Hey guys! I wanted to let you know I just launched an "Insiders" Newsletter where once a week I'm sharing an important lesson I've learned in aviation, links to my latest content so you don't miss out, and links to any other interesting or helpful content I've found. I'm also working on a HUGE project I can't announce yet but I'm going to be sharing more behind the scenes info with Insiders first - Subscribe (it's free) at: airplaneacademy.com/insiders
I have been flying jets for 28 years and I think your tips are right on the money , are you sure you are not an airline pilot under cover 😄👍. Great job
Meeting an ATC and watching what they do in the tower and station is a GREAT thing to do to allow you to think of them as "people", so I would recommend that highly to everyone intimidated or frustrated by them.
Love this! I’m a low-time student pilot. It’s my goal to get VFR private pilot rated. I know I can do it, but it’s challenging in so many ways. You’re another great example of how the GA community is generous and helpful!
Listening to ATC Live before you go to an unfamiliar airport is a excellent tip. I flew out of North Las Vegas Airport once and they used local expressions like "Spaghetti Bowl", "Flamingo Drive" and "the golf course" which were totally foreign to me. I had to say "unfamiliar with the area" to get vectors. Now if I am going to an unfamiliar airport, I'll listen to ATC for that airport to get a few clues.
Great video! I had 34 years as a career Air Traffic Controller and have flown as a private pilot SEL/ Instrument. This is a very helpful, practical video. I feel the most important thing is ATC is part of the flying team. Most of the controllers I worked with just wanted each flight to be successful whether VFR or IFR.
I've just discovered this channel after twenty years out of the cockpit. I'm a rusty pilot taking dual to get current again and pass a biennial. You're videos are incredibly valuable and you, sir, are a treasure.
Thanks Steven! Really nice comment and I'm really glad you've found the content useful. Thanks for watching! Keep us posted on your progress... excited for you.
Recording or using ATC Live is a huge benefit to student pilots and even seasoned pilots. This has helped me many times because when you are a student, you are nervous and don't remember your screw ups. Very important to debrief your comms. It helps a lot.
Love that he is talking through the headset mic so student pilots can get more use to the sound of it. When I first put on the headset it was a bit hard to understand, It would have been very useful if I had listened to something like this in the beginning to get more use to it.
Couldn’t have found a more perfect video... Currently finish my private at Addison after initially only flying pilot controlled airports. Total culture shock and a little intimidating, but really enjoying the process and school here at American Flyers. Going straight into my instrument afterwards. Glad to have stumbled across you page👍🏼
4:17 is one of my favorite tips - i use a network called PilotEdge that allows you to simulate on a live network with real trained ATC, and all transmissions are recorded and posted. this is such a cool resource i really love.
All good tips. As a CFI, I endorse this video. I hope the student pilots in your audience learned and had some good takeaways. I liked, especially liked that is, that safety was the underlying message in all 15 tips. I'll cosign this and I'll tell you something else... Student pilots ought to understand that it's not a competition between the pilots and controllers. ATC cares about safety. Pilots should care about safety and we're not in competition with anyone. Relax and learn. A good pilot is compelled to evaluate what's happened so he can apply what he's learned (viper from top gun, but it's the best line in the movie and such a poignant message that it's worth quoting). Blue up, brown down and be kind. Good job on the video!!!
Hi Gibran - thanks for your comment and endorsement! Means a lot. I agree with all of your points here. Remembering that pilots and ATC are on the same team is a great point. It's easy to forget that point if you're operating out of fear of messing up, or fear of getting called out by a controller, etc.. Safety of flight is (and should be) everyone's first priority!
Thank you for this! This is one of the most helpful discussions on this that I've yet seen. Improving radio work is one of my priorities at the moment. I'm learning to fly in class C under a class B, so intimidating!
Awesome and congrats. Thanks for saying so... yes that approach clearance always threw me for a loop until I realized it was the same cadence each time! Still a lot to read back but it kind of clicked for me conceptually at what they were communicating.
I've watched a few of your videos over the past couple weeks. This one is getting you the follow. Thank you so much. it almost seems like some ATC take it as a competition to see how fast they can talk. That's terrifying as a student pilot.
Student pilot here. Thanks so much for your videos. As of today I have a grand total of 30 hours and your videos perfectly supplement what instructor has been teaching me. Shout out to Christina at Leopard Aviation in Arizona.
