FRTOL at a glance
- Minimum age: 14 for the initial issue.
- Two assessments: the PPL Communications theory exam, passed first, then a practical radiotelephony test with an approved FRTOL examiner, which you book yourself (how to find one).
- Time limit: each pass has a 24-month validity for licence issue.
- English: you need an English Language Proficiency endorsement at level 4, 5 or 6.
- How long it lasts: the FRTOL is valid for life, subject to a valid language endorsement (level 4: 4 years, level 5: 6 years, level 6: life).
- Applying: the CAA asks for a certified copy of your passport, the FRTOL course completion certificate (CAA5003) and your signed English language assessment certificate. Your training itself is recorded on the SRG1171 form.
From the CAA's FRTOL guidance and language proficiency page, checked 9 October 2026. The CAA's CAP 2325 (second edition, August 2024) is its own guide for candidates, and the fee in the FAQ is from ORS5 No. 446, the scheme of charges in force from 1 April 2026. Coming back after a break? The FRTOL refresher covers what has changed.
What the FRTOL is
The Flight Radiotelephony Operator's Licence is issued by the CAA and permits you to operate an aeronautical radio — to transmit on aviation frequencies as a pilot. UK pilot licences and the radio licence are separate things: the FRTOL is the one that covers your voice on the frequency. CAP 2325 says the training for it may be given as part of a flight training course at an ATO or DTO, and the CAA lets you apply for the licence at the same time as your pilot licence. For the specifics that apply to your own licence and aircraft, your school and the CAA's current guidance are the authority.
How it's assessed
The heart of it is a practical RT test with an authorised radiotelephony examiner. You "fly" a simulated route — no aircraft involved — and make every radio call it demands:
- Departure: radio check, taxi, take-off and leaving the zone
- En-route: position reports and requesting a service
- Airspace: zone transits and MATZ penetration
- Arrival: joining instructions, circuit calls, landing
- Emergencies: a PAN PAN and a MAYDAY, in the standard format, under time pressure
Every call is judged against CAP 413 — the UK's standard phraseology. Communications theory is also examined in writing during PPL training. For the shape of the test itself and the readbacks it turns on, see the FRTOL practical test guide.
How to prepare (the honest version)
Reading gets you to "I know this". The examiner is testing "I can say this, now, correctly" — a different skill that only builds by speaking. A preparation loop that works:
- Learn the topics — a structured FRTOL revision path beats re-reading notes.
- Say the calls out loud to something that talks back — graded FRTOL practice with an AI controller.
- Sit full mock practicals until the format is boring — then sit the real one.
FRTOL FAQs
What is an FRTOL?
The Flight Radiotelephony Operator's Licence is the UK licence that permits you to operate an aeronautical radio station — in practice, to transmit on aviation frequencies as a pilot. It's issued by the CAA, and you can apply for it at the same time as your pilot licence.
What does FRTOL stand for?
Flight Radiotelephony Operator's Licence. The CAA writes it both as 'Radiotelephony' and 'Radio Telephony' across its pages and forms; it is the same licence.
How do I get an FRTOL?
Four things, according to CAP 2325: be at least 14, pass the PPL Communications theory exam, pass the FRTOL practical test with an approved FRTOL examiner (your radio training is recorded on form SRG1171 first), and hold a valid English Language Proficiency endorsement at level 4, 5 or 6. Then apply to the CAA on online form SRG1105 with a certified copy of your passport, your course completion certificate and your signed language assessment.
Do I need an FRTOL for a PPL?
If you'll transmit as pilot in command in the UK, yes. CAP 2325 explains that the holder of an aircraft's radio licence may only let someone use the radio if they hold an FRTOL or are supervised by someone who does, and that FRTOL training may be given as part of a flight training course at an ATO or DTO. Your school and the CAA's current guidance are the authority on your own case.
How is the FRTOL assessed?
Two elements: the PPL Communications theory exam, which must be passed first, and a practical radiotelephony test with an approved FRTOL examiner. The practical is a simulated VFR flight between two aerodromes, on the ground, with the examiner playing every station you call, followed by scenario-based questions. Every call is assessed against the standard phraseology in the current CAP 413.
How old do I need to be to get an FRTOL?
At least 14 for the initial issue, according to the CAA's FRTOL guidance and CAP 2325.
How long is an FRTOL valid for?
For life, the CAA says, subject to a valid English Language Proficiency endorsement: level 4 lasts four years from assessment, level 5 six years, and level 6 for life. If you are coming back to flying, check the date on your language endorsement rather than on the licence.
How long are my exam passes valid?
The Communications theory exam and the practical test each have a 24-month validity for licence issue, and the theory exam has to be passed before the practical. If you sit the Communications exam together with your other PPL, LAPL or NPPL theory papers, the CAA says all of them must be passed within an 18-month period. (The CAA has not issued new aeroplane LAPLs since 1 October 2025; existing LAPL holders, and the LAPL for helicopters, sailplanes and balloons, continue.)
How much does it cost to get a radio licence in the UK?
The CAA's fee for the initial issue of a stand-alone FRTOL is £103 under ORS5 No. 446, its scheme of charges for personnel licensing in force from 1 April 2026. The CAA's FRTOL page says the initial issue is free if you apply at the same time as another flight crew licence. Your training and the examiner's fee for the practical are set by your school and examiner, not by the CAA.
Where can I find an FRTOL course in the UK?
Through flying schools and clubs. CAP 2325 says FRTOL training may be given by a flight instructor or ground instructor at an ATO or DTO as part of the flying course, or by an air traffic control officer or flight information service officer with instructional experience, and the practical is booked with an approved FRTOL examiner from the CAA's list. TowerTalk's online course covers the CAP 413 phraseology with graded practice calls; it is not that training and cannot sign your SRG1171.
What is radiotelephony?
Radiotelephony (RT, or RTF in CAA documents) is voice communication by radio: in aviation, the spoken exchanges between pilots and ground stations such as a tower, an approach unit or an air/ground operator. CAP 413 is the UK manual for how those exchanges are worded.
What does the practical actually test?
Whether you can produce the standard call promptly and in the standard form. CAP 2325 says at least one emergency is examined, that it must be transmitted in full and in the correct order, and that a delay of more than 30 seconds before starting the call is considered too long. Knowing what a MAYDAY contains is the reading part; saying it in order, under that clock, is what practice builds.
Can I practise the FRTOL test before sitting it?
Yes — that's what TowerTalk is for: full mock practicals under exam conditions, graded call-by-call against CAP 413, with unlimited retakes. The real test is always sat with an approved FRTOL examiner, and nothing done here counts towards it.