Student Pilot Radio Errors

JeffKanarish

Recently, a discussion on the student pilot forum Rising Up, raised the issue of being embarrassed by making a mistake on the aircraft radio. The student pilot who said this in the forum thread said he mis-heard a frequency change given by an air traffic controller and it embarrassed him.

Here’s a little secret about making mistakes on the radio. We all make them. Sure, we strive for perfection, but we are human. Mistakes come with the territory.

Experience Does Not Matter

I’ve got over 14,000 hours of flying time, military and civilian, single and multi-engine, prop and jet, private and commercial. I still make at least one mistake on the radio per flight. If I’m flying with another pilot, that other pilot usually makes at least one mistake on his leg of the trip.

Controllers Are Human Too

Here is another thing to consider. Air traffic controllers make mistakes too. For example, it’s not unusual to have a controller give the wrong frequency when switching our flight to the next controller’s sector.

Give yourself a little breathing room. Mistakes happen.

Next time, we can talk about the FAA’s hear back program. It is designed to trap mistakes on the radio and improve safety.

New Day, New Jet

"New day, new jet." That is an Air Force Instructor Pilot's standard statement that means the current training scenario is over, and a new one has begun. It is a line of demarcation that reminds student pilots it is time to move on to the next challenging scenario. It's a new day here at ATCcommunication.com,

Flying into Class B for the First Time

If you are anticipating flying into Class B airspace for the first time, not to worry. The procedures ATC uses inside of Class B are nearly identical to those used in other classes of airspace. The subtle variations in procedure will most likely be unnoticeable to you. What may jump out at you is the

Pilot’s Discretion Descents

As you approach your destination, ATC will clear you to begin a descent from your enroute altitude to some lower altitude. Often descent clearances will come in a series of lower altitudes. This series of step-down clearances is issued to allow you to descend without conflicting with other traffic at lower altitudes. Occasionally, and in

I Hate Holding

No one likes to have their forward progress stopped. You know what I mean. When you are stuck in a traffic jam on the road, it’s very aggravating. Waiting at a long red stoplight when you need to be somewhere can raise your blood pressure. Similarly, when ATC says, “Expect holding at [a navigation fix],”

Coping with Busy Airspace

The time between ATC’s radio transmissions differs depending on the amount of traffic in a controller’s airspace. The more traffic in a section of airspace, the less time between ATC transmissions. Take comfort in the fact that no matter how busy the radio seems, the words and phrases ATC uses remain exactly the same words

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Jeff Kanarish, creator of ATC Communication