Great video. I liked tip one. The section he is referring to is FAR/AIM 4-2-1 through 4-2-14. Or find the page by looking in the index for exactly what he said: "radio communications phraseology and techniques"
Pilots, remember. ATC is there because of you. You actually control them. They are there to help you around their area. You can fly without ATC, ATC can’t operate without you so there is no reason to be intimidated by ATC. They are at your service so keep that in mind and it will help you talk with them. Good job with this vid.
Charlie, your channel WILL be successful, because the content is excellent. I am a Commercial, Multi, Instrument Pilot with 1200 hrs, and took a hiatus for 8 years. It has been a beat down to get proficient again. This is great info for mid time pilots too. I have an Aztec. Would fly with you anytime. At 16X
Thanks so much for the kind words! Congratulations on getting back into it, and I'm sure that can be a lot of work to regain the proficiency. It will come! I'll keep my ears open for any Aztecs on ATC since you're just right up the road from KADS :)
This is amazing man, thank you. Indeed, what I'm most concerned about is rattling off taxi instructions and so on back to ATC once I get there in training.
Hi Charlie, non pilot here. Absolutely loved your video! As an enthusiast, I follow some aviation channels. Even though I don't have too much trouble communicating in another language (I'm native Brazilian), ATC intrigued me the most as something I'd freak out if I was to get a PPL. Your video brings a whole new perspective for anyone who's intimidated with that. It runs circles on most other advice out there. Totally enjoyed the video without missing a single word. Good job, well done! Greetings from Brazil!
Thanks so much, I really appreciate the compliment and am glad that you found it helpful! ATC is daunting at first but I PROMISE it gets easier with time and repetition. Like I said, it went from being the thing I was most intimidated by to one of the things I most enjoy.
Just over 700 hours over the last 25 years, and continuing to learn every time I go. This vid is straight money, Charlie. Thank you. I’ll be sending this to all my other pilot friends to help them either get more comfortable or teach their students. Thanks for taking the time and effort to put all this together in a digestible format.
I was a student pilot in the 80s and I used #4 extensively. I had a scanner and would park adjacent to the approach end of my local airport (busy class D with extensive student traffic) and spent many hours listening and watching. It build a familiarity with what was going on and I was never uncomfortable talking to atc because I knew what to expect and it helped me to build the ability to develop an overall mental picture of the airspace.
Awesome. I love doing this... I think it's fun to just listen and visualize what's going on. Not everyone finds that exciting but anything related to aviation gets me pumped.
We all know the importance of "maintaining situational awareness" and Tip #3 is an aspect of that. Taking a few seconds to listen right after turning on the radio brings you "up to speed" as to what's happening around you.
This is a must watch video for ALL new pilots who wants to master Radio Communication with ATC! A "Text Book" introduction to communication! Because of this video, I'm following you .. rich honest content with no BS! .. AND IT's FREE!!!! Thanks for Sharing!
I flew in and out of Addison Airport a couple of dozen times in 2018 and, though it can get hectic, ATC was very proficient and helpful. My hat is off to them. Really good, well put together, informative video, thank you.
Helpful video.... Flight training is going to have me doing take offs and landings at a controlled airport this coming week.... You are easy to listen to! Thanks!
Thank you and I'm glad you found it helpful! When you do your practice this week, consider announcing to the tower that you're a student pilot. They are on your team, don't worry!
Like the tips, lots of help there for folks who struggle with radio communications. I'd like to throw a couple of suggestions out there: 15 tips may be a little too much for one video. Might be worth breaking into controlled/uncontrolled or maybe make the tips a little shorter to explain? I did find my mind wandering a little bit during the video and had to kind of re-familiarize myself with the topic you were talking about. Also, don't know if I missed it or not, but doing a tower visit is part of the private curriculum with my instructor. We hit one of the class D spots nearby on a busy day and call them up. Definitely helps students realize they're just people and not the voice of god. Nothing take the anxiety out of talking to someone on the radio when you've met them and they're hanging out in shorts and a t-shirt! Keep up the good work and keep fine-tuning your videos!
Thanks for the comment! A tower visit is a great idea. I should have added that... I took a tour of the Addison tower (KADS) and it was really eye-opening to look at their radar so I can understand what they are seeing when I'm talking to them. Great advice.
Hi Elliott - glad you found it useful! Don't worry, I had to do the same thing (I distinctly remember my instructor in the super cub telling me to call a 45 entry to left downwind when I was 14 years old in my first lessons and that blew my mind and I could never remember what to say). It gets so much easier over time with patience and practice! Stick with it!
I learned to fly out of FXE ft Laudedale busy class D airport in 2001. This was intimidating at first but became routine pretty quickly. You also had class C above the class D. I also spent a lot of time at the viewing area which had live Communication between pilots and the tower on speakers this helped me a lot.What was hard at first was uncontrolled airspace because there was no prompts.
