Radio communications lesson for the remote pilot

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Radio communications lesson for the remote pilot

Remote Pilot Lesson - Radio Communications~ We are going to go through the Remote Pilot - Small Unmanned Aircraft System study guide. That is where the information for this lesson comes from. That’s what we’re using for the basis of this information.

We know you’re a remote pilot and you’re not going to be talking on the radio, but you do have to understand if you are in the vicinity of an airport, the language being used by the airplanes and helicopters or other aircraft. We’re going to point out something in this one that you may or not have heard of yet, and I’m just looking at the book because I can never say this without hardly looking at it.

We’re going to be referring to ICAO in this presentation. And ICAO is International Civil Aviation Organization. Not that hard to say. It’s just that we always call it I-K-O and I was worried if I didn’t have the book open that I wouldn’t be able to pronounce that. We’re going to go through this and I’ll jump in and give you a little bit of “real world” here and there. But we also want to hit what the FAA says you’re going to have to know.

Although small unmanned aircraft (UA) pilots are not expected to communicate over radio frequencies, it is important for the UA pilot to understand “aviation language” and the different conversations they will encounter if the UA pilot is using a radio to aid them in situational awareness when operating in the NAS (National Airspace System). Although much of the information provided here is geared toward manned aircraft pilots, the UA pilot needs to understand the unique way information is exchanged. Understanding proper radio phraseology and procedures contributes to a pilot’s ability to operate safely and efficiently in the airspace system.

A review of the Pilot/Controller Glossary contained in the AIM (Airman’s Information Manual) assists a pilot in understanding standard radio terminology. The AIM also contains many examples of radio communications. ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) has adopted a phonetic alphabet that should be used in radio communications. When communicating with ATC (Air Traffic Control), pilots should use this alphabet to identify their aircraft.

 Phonetic Alphabet • Alpha • Bravo • Charlie • Delta • Echo • Foxtrot • Golf • Hotel • India • Juliett • Kilo • Lima • Mike • November • Oscar • Papa • Quebec • Romeo • Sierra • Tango • Uniform • Victor • Whiskey • Xray • Yankee • Zulu

Radio communications lesson for the remote pilot

Next, we’re going to talk about airports without operating control towers. Occasionally, I’ll talk about the airport where we operate here, which is called the Plymouth Municipal Airport. It is an uncontrolled airport in the Class G environment. Airports without Operating Control Towers An airport may have a full or part-time tower service station called an FSS (Flight Service Station) located on the airport, a full or part-time universal communications (UNICOM) station, or no aeronautical station at all.

For our example here, we’re a Class G. We do not have a control tower. We don’t have a flight service station. All we have is what we call the UNICOM. And it’s 122.8 here at Plymouth, which is very common. You’ll find that many airports are 122.8, 122.9. And here at this Class G uncontrolled airport, we just use what they call self-announce procedures. So, when we’re out there flying, we’re just making, basically, self-announced statements, so that anybody else that’s in the area knows what we’re doing. We call at different times around the pattern leaving that pattern at the airport and coming back into the airport.

This FSS (flight service station), you’re not going to find those at a lot of airports. That’s not going to be real common. Like here we have a UNICOM. Now, a lot of times, when somebody’s coming in in an airplane or a helicopter, they might call the UNICOM. Because it’s a small, uncontrolled airport, the airport is only occupied part-time, mainly Monday through Saturday, from 8:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. during the week, and then around noon on Saturday. There is somebody down in the lobby, so if you call in on the UNICOM and you’re asking a question, they will sometimes be there to respond to you. But they might be out mowing, they might be out to lunch, so it’s not a dedicated service. It’s there just as an advisory. If an airplane or helicopters coming in, they might call the airport to let them know they’re on their way in. The guys downstairs will simply make a comment to them like what the current runway in use is, or what the wind is, things like that.

There are three ways for pilots to communicate their intention and obtain airport/traffic information when operating at an airport that does not have an operating tower, just like we do here, as I’ve just mentioned.

