Detailed Training Outline for Pilot
- Air Law
- Airframe, Systems and Powerplant
- Instrumentation
- Mass and Balance
- Performance – Aeroplanes
- Flight planning and monitoring
- Performance – Helicopters
- Human Factors
- Meteorology
- General Navigation
- Radio Navigation
- Operational Procedures
- Principles of flight – Aeroplanes
- Principles of flight – Helicopters
- Communications
15. COMMUNICATIONS
COMMUNICATIONS |
CONCEPTS |
Associated terms |
Meanings and significance |
Define commonly used air traffic services (ATS) terms for stations. |
Define commonly used ATS terms for communication methods. |
Recognise the terms used in conjunction with the approach and holding procedures. |
Air traffic services (ATS) abbreviations |
Define commonly used ATS abbreviations: flight conditions; airspace; services; time; VFR-related terms; IFR-related terms; miscellaneous. |
Q-code groups commonly used in radiotelephony (RT) air-ground communications |
Define Q-code groups commonly used in RT air-ground communications: pressure settings; directions and bearings. |
State the procedure for obtaining bearing information in flight. |
Categories of messages |
Identify to which category of messages a type of message belongs and identify the associated priority indicator. |
GENERAL OPERATING PROCEDURES |
Transmission standards |
Transmission of letters |
Know the phonetic alphabet used in RT. |
Identify the circumstances when words should be spelt out. |
Transmission of numbers |
Describe the method of transmission of numbers: pronunciation; single digits, whole hundreds and whole thousands; state how numbers are transmitted in different circumstances. |
Transmission of time |
Describe the ways of transmitting time: the standard time reference is the Coordinated Universal Time (UTC); using only minutes, or minutes and hours, when required. |
Describe the different ways in which time is to be transmitted. |
Transmission techniques |
Explain the techniques used for making good RT transmissions. |
Standard words and phrases |
Define the meaning of standard words and phrases. |
Recognise, describe and use the correct standard phraseology for each phase of a VFR flight (consider communication with each type of aeronautical station): before taxi; taxi; departure; en route; circuit; final; landing; after landing. |
Recognise, describe and use the correct standard phraseology for each phase of an IFR flight, including PBN operations (consider communication with each type of aeronautical station): before pushback or taxi; pushback; taxi; departure; en route; approach; final approach; landing; after landing. |
Explain phraseology for the selective calling system (SELCAL) and aircraft communications addressing and reporting system (ACARS). |
Explain traffic alert and collision avoidance system (TCAS) phraseology. |
RT call signs for aeronautical stations including use of abbreviated call signs |
Name the two parts of the call sign of an aeronautical station. |
Identify the call-sign suffixes for aeronautical stations. |
Explain when the call sign may be omitted or abbreviated to the use of suffix only. |
RT call signs for aircraft including use of abbreviated call signs |
Describe the three different ways to compose an aircraft call sign. |
Describe the abbreviated forms for aircraft call signs. |
Explain when aircraft call signs may be abbreviated. |
Explain when the suffix ‘HEAVY’ or ‘SUPER’ is used with an aircraft call sign. |
Explain the use of the phrase ‘Change your call sign to…’. |
Explain the use of the phrase ‘Revert to flight plan call sign’. |
Transfer of communication |
Describe the procedure for transfer of communication: by ground station; by aircraft. |
Test procedures including readability scale |
Explain how to test radio transmission and reception. |
State the readability scale and explain its meaning. |
Read-back and acknowledgement requirements |
Describe the requirement to read back ATC route clearances. |
Describe the requirement to read back clearances related to the runway in use. |
Describe the requirement to read back other clearances including conditional clearances. |
Describe the requirement to read back other data such as runway, secondary surveillance radar (SSR) codes, etc. |
Radar procedural phraseology |
Use the correct phraseology for an aircraft receiving a radar service: radar identification; radar vectoring; traffic information and avoidance; SSR procedures. |
Level changes and reports |
Use the correct term to describe vertical position in relation to: flight level (standard pressure setting); altitude (metres/feet on QNH); height (metres/feet on QFE). |
Data link messages |
