Radio Calls

Talking on the Radio

At a small airport without a control tower, no one tells you when to fly. Instead, all the pilots share one radio channel and announce their own positions. That shared channel is called the CTAF — the Common Traffic Advisory Frequency.

CTAF

The radio channel everyone at the airport listens to and talks on. You tune it before you do anything else.

Position report

A short message that tells everyone where you are. You give one on each leg: crosswind, downwind, base, and final.

The sandwich

Every call starts and ends with the airport name, with your position in the middle — like the bread around a sandwich.

A good call has four parts: airport name, your callsign, where you are, and what you plan to do — then the airport name again. For example: "Frederick traffic, Cessna One-Zero-Six-Sierra-Tango, left downwind, touch-and-go, Frederick."

The first word of every call at a small airport is the airport name, and the last word is the airport name too — that way the right pilots are listening at both ends of your message.

Instructor Setup

Cessna 172 with G1000, ready for departure, CTAF already identified for the chosen non-towered field. Plan about 20 minutes. The student should already fly the pattern shape from K31, so this session layers radio calls on top of flying.

Session Flow

1. Radio setup (3 min). Show how to tune the CTAF on the G1000 audio panel. Teach the four-part call format and the airport-name-first-and-last rule. Stress listening before transmitting.
2. Departure call (3 min). Student announces departure: "[Airport] traffic, Cessna One-Zero-Six-Sierra-Tango, departing runway three-zero, [Airport]." Then take off and climb to crosswind.
3. Crosswind and downwind calls (6 min). Coach the call on each leg: "left crosswind," then "left downwind, touch-and-go." Let the student fly while you prompt the wording.
4. Base and final calls (5 min). "Left base" then "final runway three-zero, touch-and-go." Reinforce listening for other traffic between calls.
5. Wrap (3 min). Recap the sandwich rule and preview "Touch and Go."

Keep the wording simple and repeatable. The goal is a clear, consistent call on every leg, not perfect phraseology.

Debrief

Confirm the student can build a complete position call on their own before moving on.

• Tuned the CTAF before making any calls
• Said the airport name first and last on every call
• Included position and intentions on each leg of the pattern
• Listened for other traffic before transmitting

Next Lesson

Next up is "Touch and Go" (K33): flying the full pattern all the way to a landing, then taking off again right away. If the radio calls crowded out the flying today, start K33 with one quiet lap to settle the rhythm before adding the touchdown.

Skills You'll Work On

These are the maneuvers and procedures covered in this lesson. Your instructor tracks each one as you progress.

• Radio Communications
• Traffic Pattern Entry

Grades reflect what was covered in this lesson, not a certification of pilot competency.

Lesson Plan

Where this fits: Second of three sessions drawn from PPL Lesson 11, "Takeoff and Climb to Downwind," focusing on the lesson's radio-and-ATC procedures. K31 built the pattern shape; K33 adds the touch-and-go landing.

Prerequisite

Can fly a complete left-hand traffic pattern (K31).

Materials

C172 G1000 simulator, CTAF call card, headset sized for the student.

Goal for this session

Student can make a clear position-and-intentions call on each leg of the pattern using the CTAF.

Looking Ahead

• K33 — Touch and Go: a full pattern through to landing and immediate takeoff.
• K34 — Engine Out!: what to do if the engine quits after takeoff.