Glider Introductory Course

Radio

Communications

Glider Flight

Aviation Education Wing

Radio Communications

• History

• Principle of Radio Communications

• Characteristics

• Radio Telephony

• Standard Phraseology

Radio Communications

• Callsign

• Structure of Message

• Radio Discipline

• Usage

• Emergency

• Early period of human history

– Fire & Smoke

– Shouting

– Displaying Large Visual Signals

• WW2

– Low Frequency Wavelength

• Long Range / Static

– High Frequency Wavelength

• Weak Transmission reaching Long Range

History

Principle

Radio Communications System

Transmitter (Tx)Receiver (Rx)

Electromagnetic (EM) Energy

Radio Wave

Principle

Radio Wave (Electromagnetic Wave)

UHF (Ultra High Frequency)1m – 30cm

300MHz – 3GHz

VHF (Very High Frequency)10m – 1m

30MHz – 300MHz

HF (High Frequency)100m – 10m

3MHz – 30MHz

ν = λƒ

ν - Speed of

Light

λ - Wavelength

ƒ - Frequency

Principle

Control

(123.8MHz)

A (123.8MHz)

B (123.8MHz)

C (123.8MHz)D (133.95MHz)

Radio Net

Characteristics of Radio

• Specific Channel

– Matching Channel

• Using the same device as Tx & Rx

– One Station transmitting at one time

• Specific Range of Frequencies for Public

– Sharing among groups (e.g. 409Mhz)

Phonetic Alphabets

• Letters pronounced over the radio

– “B,D”

– “P,T”

– “C,Z,E”

• International Civil Aviation Organization

(ICAO) adopted a system of words

Alphabets

A Alpha

B Bravo

C Charlie

D Delta

E Echo

F Foxtrot

G Golf

H Hotel

I India

J Juliet

K Kilo

L Lima

M Mike

N November

Alphabets

O Oscar

P Papa

Q Quebec

R Romeo

S Sierra

T Tango

U Uniform

V Victor

W Whiskey

X X-ray

Y Yankee

Z Zulu

Numbers

1 WUN

2 TOO

3 TREE

4 FOWER

5 FIFE

6 SIX

7 SEVEN

8 AIT

9 NINER

0 ZERO

100 HUN-DRED

1000 TOU-SAND

. DAY-SEE-MAL

Standard Phraseology

AFFIRM Yes

APPROVED Permission for proposed action granted

CANCEL Annul the previous transmitted

clearance

CLEARED Authorized to proceed under the

conditions specified

CONFIRM I request clarification of …

CONTACT Establish communications with …

Standard Phraseology

CORRECT True / Accurate

CORRECTION An error has been made in this

transmission. The correct version is…

DISREGARD Ignore

GO AHEAD Proceed with your message

I SAY AGAIN I repeat for clarity or emphasis

NEGATIVE No / Permission not granted / That is

not correct

Standard Phraseology

READ BACK Repeat all, or specified part, of this

message back to me

REPORT Pass me the information

REQUEST I should like to know

SAY AGAIN Repeat all, or the following part, of your

last transmission

SPEAK

SLOWER

Reduce rate of speech

STANDBY Wait and I will call you

Standard Phraseology

ROGER I have received all of your transmission

WILCO I understand and will comply your

message

BREAK Indicates different portions of the

message

Standard Phraseology

TAKE OFF Used only in granting a clearance to take

off

LAND Used only in granting a clearance to land

DEPARTURE Alternative word for ‘take off’ when the

message is not related to granting of

clearance

APPROACH Alternative word for ‘land’ when the

message is not related to granting of

clearance

LINE UP

(& WAIT)

Taxi into the runway and hold

Standard Phraseology

TAXI Clear to taxi

HOLD Stop at current or specified position

GRASS Grass runway

SEAL Sealed runway

RUNWAY Sealed runway when no grass runway of

the same designator exists

Standard Phraseology

HOW DO

YOU READ

What is the readability of my message?

I read you

1: Unreadable

2: Barely readable, occasional words distinguishable

3: Readable with considerable difficulty

4: Readable with practically no difficulty

5: Perfectly readable

Callsign

• ATC different controlling positions

– Hong Kong Delivery / Ground / Tower

• Area without ATC:

– [area name] traffic, e.g. Drury Traffic

• Aircrafts

– by registration e.g. (ZK-) EYA

– “Auckland Delivery, EYA”

– “Drury Traffic, ESG”

Structure of Message

• [Recipient] [Self] [Message (location +

request)]

• E.g. “JWI, at BCFT, Information H, QNH 1010,

request taxi.

Structure of Message

• Read back

– [Recipient] [Self] [Instruction]

– Tower: “JWI, Bournemouth Tower, behind the

landing 737, line up and wait behind.”

– [Read back] [Self]

– JWI: “JWI, behind the landing 737, line up and

wait behind.”

