Unabbreviated clearance...

[Bidimus]

So far as I can tell, every flight starts out with clearance. V-1 you ask ground. V-2 onward you ask clearance. Once you're in the air it becomes much more intuitive but that first call is the one I always sweat over as a beginner. Much of what I've done so far is to follow the format I've found in the transcripts. It works but it doesn't help me understand what precisely I'm asking for.

There are nuances that get lost in the brevity. For a simple example, when doing patter work.

N132KT: John Wayne Ground, Piper 132KT is at east ramp, request taxi to the active for pattern work, we have the weather

Roughly means:

John Wayne Ground, N132KT calling, we're a Piper aircraft, we'd like to request to taxi to the active runway for pattern work, we've already check on the weather

Or another one I struggled with for a bit on V-2:

we'd like to request VFR advisory

Means to the best of my understanding:

we'd like to take off under VFR conditions but would like flight following or radar advisory services

So reading up on V-3:

N132KT: John Wayne Clearance, Piper 132KT Coastal Route through the Bravo with the weather.

Lots of brevity here. Am I asking for clearance? I don't think KSNA clearance could or world clear us into the coastal route. I suspect we're saying, "we would like to request to take off under VFR conditions and intend to head out in the direction of the coastal route." Just a guess. What, in laymen's terms, is being asked here? I understand the spirit of it and it will result in departure instructions. What does the unabbreviated call look like? And does anyone have any other examples of abbreviated clearance calls that could be translated for beginners like me?

Brevity is important when calling a busy controller but it's equally important to understand what you're asking for.

[Keith Smith]

In the V-2, you're advising the controller that you'd like to have flight following (radar services) to the destination.

In the V-3, you're stating a direction of flight and an operation (the coastal route), similar to requesting flight following, but without a destination.

[Keith Smith]

Those calls in the transcript need to be reviewed, they're actually still too verbose, believe it or not. "Request to the active" is just a cry for help, it really should just be "taxi for closed traffic with Alpha." Taxiing to the active runway is implied. Whoever wrote that needs to be shot.

Oh...it was me, back in 2005

[stevekirks]

...back in 2005

Wow...didn't realize it had been that long.

Since Chris is doing videos for PE now (chuckle) maybe he could set aside his whirlygig toys and embrace the fixed wing overlords and do ratings videos.

By the way, what would be the comms for a glider taxi/tow combination?

[Keith Smith]

I've never seen a glider depart from a towered airport but my guess is that it would be handled as a formation flight.

Chris actually did contribute a number of videos for the new VFR ratings program. It's comin' ...

[wmburns]

Suggestion. Download and install the PilotEdge receiver. Use this to monitor the PE ATC communications. The PE receiver will allow you the listen in on both sides of the conversion.

This is what I do when monitoring:

• Practice listening to and remembering clearances. Try to catch it when another pilot reads back a clearance with an error.
• In your opinion, Note the good and bad radio calls. What made a radio call "good"? What could have been done to make a poor call better?
• Made note the times that the ATC controller has to ask for additional information. Each time the controller has to request additional information it should be a learning experience. For example, what else could have been included in the initial call so that the controller does not have to make additional requests. For example, one thing I have noted is that in general many VFR requests do not include the aircraft ICAO code and equipment suffix (the "slant" code).
• Make note when a radio call is Toooooooooo long. The pilot calls and gives the controller his/her life story. Think about what is the vital information the controller needs. As Sergeant Joe Friday would say, "Just the facts Ma'am".
• Think about what you are going to say before keying the mic.
• NEVER key the mic to request taxi if you don't KNOW where you are on the airport. Get the chart. Look it up. It's great practice finding and learning to read charts.
• Regarding charts. A frequently asked questions is "do I call clearance delivery or ground?". Often the answer can be found on the airport diagram if reviewed.
• Did I say charts? If flying a SID, STAR, or ODP do you have the chart ready for review? Did you read it before even asking for clearance?
• As much as practical treat the sim like a real plane.

When I first started flying online it was a surprise to me just how poor my "short term" memory was. I would get a simple set of instructions over the radio and then "forget" them before I could read them back. Some of the problem was nerves. Some performing an un-familiar task and not knowing what to expect. This was one of my goals when I started flying online with PE. To be able to hear, understand, and remember the radio calls in most situations. In the past I wrote everything down before replying. Lately I only write down unusual or lengthy instructions. OBTW, do you have a "knee board" and pen available at all times?

It's also interesting the things that happen on frequency. Some interesting. Some exciting (some not). Some down right funny. It doesn't take long before you will start to know who the "regulars" are.

PE is a great learning tool. Possible to learn even when not flying (learning is going on right now).

[Keith Smith]

Listening live with the receiver is useful if you plan to track their progress on the live map, however, if you just want to listen to comms, the ATC recordings (http://pilotedge.net/audio) are a better bet as they have the silences removed and as a result, they're packed with action.

[Bidimus]

Thanks guys. I agree with all the above too. Much of this is already in my routine. I can't run the receiver at work which is where I have the most time to just listen to the radio. I frequently do play back the archives though.

In fact after every flight I go back and review the archives for my flight so I can analyse the good and bad of it. It's a different perspective when you're no longer trying to keep a chunk of metal up in the air. I feel this is one of PE's strongest advantages over other online networks right up there with proper frequency usage. I wish there was an easier way to identify the comms from my flight in the archive but with the condensed format, I usually don't have too much trouble finding it.

I've noticed that about missing information too. Any time I hear a pilot asked for additional information, including myself, I take it as a sign that the call was missing something. My first couple calls for closed traffic were messy. Now days I can get the details out including my location pretty quick and I end up with taxi information pretty quick.

I suffer from short term memory as well I'm a slow at taking notes. It's getting better now that I'm becoming more comfortable though. My most recent notes read something like "330 2400 127.5 3456." I've learned that typically it's direction, altitude, departure, and squawk. This has made my note taking much faster. IFR will most certainly be more difficult but this is why I practice.

I can't agree more about the charts too. I keep them up on a second monitor and close them down as progress through my flight. No point in keeping the departing airport diagram up when I won't have enough fuel to get back there.

My typical setup online or offline is SkyVector map with route loaded, PFPX flight plan if appropriate, important airports loaded in PFPX for metar information though I'll frequently use ATIS instead, charts for departing and arriving airport, STAR/SID as appropriate, runway departure procedures and approach procedures if possible and appropriate, and a clip board across my lap with paper for notes. I may only be a sim pilot but I want to be the best sim pilot I can be. A real PPL in the future is certainly not out of the question.

[Steven Winslow]

I've never seen a glider depart from a towered airport but my guess is that it would be handled as a formation flight..

I'll have to pay better attention next time this happens at KBZN. There's a Piper Pawnee that tows gliders out of Bozeman quite often. I've heard the calls, but I can't remember well enough to tell you what the calls were. I believe she starts off as call sign "Glider Tow", but that's all I can recall right now. KBZN is a Class D airport.

[Keith Smith]

It would be entertaining to see an airship, glider and a hot air balloon landing there at the same time.

"Fly headi...." "unable."

"Climb and ma..." "Unable."

"Go arou..." "Unable."