I'm at fxe now at a flight school, this morning we were at pmp doing pattern work, vfr, ToL solo practice. Atc actually told us to go over the cost and do a holding pattern. Lol. I was like huh, want me to extend or 360, what you want dude, lol, we said nevermind, we're Goin back to fxe. Lol
I haven’t even started ground school, but this is SO well done! Just excellent. You are very articulate, very well spoken (intentionally redundant so you’ll believe me), and simply gifted in how you communicate content. Again, well done, and thank you so much. For any thumbs-down you get, just toss them onto the idiot pile, because they are idiots.
Not real life ATC, but VATSIM and X-Plane 11, I was waiting on the ground 25 minutes for IFR clearance, after waiting 5 minutes to get a chance to request said clearance, 10 minutes for taxi instructions, 40 minutes holding short because the way vatsim works is if there's only a center online, that center kinda controls everything in that airspace, and he had about 35 or 40 airplanes all on approach for O'Hare. I happily sat there and waited. Guy was amazing too.
Thank you sir for this very helpful video! I am an instrument student currently and struggle with radio comms mostly because I just never have to talk to ATC back at my home airport. I had radio skills back when I got my PPL 20 years ago but have since lost them sadly. I’ve also lost that confidence as I found out this morning with my first flight into College Station, shooting two different approaches. I’m thankful my instructor was there to pick up the slack for me! Thanks again for the tips. Now I have to figure out how to apply them while doing a ton of other things while under the hood! No pressure right!!? Lol!
Thank you as a current student pilot at a very busy class d airport the ATC controller(s) speaks really fast , due to regional flights and multiple flight schools out of that airport. making and the speed of communication that is happening really intimidating. So I’m watching videos to better my communication skills and you really helped a lot with some very insightful tips! Thank you Charlie! During the morning listen to KIWA tower so much is happening here!
Thanks for sharing and I'm glad you found it helpful! I actually have a friend who used to flight instruct out in that area and he said it was NUTS! So I believe you!
My first experience going through controlled airspace on a nav exercise (about 1-2 months ago) I asked my instructor if I could make the calls, simple call Center, , piper archer, request airways clearance direct to They came back and said "Standby and squawk ". The squawk code left my brain no less then 3-4 radio calls. On the other end they were saying "now squawk 1.....2......0......0" extremely slowly. Learnt from that always have paper on standby.
Thanks for sharing! Writing things down is always a great technique. Doing the routine stuff can be easier to memorize but when you get a curveball, or ATC tells you "we have an amendment to your clearance" I always pull out the paper just in case, because you never know how elaborate of a deviation you're going to get :)
i know eh, you got some pant load kid with a paraglider who fancies himself an aviator and he has nearly 2 million subs, Makes no sense at all, it;s sickening really
Thanks, Charlie! I've been struggling with my calls, and this is some really good advice. A bigger part of my trouble, though, is figuring out how to change my radio frequencies while I'm flying. It's easy enough when I'm on the ground, so I try to get everything preset before I take off. But there are so many buttons and knobs that's it's really confusing when I have to dial in new frequencies while I'm trying to fly. I wish they were color coded or marked less vaguely.
Very impressed. Student pilot here; about 30 hours total in three different Cessna's; 162, 172N and 172F. The 172F is now my preferred plane :) I fly out of a non-towered airport (KHEG) in north Florida and initially I found radio communications intimidating. Now it's old hat :). However, I did my night landings at a nearby Class D airport (KVQQ) and I found it to be once again very intimidating; so much so that I had my CFI do most of the calls. It was easy when I was simply asking to transition through, but pattern work (reporting my initial request, reporting on mid-field downwind, stuff like that) was totally different for me. And yes, I initially identified my self as a student pilot :) Thinking back it should have been pretty easy, so what I did was write down all the calls (my and ATC) and practice how to respond. Anyway, enjoying your videos and I plan on catching up with all of them soon.
Thanks Marty. Everything you described is a very natural progression. The radio will become more and more natural, just as you are describing! Keep up the good work.
Discovered your channel a few days ago, through your near-miss steep mountain landing debrief. I’m « just » a simmer, ok, so far. I just want to do things as seriously as I would irl, and as I would be expected to. Your videos are a bliss.
Excellent tips! I recently stumbled over my first departure call to tower at KLGB. And realized it is a lot to think about all at once! haha! Pilot Edge!