List the different types of messages of the controller–pilot data link communications (CPDLC) function and give examples of data link messages. |
Describe a notification phase (LOG ON) and state its purpose. |
Explain the phrases to be used: when voice communication is used to correct a CPDLC message; in case of single CPDLC message failure; when CPDLC has failed; when reverting from CPDLC to voice communication. |
RELEVANT WEATHER INFORMATION |
Aerodrome weather |
Aerodrome weather terms |
List the contents of aerodrome weather reports and state units of measurement used for each item: wind direction and speed; variation of wind direction and speed; visibility; present weather; cloud amount and type (including the definition of cloud and visibility OK (CAVOK); air temperature and dew point; pressure values (QNH, QFE); supplementary information (aerodrome warnings, landing runway, runway conditions, restrictions, obstructions, wind-shear warnings, etc.). |
Weather broadcast |
List the sources (VOLMET and ATIS units) of weather information available for aircraft in flight, and describe situation(s) in which a pilot would normally obtain each. |
Explain the meaning of the acronyms ‘D-ATIS’, ‘ATIS’, and ‘VOLMET’. |
Explain and demonstrate how to decode ATIS messages. |
Explain and demonstrate how to decode D-ATIS messages. |
VOICE COMMUNICATION FAILURE |
Required action |
Action required to be taken in case of communication failure |
State the action to be taken in case of communication failure on a controlled VFR flight. |
Identify the frequencies to be used in an attempt to establish communication. |
State the additional information that should be transmitted in the event of receiver failure. |
Identify the SSR code that may be used to indicate communication failure. |
Explain the action to be taken by a pilot that experiences a communication failure in the aerodrome traffic pattern at controlled aerodromes. |
Describe the action to be taken in case of communication failure on an IFR flight. |
Describe the action to be taken in case of communication failure on an IFR flight when flying in visual meteorological conditions (VMC) and the flight will be terminated in VMC. |
Describe the action to be taken in case of communication failure on an IFR flight when flying in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC). |
Explain the causes and possible safety impacts of a blocked frequency. |
DISTRESS AND URGENCY PROCEDURES |
Signals and procedures |
Distress |
State the DISTRESS signal(s) and DISTRESS procedure(s). |
Define ‘DISTRESS’. |
Identify the frequencies that should be used by aircraft in DISTRESS. |
Specify the emergency SSR codes that may be used by aircraft, and the meaning of the codes. |
Describe the action to be taken by the station which receives a DISTRESS message. |
Describe the action to be taken by all other stations when a DISTRESS procedure is in progress. |
List the correctly sequenced elements of a DISTRESS signal/message and describe the message content. |
Describe the use of discrete frequencies (DEF) in case of distress or urgency. |
State that DISTRESS messages take priority over all other messages. |
Urgency |
State the URGENCY signal(s) and URGENCY procedure(s). |
Define ‘URGENCY’. |
Identify the frequencies that should be used by aircraft in URGENCY. |
Describe the action to be taken by the station which receives an URGENCY message. |
Describe the action to be taken by all other stations when an URGENCY procedure is in progress. |
List the correctly sequenced elements of an URGENCY signal/message and describe the message content. |
State that URGENCY messages take priority over all other messages except DISTRESS. |
VHF PROPAGATION AND ALLOCATION OF FREQUENCIES |
General principles |
Spectrum, bands, range |
Describe the radio-frequency spectrum with particular reference to VHF. |
Describe the radio-frequency spectrum of the bands into which the radio-frequency spectrum is divided. |
Identify the frequency range of the VHF band. |
State the band normally used for aeronautical mobile service (AMS) voice communication. |
State the frequency separation allocated between consecutive VHF frequencies. |
List the factors which reduce the effective range and quality of VHF radio transmissions. |
Other communications |
Weather observations, Morse code |
Meteorological observations |
Explain when aircraft routine meteorological observations should be made. |
Explain when aircraft special meteorological observations should be made. |
Use of Morse code |
Describe and list Morse code. |
Find the Morse code identifiers of radio navigation aids (VHF omnidirectional radio range (VOR), distance‑measuring equipment (DME), non-directional radio beacon (NDB), instrument landing system (ILS)) using aeronautical charts. |