Airports without operating control towers: communicating with an FSS (flight service station), a UNICOM operator, or making self-announce broadcast. I just mentioned UNICOM and mentioned self-announce. At times, you’d have a flight service station at an airport and you could talk to them, but that’s not going to be real common. Many airports are now providing completely automated weather, radio check capability, and airport advisory information on an automated UNICOM system, which is what I just mentioned. These systems offer a variety of features, typically selectable by microphone clicks, on the UNICOM frequency. Availability of the automated UNICOM will be published in the Airport/Facility Directory and approach charts.

Radio communications lesson for the remote pilot

To avoid any confusion here, the Airport Facility Directory is now called the Chart Supplement, the little green book that we should’ve showed you in this course. If we haven’t yet, I will make sure that we do. The Airport Facility Directory, now called Chart Supplement, it’s a little green book that gives you all the information about an airport. Since they recently changed its name, if you see Airport Facility Directory and anything that you’re studying or looking at, it is the same as what is now called the Chart Supplement.

The little green book, it has all the information about any specific airport in it for your area and those are for regions. So, depending on where you’re going to be operating your small unmanned aircraft at in the country, you’re going to need that book for that certain area.

Understanding Communication on a Common Frequency ~The key to communications at an airport without an operating control tower is selection of the correct common frequency. The acronym CTAF, which stands for Common Traffic Advisory Frequency, is synonymous with this program. You’re going to hear some people say CTAF or you’re going to see that abbreviated. That’s what it stands for - Common Traffic Advisory Frequency. It's not a control tower frequency. This is just for traffic going in out of a small un-towered airport.

A CTAF is a frequency designated for the purpose of carrying out airport advisory practices while operating to or from an airport without an operating control tower. The CTAF may be a UNICOM, MULTICOM, FSS, or tower frequency, and is identified in appropriate aeronautical publications. In this case, a tower may be open during the day and then close at night, and that frequency that’s the tower frequency in the day turns to a CTAF at night. So, again, once the tower closes and the controllers go home, the local people flying in know to just use the tower frequency as the CTAF where they’re doing their self-announce procedures.

A MULTICOM frequency of 122.9 will be used at an airport that is non-towered and does not have a FSS or a UNICOM. Although a remote pilot-in-command is not required to communicate with manned aircraft when in the vicinity of a non-towered airport, safety in the National Airspace System requires that remote pilots are familiar with traffic patterns, radio procedures, and radio phraseology.

When a remote pilot plans to operate close to a non-towered airport, the first step in radio procedures is to identify the appropriate frequencies, which we mentioned you can find in the Chart Supplement. Most non-towered airports will have a UNICOM frequency, which is usually 122.8, just like us here at the Plymouth Municipal Airport. However, you should always check the Chart Supplements US or sectional chart for the correct frequency. This frequency can vary when there are a large number of non-towered airports in the area. This should make sense to you in the fact that, if you have a bunch of small airports right in a general vicinity of one specific area, if they’re all on 122.8, it’s going to get too crazy and too noisy, too many people talking. The ones that are scattered out around the country, not real close to each other, usually 122.8.

But, if you’re in a bigger city where you have a larger number of small airports together, which is usually what happens, they’re going to break those frequencies up, so they could be different. For non-towered airports that do not have a UNICOM or any other frequency listed, the MULTICOM frequency of 122.9 will be used. These frequencies can be found on a sectional chart by the airport or in the Chart Supplement publication from the FAA.

Radio communications lesson for the remote pilot

When a manned aircraft is inbound to a non-towered airport, the standard operating practice is for the pilot to “broadcast in the blind” when 10 miles from the airport. "Broadcast in the blind” just means this person’s coming in, they want to make a radio call 10 miles out, they don’t have any real weather, they haven’t talked to anybody at that airport, there’s no control tower. So "broadcast in the blind" just means they’re making a radio call without knowing what’s really for sure going on at that airport. The initial radio call will also include the position of the aircraft in its relation to north, south, east, or west from the airport. Here’s an example for you: Town and Country traffic, Cessna 123 Bravo Foxtrot is 10 miles south inbound and landing, for Town and Country traffic. When you hear that, they’re just making you say it at the beginning and they’re making you say it at the end.