I agree with the slow down, if you're in busy air space say what you need and get off the radio but talking like an auctioneer where no one can understand doesn't help anyone and this goes for controllers too. Just speak clearly.
Wow! Great video! #15: Don’t take it personally - not only is this great advice, but it applies to life in general. Store clerk was snippy with you? It probably had nothing to do with you. Understand something else must be going on with them and try to be thoughtful. I worked in television broadcasting, and the same was told to me about headset communication. It may sound like the director is pissed at you, but they’re really just trying to make good television. Good thing bad TV never kills anyone, though. Another tip: When ATC is overloaded, see if you can be of help. I flew out of KORL a lot back in 2002. Busy airspace. Private jets coming/going, lots of student pilots who are local or from Daytona Beach, class B for KMCO with the approach for 18R directly above us, and KSFB class C just to the north. When things got hectic, I wouldn’t hesitate to say, “Executive Tower, 4SK, how ’bout I circle Universal (Studios) until you get those Citations in?” They sounded like they appreciated that since spacing a C172 in between Citations coming can be painful. Although this works better when you’re very familiar with the airspace, controllers, and common practices that are used around there. I would also announce my student pilot status and even note my experience. “Executive Tower, 4SK at Sheltair for touch ‘n go’s with Hotel, student pilot, second solo.” Later on, things got heavy with lots of traffic and a runway reversal from 7 to 25. They vectored me all over the place to get some jets in and begin using 25. After things calmed down, and I was on final for 25, he said, “Nice job student pilot.” I appreciated that he noted and remembered that. It made me feel like he had my back, just like this video mentions. Asking for help: One time I was flying solo while still a student and needed to get back before sunset. When I called the D airspace tower, they replied, “Aircraft calling, call back in 5 minutes.” F**k, I thought. I need to land soon. I ended up making it back in time and told my instructor about it. He said, “Why didn’t you just tell them you need to land before sunset? They would’ve accommodated you.” Lesson learned for me there.
Thanks for sharing your experience! I think it's fun to learn these lessons with ATC and get better at it. There's something gratifying about being in really busy airspace and being able to keep up and be part of the system. I really enjoy it.
The way to impress people on the radio is being CLEAR in your communications! That means the opposite of being fast. Being actually understood by other people on the radio. And sometimes, your radio doesn't come in loud and clear, so you have to slow *way* down to be understood. I learned this through 1) years of talking to people on the phone in call centres, and 2) through comms I watched on TV with deep-sea submersibles. Their radios were super staticky, and you'd hear them say something like "Switch. To. Victor. Hotel. Foxtrot. Channel. One. Two. Four. Decimal. Four." with clear periods for each word, to absolutely ensure that their message is received properly. Your mileage may vary, but above all, be absolutely CLEAR in your comms. Maybe you'll get faster in the future. But being clear matters *far* more.
Excellent information and examples. I’ve recently started pursuing my PPL. I can already see coming back to this video multiple times. Thanks for sharing
The key for me is hoping I get a controller who isn't trying to impress his boss with speed-talking. I've already had a controller get upset with me asking him to repeat slower. This was in class D.
Good evening captain! It is pleasure to watch your video about the ATC. I am a phenom 300 pilot and I have been trying to get the icao test in brazil. I am live in sao paulo-BR. I have been studying a lot in relation to atc end how I can to take note about the atc instruction in english. Tanks for your video!! Have a good fly and amazing winds!!
As a low time student pilot I am very grateful to come across your video. I also became a sub. I’ve checked out some of your other videos great content!
Love your videos and your obvious passion for aviation. Great stuff. I appreciate all the money you must spend on 100LL sitting on the ramp talking to us. ;)
Hi Austin - congrats on the solo xc! That's a huge accomplishment. And don't worry, ATC intimidated me for the longest time. I PROMISE it gets so much easier with time and practice. Glad you found the video useful!
Excellent video. Thank you. I started flying out of KSNA and I was very intimidated taxiing between commercial aircraft and just too overwhelmed with all the chatter and an impatient FI. Wish you were my instructor :D or had heard this tips back then.
"just listen for 10 seconds" actually even better, gain a rhythm for ask and answer. If you pay attention to calls, you will start to know if a call requires an answer. "123PV, cleared to runway 35 right via bravo alpha victor", the pilot is going to read that back. Not only does that prevent you from stepping on the pilot, but you also know just when you can make your call, as in right after the readback. It means you are "in sync" with what is happening. It can also give you very important info. When I was a student pilot and handheld mics were a thing, I made my usual inbound call "123pv inbound at tank farm". My instructor grabbed the mic from my hand and started talking rapidly on frequency. What I had not paid attention to was another airplane calling in at that same location, meaning we were in danger of colliding! Turns out the other airplane gave a false position report.
