Maximum number of pieces of information in a message

[Genghis the Engineer]

Evening all,

I was just going over something that was discussing communications issues in aircraft maintenance, and some maintenance engineers complaining when too many instructions are given to them at once.

Which half reminded me of advice that there are a maximum number of pieces of information which should be passed in a single RT message. But, looking in any formal documents, I can't seem to find anything giving guidance on that in any of the obvious formal documents. My CPL notes contain some vague and simplistic references to a brain being capable of holding 7 +/- 1 items in short term information, but I can't see anything mapping that to guidance on comms either.

Can anybody point me at any manuals, formal training notes, guidance, etc. giving guidance on maximum number of pieces of information in an RT message? I'm obviously assuming in an RT context, but any other context would be interesting too.

G

[good egg]

As I recall it’s 3...but not sure which doc that might have been from! (That’s probably item 4....)

[scd975]

CAP 413 para 2.8 (11): "Messages should not contain more than three specific phrases,
comprising a clearance, instruction or pertinent information."

[Genghis the Engineer]

Aha, well done and thanks scd - I had searched CAP413, but the term I'd not searched on was "phrases" - I was using terms like "pieces", "information", and failing.

Good man, thank you.

G