Radio Discipline

• Proper Voice Procedure

• Establish / Terminate Communication

• Proper Channel & Frequency

• ‘Greet’ before you send message

– Make sure recipient is aware of you & your

message

– Give time for recipient to locate you

Radio Discipline

• Use standard phrases as far as practicable

– May use plain language if do not understand / non-

routine

• Listen before transmitting

– Think then speak

– You may be interrupting other’s message

• Release PTT promptly after call

Radio Discipline

Unlike Daily Conversation

Avoid Radio Courtesy

• “Please” - Brief

• “Thanks” - Clear

• “Welcome” - Accurate

- Without Delay

Offering Messages

• NEVER press and hold the TALK button, while

trying to think of what to be said

• MUST first decide what you are going to speak

BEFORE press and hold the TALK button

• Speak reasonably SLOW in a CLEAR voice

• Pause wisely to let the receiving party digest

the message

Usage

Station Message

FQ Winch, FQ, take up slack, take up slack

Winch Taking up slack

FQ FQ, all out, all out

Winch All out

Winch Top of the launch

FQ [Release cable]

Usage

XO [Enter downwind] Matamata traffic, glider

XO, (early / late) downwind 28

BLW Matamata traffic, BLW, short final 28, full

stop

XO [Enter base] Matamata traffic, glider XO,

base 28

XO [Enter final] Matamata traffic, glider XO, final

28

Usage

• The following slides on R/T usage is for your

information only You will not be asked on

those in examination and rarely you will be

required to apply those in glider flying.

Usage

JWI Bournemouth Ground, JWI

Ground JWI, Bournemouth Ground, go ahead.

JWI JWI, at BCFT, Information H, QNH 1010,

request taxi.

Ground JWI, squawk 2047, taxi via Bravo, hold short

runway 26, Sandbanks Departure, 2000 feet or

below.

JWI Squawk 2047, taxi via Bravo, hold short

runway 26, Sandbanks Departure, 2000 feet or

below, JWI

Requesting taxi to runway

Usage

JWI Bournemouth Tower, JWI, hold short of

runway 26.

Tower JWI, Bournemouth Tower, roger.

Tower JWI, behind the landing 737, line up and wait

behind.

JWI behind the landing 737, line up and wait

behind, JWI.

awaiting for departure

Usage

Tower JWI wind 250 at 5 knots, maintain runway

heading after airborne, cleared for take off,

runway 26

JWI After airborne maintain runway heading,

cleared for take off runway 26, JWI

Tower JWI you may turn left for Sandbanks, resume

own navigation.

JWI Left turn for Sandbanks, resume own

navigation, JWI

Lined up on runway

Usage

Passing Traffic

Tower JWI, traffic, a Cherokee at your 2 o’clock,

1500ft.

JWI Traffic in sight, JWI

Tower JWI, roger. Break. XTZ, cleared to climb

altitude 3000 ft.

Usage

JWI Bournemouth Tower, JWI, approaching

Stoney Cross, 2000 feet, Information K, QHN

1009, request rejoin.

Tower JWI, squawk 2064, descend to altitude 1200

feet, join right downwind runway 08.

JWI Squawk 2064, descend to altitude 1200 feet,

join right downwind runway 08, JWI

Returning to Airport

Usage

JWI Tower, JWI, right downwind.

Tower JWI, number 2 behind a Cessna 2 miles final

JWI number 2, JWI

Tower JWI, cleared to land runway 08

JWI Cleared to land runway 02, JWI

Approaching the Airport

Usage

After landing

JWI Tower, JWI, runway vacated

Tower JWI, roger. Contact Ground 121.7

JWI Contact Ground 121.7, JWI

JWI Bournemouth Ground, JWI, on taxiway C.

Ground JWI, Bournemouth Ground. Taxi to BCFT.

JWI Taxi to BCFT, JWI.

Recap

• Address recipient

• Your identity

• Position

• Altitude

• Intention / Information

If unsure?

• ASK until you

understand!

• Never assume

• Controllers are

happier (or less

frustrated) to

answer your

question than to

tackle the problem

http://www.mod.uk/dasc/publicity/poster_cat_02.htm

Emergency

• MAYDAY– Comes from French “M’aidez” meaning “help me”

– Distress signal

– Serious/imminent danger

– Requiring immediate assistance

– Transponder – 7700

Emergency

• PAN-PAN– Comes from the word “Panic”

– Urgency signal

– Condition affecting flight safety

– But immediate assistance not needed

– Transponder – 7700

Emergency

• Other stations remain silence until– Emergency ends

– Requested by Control Station / station in emergency

Emergency Usage

JWI Mayday Mayday Mayday, JWI, JWI, JWI,

engine failure, 2 persons on board, overhead

Tarrant Rushton, 1500 feet, performing

forced landing

Emergency – Radio Failure

• Rx only / Tx only / headset problem / total radio

failure?

• Pressed the Tx button?

• Volume?

• Other side of jack-in?

• Correct FREQ? If correct, try other FREQ? Other ACFT?

• Continue blind Tx (‘Transmitting Blind’)

• Transponder – 7600

Emergency – Radio Failure

If inside controlled airspace

• Follow last ATC instruction

• Hold at last cleared point

• [Attempt to contact TWR by mobile phone]

• Continue blind Tx

• Await light signal from Tower

Emergency – Radio Failure

If outside controlled airspace

• STAY AWAY from controlled airspace

• Continue blind Tx

• Find a nearby aerodrome (OUTSIDE controlled

airspace) to land

• Contact Club once landed and shut down