Totally agree! Also you can't always hear the frequencies that approach or center is talking on (they manage several at once usually) and so if they make a call to an airplane you know they are needing a response even if you can't hear it. Just because YOU can't hear it doesn't mean the controller isn't occupied with it. Thanks for the comment.
Hey guys! I wanted to let you know I just launched an "Insiders" Newsletter where once a week I'm sharing an important lesson I've learned in aviation, links to my latest content so you don't miss out, and links to any other interesting or helpful content I've found. I'm also working on a HUGE project I can't announce yet but I'm going to be sharing more behind the scenes info with Insiders first - Subscribe (it's free) at: airplaneacademy.com/insiders
As a former ATC, I just want to say this is excellent. I think all new pilots should watch this video.
Thank you that means a bunch! Glad it is helpful.
I’m watching it rn lol
I will always work to improve my radio skillz! Thanks for your understanding from a Low time pilot.
My voice test is in two days for becoming an atc please suggest anything
@@AjaySingh.1003 Take a deep breath and stay as calm as possible. Good luck.
One of the first things I learned about talking to controllers. And the first thing I teach my students. "It's push to talk, not push to think".
ATC : “N550MG turn left heading 330, maintain 6,000”
Me : “No”
I have been flying jets for 28 years and I think your tips are right on the money , are you sure you are not an airline pilot under cover 😄👍. Great job
Hey thanks so much for saying so!
Great video for all of us training to be pilots. Great tips, great advice, good video sir! Thank you!!
Who is the poor soul that thumbed this video down and who hurt you?
As always, excellent content my man.
Thanks so much, man! Really appreciate you saying that and your support!
Meeting an ATC and watching what they do in the tower and station is a GREAT thing to do to allow you to think of them as "people", so I would recommend that highly to everyone intimidated or frustrated by them.
Thank you for this. In my 20 years of flying I’ve not heard it broken down so effectively!
Thank you I really appreciate that and am glad you found it helpful!
Listening before you talk is good advice, even if you're NOT flying a plane.
Thank you from a 67 year old “New Student Pilot”. Excellent information!!!!
Awesome! Glad you found it helpful and pumped you are learning to fly! Don't be a stranger, keep us posted.
Dude, you should have 100k more subscribers! Quality content!!!
Thanks for saying that. I really appreciate it! -Charlie
Agree totally. This will be a successful channel. Great content.
Love this! I’m a low-time student pilot. It’s my goal to get VFR private pilot rated. I know I can do it, but it’s challenging in so many ways. You’re another great example of how the GA community is generous and helpful!
Thanks Jon, glad it was helpful. You got this!!
Jon, we are on the same path of acquiring our PPL. It is a journey like no other.
Listening to ATC Live before you go to an unfamiliar airport is a excellent tip. I flew out of North Las Vegas Airport once and they used local expressions like "Spaghetti Bowl", "Flamingo Drive" and "the golf course" which were totally foreign to me. I had to say "unfamiliar with the area" to get vectors. Now if I am going to an unfamiliar airport, I'll listen to ATC for that airport to get a few clues.
Great video! I had 34 years as a career Air Traffic Controller and have flown as a private pilot SEL/ Instrument. This is a very helpful, practical video. I feel the most important thing is ATC is part of the flying team. Most of the controllers I worked with just wanted each flight to be successful whether VFR or IFR.
I've just discovered this channel after twenty years out of the cockpit. I'm a rusty pilot taking dual to get current again and pass a biennial. You're videos are incredibly valuable and you, sir, are a treasure.
Thanks Steven! Really nice comment and I'm really glad you've found the content useful. Thanks for watching! Keep us posted on your progress... excited for you.
Recording or using ATC Live is a huge benefit to student pilots and even seasoned pilots. This has helped me many times because when you are a student, you are nervous and don't remember your screw ups. Very important to debrief your comms. It helps a lot.
Totally agree!
As a contractor I can say that you have an excellent understanding for the ATC environment 👍🏻
Thanks & have a good luck
Love that he is talking through the headset mic so student pilots can get more use to the sound of it.
When I first put on the headset it was a bit hard to understand,
It would have been very useful if I had listened to something like this in the beginning to get more use to it.
