Exercise K · RT practice for UK pilots
Airspace transit & unattended aerodromes
Zone transits and Special VFR, SAFETYCOM blind calls, responding to traffic information, and recognising station types.
5 prompts, worked here at Norwich (EGSH). In the app the same prompts use your own home aerodrome and callsign.
The calls in this exercise
Prompt 1 of 5
You are G-ABCD, a Cessna 152, routing from Beccles to your next reporting point and need to cross the control zone. You are 5 miles west at altitude 1500 feet, VFR. Make your initial call to Norwich Radar 119.355 requesting a zone transit.
The point to get right: You cannot enter a control zone without a clearance. Initial call states the request: 'Norwich Radar, G-ABCD, Cessna 152, 5 miles west, altitude 1500 feet, VFR, request zone transit'. Wait for 'pass your message' before giving the full report. If you are not cleared, remain clear of the zone.Prompt 2 of 5
Norwich Radar replies: "G-ABCD, cleared to transit the zone, route via your next reporting point, Special VFR, not above altitude 1500 feet." Read it back.
The point to get right: Read back the clearance, the route and any level restriction: 'Cleared to transit the zone via your next reporting point, Special VFR, not above altitude 1500 feet, G-ABCD'. A Special VFR clearance lets you fly in the zone when standard VFR minima can't be met — you must stay within the cleared route and level.Prompt 3 of 5
You are joining a private farm strip, Marsh Farm, which is unattended and has no notified frequency. You are overhead at 2000 feet, descending dead side to join downwind for runway 36. Make the appropriate blind call.
The point to get right: With no notified frequency, use SAFETYCOM (135.480 MHz) within 10 NM. There is no controller — make blind calls of your position and intentions: 'Marsh Farm Traffic, G-ABCD, overhead 2000 feet, descending dead side to join downwind runway 36, Marsh Farm Traffic'. Suffix the aerodrome name with 'Traffic' at start and end. Nobody will reply; the calls are for other pilots.Prompt 4 of 5
Under a Traffic Service, Norwich Radar calls: "G-ABCD, traffic, eleven o'clock, 6 miles, opposite direction, indicating similar altitude." You cannot yet see it. Respond.
The point to get right: CAP 413 §5.26–5.27: if you can't see it yet, acknowledge — 'G-ABCD, roger'. When you spot it, 'traffic in sight'; if you've looked but can't find it, 'traffic not sighted'. Under a Traffic Service you remain responsible for your own avoiding action.Prompt 5 of 5
You are G-ABCD, a Cessna 152, 8 miles east of Beccles at altitude 2000 feet, inbound to land. The station is Beccles Radio 120.380. Make your inbound call, asking for what that station is actually able to give you.
The point to get right: A station with the suffix 'Radio' is an Air/Ground (AGCS) service: it passes information and cannot issue a clearance or an instruction, so there is no 'cleared to land' to be had here and asking for one is the fault this task is looking for. Ask for information instead: 'Beccles Radio, G-ABCD, Cessna 152, 8 miles east, altitude 2000 feet, inbound to land, request airfield information'. Expect runway in use, surface wind, pressure setting and any known traffic. The decision to land, and the responsibility for it, is yours.
Now say them to a controller
Push-to-talk, at your own aerodrome. The AI controller answers and the grader tells you what CAP 413 says about each call.
Prompts and notes are written in our own words against CAP 413 (Edition 24) and the UK AIP. Frequencies are for training only. Practice aid only — not the official FRTOL test and not a guaranteed pass. Always defer to CAP 413, your instructor or examiner and the CAA; check the current UK AIP before flying.