CAT-03 & 04 transcript questions — when ok to shorten calls

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singletonself
Posts: 3
Joined: Tue Feb 13, 2018 8:23 pm

CAT-03 & 04 transcript questions — when ok to shorten calls

Post by singletonself »

Hi all — not a pilot in real life and just getting started with PE in X-Plane. In the transcripts of both flights, the pilot sometimes doesn’t end his readback with a callsign, and sometimes doesn’t start with the tower he’s calling. For example:

C3: N123AB: “Cleared for takeoff runway 29, report midfield left downwind, make left traffic.”
C3: N123AB: “Midfield left downwind, Cessna 123AB”
C4: N123AB: “Cleared for takeoff runway 29, left downwind departure.”

I’m trying to understand when it’s ok or even preferable to drop either the tower or my callsign. Any insight appreciated. Thanks!
Peter Grey
Posts: 5716
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2010 3:21 pm

Re: CAT-03 & 04 transcript questions — when ok to shorten ca

Post by Peter Grey »

Hello,

You must include your callsign in every transmission that you make. if ATC has shortened your callsign to the last 3 letters/numbers then you can do that as well, otherwise say your full callsign.

As a general rule if you are "initiating" the transmissions (you call to ATC vs ATC calling you) you should include the name of the ATC facility you are calling ("Prescott Tower"). If you are responding to ATC you don't generally need to include the ATC facility name.
Peter Grey
PilotEdge Director of Quality Assurance and Operations
peter@pilotedge.net
singletonself
Posts: 3
Joined: Tue Feb 13, 2018 8:23 pm

Re: CAT-03 & 04 transcript questions — when ok to shorten ca

Post by singletonself »

Thank, Peter!

If I understand correctly, then the first and third in the examples above should include the callsign at the end?

As a true newbie to this stuff, I'm relying completely on these lines, so if the callsigns *should* be there it would be super helpful to update the transcript...

“Only perfect practice makes perfect,” as they say . : )
Keith Smith
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Joined: Sat Oct 09, 2010 8:38 pm
Location: Pompton Plains, NJ
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Re: CAT-03 & 04 transcript questions — when ok to shorten ca

Post by Keith Smith »

I've updated the CAT3/4 transcripts. Be careful about using them as a word for word script. These are dynamic flights with dynamic responses. Too often, we see pilots reading back responses from these transcripts to ATC that don't make any sense for the instruction that was just issued. For example, if the wind at SBP is favoring rwy 11 or rwy 7, we'll issue instructions to enter the pattern on a specific leg for one of those runways, only to have a pilot set up for rwy 29. When questioned as to what happened, the response is, "because that's what it says in the transcript."

Understand that it's a guide as to the general flow of communications, nothing more.
singletonself
Posts: 3
Joined: Tue Feb 13, 2018 8:23 pm

Re: CAT-03 & 04 transcript questions — when ok to shorten ca

Post by singletonself »

Good tip, Keith -- thanks for the reminder!
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