Master Pilot Radio Calls

Learn the mental model, not a script. Every radio call follows the same simple formula.

The Universal Formula

1 Who you're calling
"Springfield Ground"

2 Who you are
"Skyhawk seven three three echo papa"

3 Where you are
"at the ramp" / "ten miles east"

4 What you want
"taxi runway two three" / "inbound for landing"

5 What you know
"with information Golf"

Not every call uses all five parts, but this is the skeleton. Learn this and you can handle any situation.

Runway 23 = "two three." Altitude 3,500 = "three thousand five hundred." Frequency 118.7 = "one one eight point seven."

Always read back: runway assignments, altitudes, headings, hold short instructions, and frequency changes. "Roger" alone is rarely enough.

The frequency is shared. Say what you need to say clearly and concisely. No filler words, no life stories.

"Say again" is always acceptable. A wrong readback is far worse than asking for a repeat.