ATC tutorial: Difference between revisions

== Phraseology ==

=== A sample IFR flight ===

==== Planning the flight ====

{{Main article|Flight planning}}

We open the Radio panel, set the COM1 frequency to 121.97 and listen to the ATIS message:

This tells us that:

# We're going to depart from runway 25L.

# We need to set the altimeter to 1018 hPa<ref>European airports generally use hPa (hectopascals) for the QNH while American ones use inHg (inches of mercury). Some airplanes allow you to enter QNH values using both units; if that is not the case, you will need to use a converter.</ref> and set it back to standard pressure (STD) at the transition level (FL050, or 5000 feet).

# Every ATIS broadcast is identified by a progressive letter of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NATO_phonetic_alphabet NATO phonetic alphabet]; we'll need to tell the delivery controller that we have information "Alpha" so that (s)he can checkwhether we have the latest information or not.

We now get the clearance (authorization to fly to a destination airport) from the delivery controller. The process is as follows.

* '''BAW1542:''' El Prat Delivery, this is Speedbird one five four, requesting delivery to Frankfurt, flight level two five zero, we have information Alpha.

* '''El Prat Delivery:''' Speedbird one five four two, readback correct, contact El Prat Ground on one two one decimal six five zero.

* '''BAW1542:''' Contact El Prat Ground on one two one decimal six five zero, Speedbird one five four two.

We ask for clearance to taxi to the departure runway.

* '''BAW1542:''' Speedbird one five four two is ready to taxi.

Open the ground chart and check your taxi route before starting, as in some cases taxi signs will not be present at all intersections. You will notice that the controller cleared us only to holding point E2, so, once there, we'll need to report our position and await further instructions. The holding point is marked by a "stop bar" (a dotted/continuous yellow line: the dotted one faces the runway while the continuous line faces the taxiway, to remind you that you need a clearance to cross the runway, and it is lit at night by means of pulsing yellow lights).

We contact the ground controller to tell him/her we're at E2.

We then cross the runway without delay and turn left on K. Near K2 you can notice a ''CAT II/III holding point'' (marked by an empty yellow rectangle with vertical lines, equipped with ''fixed'' lights) - that's where we would stop if visibility was reduced or if another aircraft was landing using ILS; since that's not the case and we were cleared to G1, just proceed.

We stop at G1 while the ground controller instructs us to contact the tower:

==== Taking off ====