Phraseology - General

PHRASEOLOGY - GENERAL

Author: Stas Jessy © IVAO BeLux Region pg. 1

PHRASEOLOGY – GENERAL

This document is intended for simulation use only on the IVAO network! Do not use for real

life or in other networks.

In this document we will teach you the most common general phraseology used in aviation

by an ATC. This document only covers the general phraseology which is used throughout all

ATC stations.

We have a set documents which correspond with every ATC station

Delivery – Phraseology Delivery

Ground – Phraseology Ground

Tower – Phraseology Tower

Departure/Arrival – Phraseology DEP/APP

Control – Phraseology Control

INFO – Phraseology INFO

We suggest you follow the list from top to bottom in order to help you advance in your

Virtual Air Traffic Control Career.

LETTERS AND NUMBERS GENERAL REMARKS

To avoid confusion over the frequency it was agreed to use phonetic spelling. Minimizing the

risk of mixing letters or numbers.

Using the phonetic spelling should be used within the aircraft call sign, for headings, speed,

altitude, VOR indications, abbreviations… (e.g. BUN, 250…)

Names, companies, fixes… are not mandatory to be spoken by phonetics if correct reception

is not affected. (e.g. Boeing, SOPOK…)

L ET T ERS

Letter Word Pronunciation

A Alpha AL FAH

B Bravo BRAH VOH

C Charlie CHAR LEE or SHAR LEE

D Delta DELL TAH

E Echo ECK OH

F Foxtrot FOKS TROT

G Golf GOLF

H Hotel HO TELL

I India IN DEE AH

J Juliett JEW LEE ETT

K Kilo KEY LOH



Letter Word Pronunciation

L Lima LEE MAH

M Mike MIKE

N November NO VEM BER

O Oscar OSS CAH

P Papa PAH PAH

Q Quebec KEH BECK

R Romeo ROW ME OH

S Sierra SEE AIR RAH

T Tango TANG GO

U Uniform YOU NEE FORM or

OO NEE FORM

V Victor VIK TAH

W Whiskey WISS KEY

X X-ray ECKS RAY

Y Yankee YANG KEY

Z Zulu ZOO LOO

NUMBERS

Numeral or numeral element Pronunciation

0 ZE-RO

1 WUN

2 TOO

3 TREE

4 FOW-er

5 FIFE

6 SIX

7 SEV-en

8 AIT

9 NIN-er

Decimal DAY-SEE-MAL

Hundred HUN-dred

Thousand TOU-SAND

EX AMPL ES

Aircraft call signs Transmitted as

BEL128 Beeline one three eight

JAF45T Beauty four five Tango



Headings

100 degrees Heading one zero zero

080 degrees Heading zero eight zero

Wind direction and speed

200 degrees 70 knots Wind two zero zero degrees seven zero

knots

160 degrees 18 knots gusting 30 knots Wind one six zero degrees one eight knots

gusting three zero knots

Transponder codes Transmitted as

2400 Squawk two four zero zero

4203 Squawk four two zero three

Runway

27 Runway two seven

30 Runway three zero

Altimeter setting

1010 QNH one zero one zero

1000 QNH one zero zero zero

Altitude

800 Eight hundred

3400 Three thousand four hundred

12000 One two thousand

Visibility

1000 Visibility one thousand

700 Visibility seven hundred

Frequency

131.000 One three one decimal zero

131.025 One three one decimal zero two five

131.050 One three one decimal zero five zero



131.075 One three one decimal zero seven five

131.100 One three one decimal one

Time

0920 TOO ZE-RO or ZE-RO NIN-er TOO ZE-RO

1643 FOW-er TREE or WUN SIX FOW-er TREE

When transmitting time, only the minutes of the hour should normally be required. The hour

should be included when any possibility of confusion is likely.



STANDARD WORDS AND PHRASES The following words and phrases shall be used in radio transmission as appropriate.

Word/Phrase Meaning

ACKNOWLEDGE Let me know that you have received and understood this message

AFFIRM Yes

APPROVED Permission for proposed action granted

BREAK I hereby indicate the separation between portions of the message

BREAK BREAK I hereby indicate the separation between messages transmitted to

different aircraft in a very busy environment

CANCEL Annul the previously transmitted clearance

CHECK Examine a system or procedure

CLEARED Authorised to proceed under the conditions specified

CONFIRM I request verification of:

CONTACT Establish communications with…

CORRECT True

CORRECTION An error has been made in this transmission. The correct version is…

DISREGARD Ignore

GO AHEAD Proceed with your message

HOW DO YOU

READ

What is the readability of my transmission?