Couldn’t have found a more perfect video... Currently finish my private at Addison after initially only flying pilot controlled airports. Total culture shock and a little intimidating, but really enjoying the process and school here at American Flyers. Going straight into my instrument afterwards. Glad to have stumbled across you page👍🏼
Awesome! I'm based at KADS so maybe I'll see you around. American Flyers is a great school I got my private and instrument there (at KADS).
Airplane Academy right on! I’ll be the one fuddling the comms hahaha
“Being a pilot is all about continuous learning.” Thanks for that. I’m going to keep that at the heart of my identity as a pilot.
4:17 is one of my favorite tips - i use a network called PilotEdge that allows you to simulate on a live network with real trained ATC, and all transmissions are recorded and posted. this is such a cool resource i really love.
All good tips. As a CFI, I endorse this video. I hope the student pilots in your audience learned and had some good takeaways. I liked, especially liked that is, that safety was the underlying message in all 15 tips. I'll cosign this and I'll tell you something else... Student pilots ought to understand that it's not a competition between the pilots and controllers. ATC cares about safety. Pilots should care about safety and we're not in competition with anyone. Relax and learn. A good pilot is compelled to evaluate what's happened so he can apply what he's learned (viper from top gun, but it's the best line in the movie and such a poignant message that it's worth quoting). Blue up, brown down and be kind. Good job on the video!!!
Hi Gibran - thanks for your comment and endorsement! Means a lot. I agree with all of your points here. Remembering that pilots and ATC are on the same team is a great point. It's easy to forget that point if you're operating out of fear of messing up, or fear of getting called out by a controller, etc.. Safety of flight is (and should be) everyone's first priority!
Thank you for this! This is one of the most helpful discussions on this that I've yet seen. Improving radio work is one of my priorities at the moment. I'm learning to fly in class C under a class B, so intimidating!
Finishing my IFR rating now. I'm so glad I'm not the only one who got intimidated by the approach. Thanks for being honest.
Awesome and congrats. Thanks for saying so... yes that approach clearance always threw me for a loop until I realized it was the same cadence each time! Still a lot to read back but it kind of clicked for me conceptually at what they were communicating.
👍
I've watched a few of your videos over the past couple weeks. This one is getting you the follow. Thank you so much.
it almost seems like some ATC take it as a competition to see how fast they can talk. That's terrifying as a student pilot.
Student pilot here training at a non-towered airport. This is, hands down, THE BEST video on learning how to talk to ATC. Thank you SO much. ✈
I wish you luck, enjoy your check ride.
Thanks Maureen! Glad it was helpful!
Student pilot here. Thanks so much for your videos. As of today I have a grand total of 30 hours and your videos perfectly supplement what instructor has been teaching me.
Shout out to Christina at Leopard Aviation in Arizona.
I'm so glad!! Keep me posted on your progress!
Great video. I liked tip one. The section he is referring to is FAR/AIM 4-2-1 through 4-2-14. Or find the page by looking in the index for exactly what he said: "radio communications phraseology and techniques"
Pilots, remember. ATC is there because of you. You actually control them. They are there to help you around their area. You can fly without ATC, ATC can’t operate without you so there is no reason to be intimidated by ATC. They are at your service so keep that in mind and it will help you talk with them. Good job with this vid.
The best video for ATC communications advice I have seen, and I’ve seen a lot. Great job! I have subscribed, keep up the great work!
Thanks so much, that means a lot! Glad to have you with us.
Charlie, your channel WILL be successful, because the content is excellent. I am a Commercial, Multi, Instrument Pilot with 1200 hrs, and took a hiatus for 8 years. It has been a beat down to get proficient again. This is great info for mid time pilots too. I have an Aztec. Would fly with you anytime. At 16X
Thanks so much for the kind words! Congratulations on getting back into it, and I'm sure that can be a lot of work to regain the proficiency. It will come! I'll keep my ears open for any Aztecs on ATC since you're just right up the road from KADS :)
This is amazing man, thank you. Indeed, what I'm most concerned about is rattling off taxi instructions and so on back to ATC once I get there in training.
Agreed.
You are the captain of your vessel/plane etc.
U R in control. Aviate. Navigate
Communicate.
Great analysis.
Hi Charlie, non pilot here. Absolutely loved your video! As an enthusiast, I follow some aviation channels. Even though I don't have too much trouble communicating in another language (I'm native Brazilian), ATC intrigued me the most as something I'd freak out if I was to get a PPL. Your video brings a whole new perspective for anyone who's intimidated with that. It runs circles on most other advice out there. Totally enjoyed the video without missing a single word. Good job, well done! Greetings from Brazil!