It’s very easy, when there’s a lot of traffic going on, to hear only part of a radio call. If you only make the call at the beginning of where you are, maybe the other person misses what you said at the end. So proper procedure is for a pilot to call and name the airport at the beginning of their transmission and at the end of their transmission, and they should do that every single time. When a manned aircraft is broadcasting at a non-towered airport, the aircraft should use the name of the airport of intended landing at the beginning of the broadcast, and again at the end of the broadcast, which is what I just mentioned to you. The reason for stating the name twice is to allow others who are on the frequency to confirm where the aircraft is going.

The next broadcast that the manned aircraft should make is: Town and Country traffic, Cessna 123 Bravo Foxtrot, is entering the pattern, midfield left downwind for runway One-Eight, Town and Country traffic.

The aircraft is now entering the traffic pattern. In this example, the aircraft is making a standard 45 degree entry to the downwind leg of the pattern for runway One-Eight. Or, the aircraft could land straight in without entering the typical rectangular traffic pattern. Usually, aircraft that are executing an instrument approach will use this method. That means somebody’s coming in flying just by their instruments and not what we call VFR. VFR is visual flight rules. IFR is instrument flight rules. That’s where somebody would be doing an instrument approach where they’re just on their instruments and flying a direct path right into the airport.

Someone on a VFR flight is just going to be looking, and they’re going to come in and usually do that downwind base and final into the airport. Examples of a radio broadcast from an aircraft that are using this technique are:

For an aircraft that is executing an instrument approach, Town and Country traffic, Cessna 123 Bravo Foxtrot, is one mile north of the airport, GPS runway One-Eight, full-stop landing, Town and Country traffic. As the aircraft flies the traffic pattern for a landing, the following radio broadcast should be made:

Town and Country traffic, Cessna 123 Bravo Foxtrot, left base, runway One-Eight, Town and Country traffic. Town and Country traffic, Cessna 123 Bravo Foxtrot, final, runway One-Eight, Town and Country traffic.

I'll give you an example of those, and we’re just going to use the helicopter in the example. We’ll say that this area right here is our landing spot in the runway. The runway’s going this way. If they’re on an instrument approach, they’re going to be coming in, they’re going to say something like GPS, ILS approach, something along those lines. We’re going to come straight into the runway. If they’re VFR and they’re flying just by visual flight rules, they’re going to do a downwind, a base, and then final into the runway.

Radio communications lesson for the remote pilot

So, usually, on downwind they’re going to make a call when they’re coming in to intercept that downwind. They’re probably going to make a call on base and then make a call on final into the runway. So, again, that’s the difference in the radio calls you’d hear between IFR and VFR traffic. After the aircraft has landed and is clear of the runway, the following broadcast should be made: Town and Country traffic, Cessna 123 Bravo Foxtrot, is clear of runway One-Eight, taxing to park, Town and Country traffic. When an aircraft is departing a non-towered airport, the same procedures apply.

For example, when the aircraft is ready for takeoff, the aircraft should make the following broadcast: Town and Country traffic, Cessna 123 Bravo Foxtrot, departing runway One-Eight, Town and Country traffic. A remote pilot must always scan the area where they are operating a small unmanned aircraft. This is especially important around an airport. So, again, you really have to use caution when you are in the vicinity of an airport because you’re going to have more traffic than you are just kind of out in the boonies. When you’re near an airport, you really have to listen up and pay attention because, again, the idea of the whole safety thing and staying out of trouble and not causing danger to another aircraft is you. It’s big.