I SAY AGAIN I repeat for clarity or emphasis

MAINTAIN Continue in accordance with the condition(s) specified or in its literal

sense, e.g. “maintain present heading”

MONITOR Listen out on (frequency)

NEGATIVE No or permission not granted or that is not correct or not capable

OUT This exchange of transmissions is ended and no response is

excepted

OVER My transmission is ended and I expect a response from you

READ BACK Repeat all, or the specified part, of this message back to me exactly

as received

RECLEARED A change has been made to your last clearance and the new

clearance replaces your previous clearance or part of that clearance

REPORT Pass me the following information…

REQUEST I should like to know… or I wish to obtain…

ROGER I received all of your last transmissions

Under no circumstances to be used in reply to a question requiring

READ BACK

SAY AGAIN Repeat all or the following part of your last transmission

SPEAK SLOWER Reduce your rate of speech

STANDBY Wait and I will call you



UNABLE I cannot comply with your request, instruction or clearance

WILCO I understand your message and will comply with it

Abbreviation for will comply

WORDS TWICE a) As a request:

communication is difficult. Please send every word or group

of words twice

b) As information:

Since communication is difficult, every word or group of

words in this message will be sent twice

An air traffic control (ATC) route clearance is not an instruction to take off or enter an active

runway. The words "TAKE OFF" are used only when an aircraft is cleared for take-off, or

when cancelling a take-off clearance. At other times, the word "DEPARTURE" or "AIRBORNE"

is used.

AIRCRAFT CALL SIGNS There are three (3) types of aircraft call signs

Type Example

a) The registration OO-BRU or

Cessna OO-BRU

b) Telephony designator of the company, followed by the last 4

characters of the registration

BEELINE OSFX

c) Telephony designator of the company, followed by the flight

identification

BEELINE 456

If satisfactory communication has been established, and no confusion is likely to occur, call

signs may be abbreviated as follows

Type Example

1. First and at least the last two (2) characters of the aircraft

registration

O-RU or Cessna

O-RU

2. Telephony designator of the company, followed by at least the

last 2 characters of the aircraft registration

BEELINE FX

3. No abbreviated form possible BEELINE 456



COMMUNICATIONS When establishing communications, aircraft should use the full call sign of both the aircraft

and the ATC station

ATC | Pilot

Brussels Tower, OO-BRU

OO-BRU, Brussels Tower.

AL L ST AT IONS

If a ground station or aircraft wishes to broadcast information, the “all stations” call shall be

used

All stations, OO-BRU, joining right hand circuit runway 29 at Kiewit

All stations, new QNH 1012

W HEN I N DO UBT

If there is any doubt that a message has been correctly received, request a repeat of the

message.

Phrase Meaning

SAY AGAIN Repeat entire message

SAY AGAIN … (item) Repeat a specific item

SAY AGAIN ALL BEFORE… (the first word received

correctly)

Repeat specific part of message

SAY AGAIN ALL AFTER… (the last word received

correctly)

Repeat specific part of message

SAY AGAIN ALL BETWEEN … AND … Repeat specific part of message

If an aircraft calls an ATC station but the ATC station is uncertain about the identity of the

calling station, the ATC station should request a repeat of the call sign

Brussels Tower, 123

Station calling Brussels Tower, say again your call sign.

Brussels Tower, Beeline 123



ERRO R

When an error is made in a transmission, the word CORRECTION shall be used. The last

correct group or phrase shall be repeated and then the correct version will be transmitted.

Beauty 147 ARVOL FL 190 Correction ARVOL FL 180

Beauty 147, roger.

If the correction requires repeating the entire message, the phrase CORRECTION I SAY

AGAIN shall be used before transmitting the message a second time.

If reception is considered to be difficult, import elements of the message should be

transmitted twice.

Brussels, OO-BRU Atomium 1500 feet, I say again 1500ft, engine losing power,

engine losing power.

TRANSFER OF COMMUNICATIONS The ATC station will advise an aircraft to change from one radio frequency to another, in

accordance with agreed procedures.