Thanks so much, I really appreciate the compliment and am glad that you found it helpful! ATC is daunting at first but I PROMISE it gets easier with time and repetition. Like I said, it went from being the thing I was most intimidated by to one of the things I most enjoy.
Just over 700 hours over the last 25 years, and continuing to learn every time I go. This vid is straight money, Charlie. Thank you. I’ll be sending this to all my other pilot friends to help them either get more comfortable or teach their students. Thanks for taking the time and effort to put all this together in a digestible format.
Wow! Thanks for the compliment and glad you found the video helpful!
I was a student pilot in the 80s and I used #4 extensively. I had a scanner and would park adjacent to the approach end of my local airport (busy class D with extensive student traffic) and spent many hours listening and watching. It build a familiarity with what was going on and I was never uncomfortable talking to atc because I knew what to expect and it helped me to build the ability to develop an overall mental picture of the airspace.
Awesome. I love doing this... I think it's fun to just listen and visualize what's going on. Not everyone finds that exciting but anything related to aviation gets me pumped.
I been a PPL for over 15 years and still use the phrase " Student Pilot"
We all know the importance of "maintaining situational awareness" and Tip #3 is an aspect of that. Taking a few seconds to listen right after turning on the radio brings you "up to speed" as to what's happening around you.
This is a must watch video for ALL new pilots who wants to master Radio Communication with ATC! A "Text Book" introduction to communication! Because of this video, I'm following you .. rich honest content with no BS! .. AND IT's FREE!!!! Thanks for Sharing!
I have not flown in about 25 years and want to fly again. Listening to this is so awesome and informative. Thank you.
Thanks Jack, I'm glad it is helpful! Hope you can get back into it soon!
I flew in and out of Addison Airport a couple of dozen times in 2018 and, though it can get hectic, ATC was very proficient and helpful. My hat is off to them. Really good, well put together, informative video, thank you.
Sure thing! Glad you enjoyed.
Helpful video.... Flight training is going to have me doing take offs and landings at a controlled airport this coming week....
You are easy to listen to! Thanks!
Thank you and I'm glad you found it helpful! When you do your practice this week, consider announcing to the tower that you're a student pilot. They are on your team, don't worry!
Like the tips, lots of help there for folks who struggle with radio communications. I'd like to throw a couple of suggestions out there: 15 tips may be a little too much for one video. Might be worth breaking into controlled/uncontrolled or maybe make the tips a little shorter to explain? I did find my mind wandering a little bit during the video and had to kind of re-familiarize myself with the topic you were talking about.
Also, don't know if I missed it or not, but doing a tower visit is part of the private curriculum with my instructor. We hit one of the class D spots nearby on a busy day and call them up. Definitely helps students realize they're just people and not the voice of god. Nothing take the anxiety out of talking to someone on the radio when you've met them and they're hanging out in shorts and a t-shirt!
Keep up the good work and keep fine-tuning your videos!
Thanks for the comment! A tower visit is a great idea. I should have added that... I took a tour of the Addison tower (KADS) and it was really eye-opening to look at their radar so I can understand what they are seeing when I'm talking to them. Great advice.
i am a verry new pilot so this is good to watch before I start using atc
Hey thanks for the video man! I’m a new student pilot (7 flights in) and so far gotta ask my instructor what to say for every call, this helped a ton!
Hi Elliott - glad you found it useful! Don't worry, I had to do the same thing (I distinctly remember my instructor in the super cub telling me to call a 45 entry to left downwind when I was 14 years old in my first lessons and that blew my mind and I could never remember what to say). It gets so much easier over time with patience and practice! Stick with it!
I learned to fly out of FXE ft Laudedale busy class D airport in 2001. This was intimidating at first but became routine pretty quickly. You also had class C above the class D. I also spent a lot of time at the viewing area which had live Communication between pilots and the tower on speakers this helped me a lot.What was hard at first was uncontrolled airspace because there was no prompts.
I'm at fxe now at a flight school, this morning we were at pmp doing pattern work, vfr, ToL solo practice. Atc actually told us to go over the cost and do a holding pattern. Lol. I was like huh, want me to extend or 360, what you want dude, lol, we said nevermind, we're Goin back to fxe. Lol
I haven’t even started ground school, but this is SO well done!
Just excellent.
You are very articulate, very well spoken (intentionally redundant so you’ll believe me), and simply gifted in how you communicate content.
Again, well done, and thank you so much.
For any thumbs-down you get, just toss them onto the idiot pile, because they are idiots.
