Best Practice Learning Radio Calls?!
 

Hi!

I just started my PPL and was wondering if somebody has some advice how to best study radio calls.

I have some example calls on paper (Moorabbin) but it's all very static.
Is there something like a CD/DVD that I can buy or download ACT/Tower radio?
Just to get a better appreciation of what are "real" calls and responses. I already tried to search on youtube but it's very cumbersome not really what I was looking for.


Cheers!

Try Liveatc.net
Near real time, well on the iPhone anyway.
From memory the Melbourne one is a combination of Centre/Radar/YMEN/YMML/YMMB and a few others.
Hope it helps.

Or if you have money, buy a transceiver.

If you're in to your flight sim, you could log on to VATSIM and practice your RT on there.

At times it can be over-run with snotty 15 year olds who don't know one end of an aircraft to the other, but generally when I was learning, it was pretty good.

Ill second the airband scanner idea. The website is Listen to Live ATC (Air Traffic Control) Communications | LiveATC.net , its pretty good but a lot of the feeds have multiple frequencies combined meaning the calls can be a bit mixed up or hard to understand if theres a lot going on at the time

I used to listen to liveatc using the iphone app on the train just to train my ear to listening to what was going on and get some of the patter down. For example tracking an aircraft through its approach and following what calls are occuring and getting a mental picture of what is going on. Also sometimes hearing some different requests and responses from say ATC than you might get in your own flying.

You need to pick a location that is close to what you are training on though, for example Bankstown, but they tend to be erratic with activity depending on time of the day. Listening to a larger class C area is more active but the calls are obviously different.

I also found practising my own calls in the car helped get the sequences and content straight in my head. Might seem a little goofy but it helps you work it in your head while doing other tasks rather than trying to do it just reading off a bit of paper.

There is a site online which I cannot recall now, that had a feature where it would give you something to readback, and you could see how much you could get then play it again. Like a robotic voice. Was US based, but still good value

Seconds for live atc ( as sad as it is, there were times training where I listened to this more than real radio). Whenever atc give a call, read it back. Good practice. Now available as an app!
Airband scanner also a good idea if you can afford as you can sit in the cafe and listen.

And the one major thing.

Have what you want to say figured out in your head before you say it. Nothing worse than someone taking forever with a radio call um'ing and erring through the calls.

Callsign, position, and intentions.

XXX, 32 miles south of xxx at xxxx feet, xxxx next.

Not a major deal once you get the hang of it :)
Please don't use the "Any conflicting traffic, please advise" At the end. It is the most redundant call ever. If a plane is conflicting with you, they will tell you. They wont go into stealth mode and try to hide.

Lilflyboy, nothing worse than someone taking up the airwaves with OF, AT, FEET and NEXT!

To the original poster, LiveATC is great take note of how the GAM guys conduct their R/T and forget anything coming from an Ambulance 3xx call sign.

From startup, write each sequence where a radio call is required on a line in an Excel sheet.
Underneath that line write the correct radio phrase for that point.
Build up all the calls in the circuit
Save that as your circuit file.

You'll then scroll up something like "Before Entering Runway" (leaving the answer hidden)
Try to give the correct call out loud
Then scroll to make the answer visible.

Gives you total concentration on the area to want to learn
Stops you from subconsciously cheating
Allows you to learn the correct phrase rather than a butchered one
Works the mouth and vocal chords so the words don't tumble in the real event

Good luck

Who you are. Where you are. And what you are doing or wish to do..
That about it?

Some good ideas above, BUT, do not believe the calls you hear are correct.
I would be surprised if 50% are correct and that's being generous.

Listen and critique what you hear. Reference the correct response from AIP/Jepps what ever you use.

Ill second the online FSX Scott mentioned.
It is free.

Its not that great for VFR again due kids not knowing what they are doing, but at least it will get you used to using the radio and make you more confident when it comes time to talk to the controllers in real life.

Liveatc.......yep, just what you want to do, listen to all the morons out there: 'request traffic and code'

Dood, don't listen that **** whatever you do

and......before all that, on the first contact only - Who you are calling. (If you get the frequency wrong someone will probably tell you)

:rolleyes::ugh::ugh:

Really?

I don't think you could single out any group as having great RT. Yes, some ATC are included as well.

There's a lot of work to be done everywhere.

Callsign, position, level, intentions. Thats as hard as it gets.

My sentiments exactly.

"Centre, XYZ, IFR Taxi..."
Didn't you submit a flightplan???

You mean you ATC guys have something else to do other than chew gum, bounce tennis balls and look at porn? How dare we interrupt that...:}

Trimedgroup,

How do you propose that someone conducts their mandatory radio broadcasts then? My calls are perhaps once every 15-30 minutes and about 5-10seconds long at most. Hardly clogging the airwaves?

ALL of the GAMS pilots that fly in the airspace I do, do the calls correctly. (3 separate runs) The Waggaair fellas are pretty good.

Whoever the IFR clowns are that 'request traffic & code' are worse than the VFRies that actually talk. And who woulda thunk, the nations finest, (RAAF) have fallen for the request traffic & code bull****!t. Have a think about it.......the Asians out of Mangalore do their calls correctly but you arseclowns can't?