Communications, ATC Clearance Procedures and Phraseology
What the exam tests
This domain tests standard radiotelephony, clearance readback, phraseology meanings and lost-communication actions. Questions check whether a pilot understands what is a clearance, what must be read back, and what words like roger and wilco actually mean.
Core rules
- An ATC clearance authorises a flight under specified conditions; it does not imply terrain clearance unless stated. A clearance limit, route, level, speed, frequency and squawk must be understood and, where required, read back.
- Read back safety-related items: altitude or flight level, heading, speed, runway, hold-short instruction, frequency and transponder code. A simple acknowledgement is not a readback.
- Roger means the message was received. Wilco means will comply. Affirm and negative answer questions. Standby means wait; it is not an approval.
- Phraseology is precise: line up and wait is not a take-off clearance; cleared for take-off is the only take-off clearance; cleared to land is a landing clearance. An expected clearance is not a clearance.
- Lost communication: maintain the last acknowledged clearance or the applicable lost-communication procedure, squawk 7600 and try alternative frequencies. Emergency frequencies and transponder codes must be known.
Worked example
Tower transmits: Aircraft ABC, line up and wait runway 27. The pilot reads back the instruction and enters the runway but does not begin the take-off roll. When tower later says: Aircraft ABC, runway 27, cleared for take-off, the pilot reads back cleared for take-off and only then applies take-off power. The earlier line-up instruction never authorised departure.
Traps
Do not read back only the aircraft callsign. Do not treat roger as permission. Do not confuse cleared for the approach with cleared to land. Do not use 7700 for radio failure; that is 7600.