Communications
Communications
Communications questions test standard radiotelephony: phraseology, readback, priority and failure procedures. The exam rewards exact standard words and penalises invented phrasing.
Core rules
- Use ICAO standard words: roger means received; wilco means will comply; affirm and negative replace yes and no; standby means wait; say again requests repetition.
- Readback is mandatory for clearances, runway hold instructions, levels, headings, speeds and frequencies.
- Distress is MAYDAY, urgency is PAN PAN; both have priority over routine traffic.
- If a readback is incorrect, correct it immediately and obtain a correct readback.
- Use plain language only when standard phraseology cannot convey the message.
Worked example
Controller: EIN123, descend to flight level one eight zero. Pilot: Descend to flight level one eight zero, EIN123. This is a correct readback. If the pilot says Descend to flight level one eight zero but omits the callsign, the controller should not assume identification; ask for full readback. If the pilot reads back FL180 when cleared FL190, correct it at once: EIN123, negative, flight level one nine zero, I say again, one nine zero.
Traps
Do not accept roger as compliance with a clearance. Do not use cleared for a request you have not coordinated. Do not let a similar callsign pass without verification. Do not treat MAYDAY and PAN PAN as interchangeable; urgency is not distress.