Anyway to practice ATC communication?

[CaptBill]

It was my first time talking to ground and tower today and I fumbled my words basically.

I did the exact same thing. Talking to ATC was very intimidating to me. The basics of who you are, where you're at and what you want typically covers most things.

I used to practice thinking of things like: "Hey mom, this is Bob, can I go to the movie?" - "Hello Mrs. Jones, my name is Bill, may I help you with your groceries?" You get the point.....

Also, if you can't remember that you are talking to San Francisco ground or Cleveland approach just say "Good morning ground or approach, Cessna 123, then say what you need to. Just speak slowly and clearly....

I think it also helps to develop a little cadence that keeps your words coming. It's s bad habit to stop in the middle of a transmission while thinking about what you should be saying.

I can assure you that in very little time this will all seem very easy and you will sound like a pro on the radio.

 

[ChasenSFO]

@ChasenSFO what did ramp control tell you?

LOL. That guy needed to get laid, badly.

 

[bc2209]

Thank you for all for you help. I'm going to listen to some atc.net and try and do some read backs.

 

[Pilot Fighter]

Thank you for all for you help. I'm going to listen to some atc.net and try and do some read backs.

I suggest hitting the mute button, read it back, then write down the clearance. You don't want to get in parrot-mode without retention.

 

[Murdoughnut]

Run LiveATC through your car and respond verbally as your driving to ATC commands. Seriously, it works.

 

[genot]

Awesome advice here. 4 things I'd like to remind you of are

1) You'll get it down fairly well during your instruction just by doing and osmosis.

2) You could spend an entire day dreaming up the best way to butcher an initial call up. We've heard far worse from professional pilots and weekend warriors alike.

3) Controllers aren't immune to completely flubbing a transmission. I'm pretty sure I butcher one a week or two to the point of having to un key, roll my eyes at myself and key back up with a "lemme try this again". We're human.

4) I have 350 hours flight time from 2000-2003, so I'm a rank amateur for sure, but after that I drove Ops vehicles at PIT for a year and I've been a controller for 6 years. I've made one flight since I stopped flying and I thought radios were the least of my worries (I'd have to have well over 1,000 hours keyed up speaking by now from ATC alone) I thought I could make a simple call up for a class D in a Skyhawk with a CFI on board. Yeah, not so much. I work along side the tower guy I had daily, I know his voice, I know he's a great easy going guy, I key up and it goes well for a second and a half and I just fold into an incoherent babble.

Come to think of it, the last time I talked to that tower guy on the land line it went like this.
Him: I'm trying to flash this guy (automatic IFR Release) but it won't work.
Me: Have you tried standing on a chair, he probably can't see it from down there and over the console, you're pretty high up.

Put me in an airplane's left front seat and I can't even mention I have the ATIS or figure out which way I'm departing in airspace I know better than my best friend.

 

[Deleted member 27505]

Been searching on the web to find a type of simulator to practice communications with air traffic control but haven't come up with much.

Granted this is only my second flight i'm trying to stay ahead of things.

Any help would be greatly appreciate. Maybe any tips or tricks you have when you were learning?

It was my first time talking to ground and tower today and I fumbled my words basically.

Thank you!

Watch the movie "Airplane" until you've memorized every line.

Or, more seriously...
When initiating ATC contact keep it simple. Before every transmission think: Who are you calling? Who are you? Where are you? What do you want? It's really that simple.
When reading back ATC instructions, keep it simple. To start with, just repeat back to ATC exactly what they told you. If you forget something, they'll say more. Then repeat that back to them. Obviously, make sure you understand what you're repeating.

As you get more experience, you'll find this comm stuff isn't all that complicated. It's kinda like learning a new language with the basic linguistic structure of English and a tiny vocabulary of words and phrases used over and over again.

Additional resources...
Read the AIM section on communication.
Listen to liveatc.net, but choose a major airport freq to monitor as you will usually (but not always...SWA) hear more professional communications at major airports.

When you get better, more familiar and more relaxed, you can start to mess with the controllers who are messing with you. Like the time Jacksonville Center chimes in out of the blue with, "Lear12345, turn right heading 150. New routing for you. You are now cleared Papa India Echo, Sierra Romeo Quebec, Papa Gulf Delta, Whiskey Lima Alpha Charlie Echo, Papa Hotel Kilo, direct the airport. Descend now and maintain flight level 390. Cross WLACE at flight level 190." I read it right back to him rapid fire. Jacksonville somewhat sheepishly replies... "Lear12345, please repeat." That's was satisfying. Of course, a few days later, I muffed a simple flight level change exchange, so I take my fleeting victories when I can and don't get as embarrassed about small mistakes every once in awhile as I used to.