Thomas Cook 963, Contact Brussels Approach 118.250

118.250 Thomas Cook 963

Thomas Cook 963, when airborne, contact Brussels Approach 118.250

When airborne, 118.250 Thomas Cook 963

ATC may instruct and aircraft to “stand by” on a frequency when it is intended the next

controller will initiate communications himself soon.

ATC may also instruct an aircraft to monitor a frequency on which information is

broadcasted.

Beeline 753, stand by 118.6 for Tower

118.6 Beeline 753

Beeline 753, monitor UNICOM 122.8

Monitoring 122.8 Beeline 753



TEST PROCEDURES T RANSMI SSIO N

A Test transmission should be as follows:

• Identification of the station being called;

• Aircraft identification;

• The words RADIO CHECK;

• Frequency being used.

REPL Y

A reply to a test transmission should be:

• Identification of the station calling

• Identification of the replying station

• Information regarding the readability

READABIL IT Y CLASSES

The readability should be expressed according the following scale:

1. Unreadable

2. Readable now and then

3. Readable but with difficulty

4. Readable

5. Perfectly readable

EX AMPL ES

Brussels Delivery, Beeline159 Radio check on 121.950

Station calling Brussels Delivery, you are unreadable

Or

Beeline 159, Delivery, reading you three, loud background whistle

Or

Beeline 159, Delivery, reading you five.



NAVIGATION INSTRUCTIONS HEADING I NST RUCT IO NS

In order to let an aircraft change its heading or maintain a heading after passing over a

navigational point, the following transmission should be used:

• Turn left heading …

• Turn right heading …

• Maintain present heading

• Maintain heading …

L EVEL I NST RUCT IO NS

In order to make an aircraft change or maintain its altitude, use the following transmissions:

• Climb to [flight level… / … feet]

• Descent to [flight level… / …feet]

• Maintain [flight level… / …feet]

There is a difference between “descent/climb to xxxxft” and “descent xxxxft”. Descent xxxxft

will require to pilot descent xxxxft and not to xxxxft.

Example:

At 5000ft: “descent to 2000ft” -> pilot will descent to 2000ft

At 5000ft: “descent 2000ft” -> pilot will descent to 3000ft.

For communication only: If the FL is below FL100, we just say FL60 and not 060. This is to

avoid the pilot would mistake himself by flying HDG 060.

EX AMPL ES

Beeline 753, turn left heading 270.

Turn left heading 270, Beeline 753

Beeline 753, climb to FL 70

Climbing to FL 70, Beeline 753

Beeline 753, maintain present heading

Maintain present heading, Beeline 753

Beeline 753, maintain FL 110

Maintain FL 110, Beeline 753



If you want an aircraft to make an immediate action use the word IMMEDIATELY

Beeline 753, turn left heading 270 immediately.


Beeline 753, climb to FL 70 immediately

Climbing to FL 70, Beeline 753

ATC can always ask a pilot to change heading or altitude after passing a given point. Or he

can request to pilot to adjust his descent/climb as to cross a specific point at a specific

altitude.

Beeline 753, after passing FLO, turn left heading 300 and descent to 4000 feet, QNH

1025.

After passing FLO turn left heading 300 and descent to 4000 feet, QNH 1025,

Beeline 753

Beeline 753, descent to reach FL 180 at BATTY

Descending to reach FL 180 at Batty, Beeline 753

Once an instruction has been given, a further overriding instruction may be given.

Beeline 753, continue left turn heading 280.


Beeline 753, continue descent to 3000 feet.

Descending to 3000 feet, Beeline 753

Beeline 753, Stop climb at FL 170.

Stop climb at FL 170, Beeline 753

Beeline 753, recleared FL330

Recleared FL330, Beeline 753



Occasionally, for traffic reasons, a higher than normal rate-of-climb or descent may be

required

Beeline 753, expedite descent to FL 60.

Expediting descent to FL 60, Beeline 753

Beeline 753, climb to FL 250, expedite until passing FL 200

Climbing to FL 250, expediting until passing FL 200, Beeline 753

Always keep in mind that an aircraft may not be able to expedite. They will report as follows:

“Beeline 753, unable to expedite.”

Phraseology - General

Documents

Transcript of Phraseology - General