Communications - VFR and IFR Radiotelephony
The Communications paper tests standard ICAO radiotelephony for VFR and IFR flights. You must make clear, concise calls, read back safety-related instructions, use the phonetic alphabet and handle distress, urgency and radio failure correctly.
Standard calls
Use the aircraft registration as call sign, state position, level and intention. At Plaisance, call Plaisance Tower or Plaisance Approach as published. Read back runway hold-short, line-up, takeoff, landing, level and heading instructions. Use standard phraseology: line up and wait, cleared for take-off, wilco, say again.
Emergencies
MAYDAY is for distress; PAN PAN for urgency. Squawk 7700 for emergency, 7600 for radio failure, 7500 for unlawful interference. If radio fails, follow the AIP procedure, squawk 7600 and watch for light signals.
Worked example
You are at the holding point for runway 14 at FIMP. Call: Plaisance Tower, Foxtrot Golf Alpha, Cessna 172, at holding point runway 14, ready for departure, information Bravo. Tower replies: Foxtrot Golf Alpha, line up and wait runway 14. Read back: Line up and wait runway 14, Foxtrot Golf Alpha. Do not say take-off until cleared: cleared for take-off runway 14.
Traps
Using take-off in a readback before clearance; omitting the runway in a hold-short readback; using non-standard phrases; failing to state the aircraft type on first contact; and confusing MAYDAY with PAN PAN.