 

[Vector4Food]

Vatsim, but thats more for IFR stuff.

I found going up to the tower and meeting some ATC guys will help me see that they aren't robots and unlike @canadian_atc do occasionally sound imperfect.

The advise I got from one ATC guy was that they have been doing it for years and sound refined. I had only been doing it a short time and would be more refined with more experience. You certainly aren't the first to sound silly and fumble around while talking to ATC (look through this thread http://forums.jetcareers.com/threads/on-the-freq-today.101014/) and you certainly won't be the last.

Another trick is to listen to a hand held radio or live atc and try to respond to whatever ATC was saying before the pilot on the other end will.

Lastly, if you have access to the newer lightspeed headset and an iphone, they have an app that will record your radio. Good way to review after a flight where you could polish your comms.

Good god, you should hear my last tape check

 

[scooter2525]

Good god, you should hear my last tape check

Roger.

 

[motoboy]

LiveAtc like everyone else said. Always had it playing in the background while I was studying.

One thing I will point out though, is check out the archives for the airspace/airport you were flying in on LiveAtc. Keep track of the time you were flying, then search for the time period on the website. In my opinion it's invaluable to go back and listen to your mistakes, and what you can improve on, and also what other pilots are saying that are getting worked into the same approach you are.

 

[Autothrust Blue]

This.

Also, it's a little bit of work to get into it and figure stuff out, but get a cheap copy of FS2004 and check out http://vatsim.net/. Not only is it great for staying sharp with ATC, but if you wish to fly IFR, it's a great way to practice instrument flying. I spent a lot of time on VATSIM while I spent a little over a year not flying.

I learned to talk IFR on VATSIM. I probably talked to @inigo88 a few times too, sounding lost...

 

[Autothrust Blue]

LiveAtc like everyone else said. Always had it playing in the background while I was studying.

One thing I will point out though, is check out the archives for the airspace/airport you were flying in on LiveAtc. Keep track of the time you were flying, then search for the time period on the website. In my opinion it's invaluable to go back and listen to your mistakes, and what you can improve on, and also what other pilots are saying that are getting worked into the same approach you are.

Or for what was actually said.

Short of getting a FOIA request, that is.

 

[jwp_145]

Good god, you should hear my last tape check

Do you know the British fellow working the radio a hundred miles southwest of Toronto? I always get a kick out of him.
The thing that makes me laugh about Canadian ATC phraseology is your version of "pilot's discretion".

 

[texas_pilot]

Been searching on the web to find a type of simulator to practice communications with air traffic control but haven't come up with much.

'Chair flying' is the best bang for the buck you're gonna get in aviation. Like others said, learning the lingo is great, but situational awareness is Basic.
As you said, you want to be thinking ahead and that is how you will know what to say.
I am not CFI rated, but was almost 50 and out of instructors when I organized my flight training.
I requested my unhappy instructor to make a flight around the pattern, copied down every callout he made, went home and organized it onto sheets of Butcher paper and taped thatto the wall.
I sat in a chair rolling under each sheet for several hours making callouts, simulating actuating contols, verifying N#, altitudes and locations according to the designated airfield.
Imagine the surprise on my Chief Pilot's face when instead of going home with a tucked tail, he signed off
for my solo in a new Mooney.

Granted this is only my second flight i'm trying to stay ahead of things.

Any help would be greatly appreciate. Maybe any tips or tricks you have when you were learning?

It was my first time talking to ground and tower today and I fumbled my words basically.

Thank you!

 

[cardsfan05]

I actually worried about this myself...I started to listen closely on liveatc.net, and it has helped a lot by practicing the readbacks

It'll eventually come

 

[Vector4Food]

Do you know the British fellow working the radio a hundred miles southwest of Toronto? I always get a kick out of him.
The thing that makes me laugh about Canadian ATC phraseology is your version of "pilot's discretion".

The ICAO standard?

No I don't though

 

[JimmyJam]

Fsx,X10,P3D...vatsim


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Mane]

Clearly late to this conversation, but in case the topic does come up again, the app-based PlaneEnglish radio sim may be of use!

 

[Prino]

The first thing you need to learn to say is “BLOOOOOCKED” in the most annoying voice ever. Controllers love that

 

[n57flyguy]

The biggest thing you can do is relax. Every one screws up from time to time. I used to say I wish I could take a new student into the flight levels and have them listen to how often people don't get it quite right. With LiveATC, now they can hear it. I trip over my lips all the time and if a pilot tells you they never do, they're lying. So just take a breath, it will come to you. Right now you're trying to not only figure out what they're saying but what they want you to do as well. So listen to some liveATC and you'll start to understand what they're saying. The rest will come with time.

Editted for emphasis.