Radio Communications

For some pilot's the strange language and rapid fire communication with Air Traffic Control (ATC) can be confusing and hard to master. Once you get used to the flow of the communication however it can be quite easy, the content remains the same, just the names are changed!

Richard Binkley, a Flight Instructor with Southern Jet at Raleigh-Durham airport (RDU) has prepared a couple of documents to help pilot's master the radio communications required to operate in and around RDU.

The first document provides information on the basic radio calls you can expect to make to exit and enter RDU. The second document provides a full script for the radio communications for a trip out and back from RDU to Louisburg, Franklin County airport.

You should be able to easily adapt these scripts to operations at other Class C airports as well as for trips to and from other airports local to RDU.

Here's an ATIS and Clearance sheet for getting in and out of Raleigh-Durham airport. Change the frequencies (or ignore the ones on this sheet) and it'll work for any airport.

You may also be interested on other books on using the radio:

• Say Again, Please: Guide to Radio Communications.
•  The Pilot's Radio Communications Handbook.
•  The Pilot's Air Traffic Control Handbook
•  VFR Communications Kit

There are other tools available for helping with radio communication, here's one that was brought to my attention:

• Squawk VFR - from Gold Seal Flight.