I just recently saw a video where a drone was coming at a helicopter, and the helicopter’s flying along at, of course, a pretty good clip, like 100 knots, 120 knots. The drone might have been going 30 or 40 knots. But that drone, the small unmanned aircraft, is so small that the pilot in the helicopter doesn’t see it until it’s almost on top of him. I mean it just comes like out of nowhere. It is your duty, as a remote pilot, to really take the time to understand all these things that we’re trying to teach you in this course and making sure that you stay safe.

While it is good operating procedures for manned aircraft to make radio broadcasts in the vicinity of a non-towered airport, by regulation, it is not mandatory. That’s one thing that we talk a lot about in our training and the helicopter training. We encourage students to make those radio calls, but they don’t have to. At any given time, at any airport, if it’s a small uncontrolled airport, you can have helicopters that aren’t using a radio. Same thing with airplanes, especially if it’s older airplanes.

There are airplanes out there flying that don’t even have radios. So, if they don’t have a radio, they’re not going to be communicating. So you’re operating near an airport, and you’re listening, and you’re saying “Oh, there’s nothing going. There’s nobody around.” There could very well be aircraft that are coming and going that are not talking on the radio. So, because you don’t hear them, you’ve done the right thing, you’ve tuned in the local frequency for that airport. Just because you don’t hear anybody talking does not mean that there are not aircraft there flying the pattern, taking off, or landing. So you have to be very, very careful.

For this reason, a remote pilot must always look for other aircraft in the area, and use a radio for an extra layer of situational awareness. Aircraft Call Signs When operating in the vicinity of any airport, either towered or non-towered, it is important for a remote pilot to understand radio communications of manned aircraft in the area. Although 14 CFR part 107 only requires the remote pilot to receive authorization to operate in certain airport areas, it can be a good operating practice to have a radio that will allow the remote pilot to monitor the appropriate frequencies in the area. The remote pilot should refrain from transmitting over any active aviation frequency unless there is an emergency situation.

Aviation has unique communication procedures that will be foreign to a remote pilot who has not been exposed to the “aviation language” previously. One of those is aircraft call signs. All aircraft that are registered in the United States will have a unique registration number or an “N” number. For example, N123AB, which would be pronounced in aviation terms by use of the phonetic alphabet as, “November One-Two-Three-Alpha-Bravo.” In most cases, “November” will be replaced with either the aircraft manufacturer’s name (make) and in some cases, the type of aircraft (model).

Our first call of the day, we use: Helicopter November, Two-One-Three-Bravo-Lima. And, then, each call after we’ll say, Helicopter Three-Bravo-Lima, so we’ll not use the November, the second, third, fourth call while we’re in that pattern at the airport. Keep in mind it’s very common for aircraft to sometimes abbreviate. Usually, when the aircraft is a light general aviation (GA) aircraft, the manufacturer’s name will be used. In this case, if N123AB is a Cessna 172, the call sign would be “Cessna, One-Two-Three-Alpha-Bravo.”

If the aircraft is a heavier GA aircraft, such as a turboprop, or turbojet, the aircraft’s model will be used in the call sign. If N123AB is a Cessna Citation, the call sign would be stated as, “Citation, One-Two-Three-Alpha-Bravo.” Typically, airliners will use the name of their companies and their flight number in their call signs. For example, Southwest Airlines flight 711, would be said as, “Southwest Seven-One-One.”

There are a few airlines such as British Airways who will not use the company name in their call sign. For example, British Airways uses “Speedbird.” General Remote Pilot Rule on Radio Use A remote pilot is not expected to communicate with other aircraft in the vicinity of an airport and should not do so unless there is an emergency situation. However, in the interest of safety in the NAS (National Airspace System), it is important that a remote pilot understands the aviation language and the types of aircraft that can be operating in the same area as a small UA (unmanned aircraft).

Hopefully, that gives you a good idea of kind of how things work as far as the radio’s concerned. We do live training every week with our helicopter ground school. We’ll probably incorporate some of those to include some of the unmanned aerial systems, move that to its own date at a future point in time. Chief Pilot Gary Cleveland answers every morning Monday through Friday. His first job is to log in to the comment section and see if there’s anybody we need to respond to inside the site.

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