FAA radio phraseology basics

Phonetic alphabet

Use it for your identification on initial contact, for single letters (taxiways, runway left/right), and to spell anything hard to hear. [AIM 4-2-7]

Numbers

Each digit

Most numbers are spoken digit by digit: 10 is “one zero”. Say “niner” for 9, “tree” for 3, “fife” for 5. [AIM 4-2-8 d, 4-2-7]

Hundreds & thousands

Round hundreds and thousands up to 9,900 are spoken as such: 500 “five hundred”; 4,500 “four thousand five hundred”. Above 9,900, separate the thousands digits: 10,000 “one zero thousand”. [AIM 4-2-8 a, b]

Altitudes

Below 18,000 feet: the separate digits of the thousands plus the hundreds — 12,500 is “one two thousand five hundred”. At and above 18,000: “flight level one niner zero”. [AIM 4-2-9]

Frequencies

Each digit, with the decimal spoken “point”: 122.1 is “one two two point one”. (ICAO says “decimal”; the FAA honours it from aircraft required to use ICAO procedures.) [AIM 4-2-8 e]

Headings & winds

Three digits, magnetic: heading 100 is “heading one zero zero”; wind 220 is “wind two two zero”. [AIM 4-2-10]

Speeds

Digits then “knots”: “two five zero knots”. [AIM 4-2-11]

Altimeter

“Altimeter” then the four digits: 29.92 is “altimeter two niner niner two”. Never QNH, never hectopascals.

Time

UTC, four digits: 0920 is “zero niner two zero”; “Zulu” may be said. Minutes only where no confusion is likely. [AIM 4-2-12]

ATIS is the recorded airport information at busier fields: the phonetic letter, the time, wind, visibility, sky condition, temperature and dew point, altimeter, and the runway and approach in use. Get it before you call, and say the letter on initial contact. [AIM 4-1-13]

“With Information Charlie”

Tells the facility you have the current ATIS; approach and tower omit the wind, runway and altimeter. [AIM 4-1-18 a 4]

“Have numbers”

You have the runway, wind and altimeter only — NOT the ATIS. [P/CG]

No ATIS

Ask for the numbers, or the tower will give runway, wind and altimeter with the landing information. [JO 7110.65 3-10-1]

Call a facility by its name and its type. [AIM 4-2-6, TBL 4-2-1]

(Name) Ground

Ground control in the tower — taxi, before you move on the movement area.

(Name) Tower

The airport traffic control tower — runway, takeoff, landing, the pattern.

(Name) Clearance Delivery

IFR clearances at busier airports.

(Name) Approach / Departure

Radar approach control — VFR flight following, Class B and C airspace, sequencing to the tower.

(Name) Center

The air route traffic control center — en route, flight following away from a terminal area.

(Name) Radio

A Flight Service Station — weather, flight plans, in Alaska airport advisories.

(Name) UNICOM

The non-government station at an airport — wind and runway on request.

(Name) traffic

Not a station: the self-announce address on a CTAF at an airport with no operating tower. [AIM 4-1-9]