllers with several entry points so we know where to look to find the ident and also the strip in our archeaic displays.

As to the original question, I agree with Charlie Fox.

[Ojuka]

How about a list of all too frequent BAD or EMBARASSING R/T terminology that we have to suffer every working day, such as:

1. (squawk) "4321 COMING DOWN"
2. "routing DeanS Cross"
3. "AceJet 123 WITH YOU"
4. "London, it's THE AceJet 123"
5. "ON finals"
6. "five zero FOR six zero"
7. "MORNING JIM!" Response "Morning." (Clueless as to who said good morning to him, and frankly, not interested)
8. "We have him on TCAS" So what? How does this change a controller's spacing?
9. "Ten twelve the QNH"
10. "That's copied" Whatever happened to roger?
11. (Company freq.) "And do you know if Dave Smith is operating the Prague at 1900?" Shutup and let the rest of us check in with our arrival details.

Sigh.

[Fox3snapshot]

Another questionable response from a leased US carrier flying out here...

"Rojer Sir, I check your remarks....."

That in fact was the readback I got on at least 2 occassions when issuing a heading and level instruction. It took challenging the pilot each time for a readback to get the response I was looking for...

Ho Hum..."What to do? (with appropriate head waggle!)

[Cuban_8]

UK AIP ENR 1.1.1. reckons:

The initial call changing radio frequency shall contain only the aircraft identification and flight level. Any subsequent report shall contain aircraft identification, position and time except as provided for in respect of helicopter operations in the areas specified in paragraph 1.1 (d) above.

Note. When changing frequency between any of the London Control, Scottish Control or Manchester Control Centres, pilots are required to state their callsign and Flight Level/Altitudes only (plus any other details when specifically instructed by ATC). When the aircraft is in level flight but cleared to another FL/Alt, both FL/Alt should be passed. Similarly, when the aircraft is not in level flight, the pilot should state the FL/Alt through which the aircraft is passing and the FL/Alt to which it is cleared.

Mr AIP is usually correct, in my experience!

Doesn't really solve the phraseology issue, but a suppose CAP 413 would do that!

Rgds,

Cuban_8

[Whipping Boy's SATCO]

Dunno what CAP 413 says (I'm not sad enough to keep a copy at home and I spend my life on the CAA web so I'm b******ed if I'm going surfing on a Sat evening), but, personally, I would get a warm feeling with "maintaining/climbing/descending FL...".

I guess I'm wrong, however...............

[Human Factor]

AA standard response to anything:

"Roger."

Except when taking off:

"Roger, here we go."

[Goldfish Jack]

Or how about:

"... last call, calling us, can you say again"

or

"were you calling us?"

or

"have you got the 1500 weather at (someplace totally irrelevant to their route) for us please", when then their ACARS is working fine.