Not real life ATC, but VATSIM and X-Plane 11, I was waiting on the ground 25 minutes for IFR clearance, after waiting 5 minutes to get a chance to request said clearance, 10 minutes for taxi instructions, 40 minutes holding short because the way vatsim works is if there's only a center online, that center kinda controls everything in that airspace, and he had about 35 or 40 airplanes all on approach for O'Hare. I happily sat there and waited. Guy was amazing too.
Thank You, New student Pilot this information helps.
Thank you sir for this very helpful video! I am an instrument student currently and struggle with radio comms mostly because I just never have to talk to ATC back at my home airport. I had radio skills back when I got my PPL 20 years ago but have since lost them sadly. I’ve also lost that confidence as I found out this morning with my first flight into College Station, shooting two different approaches. I’m thankful my instructor was there to pick up the slack for me!
Thanks again for the tips. Now I have to figure out how to apply them while doing a ton of other things while under the hood! No pressure right!!? Lol!
I think I just found my instructor. 😊. Well done sir.
Thank you as a current student pilot at a very busy class d airport the ATC controller(s) speaks really fast , due to regional flights and multiple flight schools out of that airport. making and the speed of communication that is happening really intimidating. So I’m watching videos to better my communication skills and you really helped a lot with some very insightful tips! Thank you Charlie! During the morning listen to KIWA tower so much is happening here!
Thanks for sharing and I'm glad you found it helpful! I actually have a friend who used to flight instruct out in that area and he said it was NUTS! So I believe you!
Great insides, they definitly will help me to learn ATC and comprehend all that busy stuff, many thanks!
My first experience going through controlled airspace on a nav exercise (about 1-2 months ago) I asked my instructor if I could make the calls, simple call
Center, , piper archer, request airways clearance direct to
They came back and said "Standby and squawk ". The squawk code left my brain no less then 3-4 radio calls. On the other end they were saying "now squawk 1.....2......0......0" extremely slowly. Learnt from that always have paper on standby.
Thanks for sharing! Writing things down is always a great technique. Doing the routine stuff can be easier to memorize but when you get a curveball, or ATC tells you "we have an amendment to your clearance" I always pull out the paper just in case, because you never know how elaborate of a deviation you're going to get :)
Why do you not have more subs. Wtf. This is Jason Shappert level of quality content
Thanks so much!
i know eh, you got some pant load kid with a paraglider who fancies himself an aviator and he has nearly 2 million subs, Makes no sense at all, it;s sickening really
Thanks, Charlie! I've been struggling with my calls, and this is some really good advice. A bigger part of my trouble, though, is figuring out how to change my radio frequencies while I'm flying. It's easy enough when I'm on the ground, so I try to get everything preset before I take off. But there are so many buttons and knobs that's it's really confusing when I have to dial in new frequencies while I'm trying to fly. I wish they were color coded or marked less vaguely.
Very impressed. Student pilot here; about 30 hours total in three different Cessna's; 162, 172N and 172F. The 172F is now my preferred plane :) I fly out of a non-towered airport (KHEG) in north Florida and initially I found radio communications intimidating. Now it's old hat :). However, I did my night landings at a nearby Class D airport (KVQQ) and I found it to be once again very intimidating; so much so that I had my CFI do most of the calls. It was easy when I was simply asking to transition through, but pattern work (reporting my initial request, reporting on mid-field downwind, stuff like that) was totally different for me. And yes, I initially identified my self as a student pilot :) Thinking back it should have been pretty easy, so what I did was write down all the calls (my and ATC) and practice how to respond. Anyway, enjoying your videos and I plan on catching up with all of them soon.
Thanks Marty. Everything you described is a very natural progression. The radio will become more and more natural, just as you are describing! Keep up the good work.
Discovered your channel a few days ago, through your near-miss steep mountain landing debrief. I’m « just » a simmer, ok, so far. I just want to do things as seriously as I would irl, and as I would be expected to. Your videos are a bliss.
Hi Philip - good to hear from you in the comments again. Glad you're finding the content useful! Thanks for chiming in.
Excellent tips! I recently stumbled over my first departure call to tower at KLGB. And realized it is a lot to think about all at once! haha! Pilot Edge!
Thanks and hope it helps! It can be a lot at first. It gets a lot easier with time and practice.
Again, so great Charlie! Another lesson under my belt. Mumbai --> Queretaro Mexico in 2 weeks, PPL begins, so excited!
I agree with the slow down, if you're in busy air space say what you need and get off the radio but talking like an auctioneer where no one can understand doesn't help anyone and this goes for controllers too. Just speak clearly.
Wow! Great video!
#15: Don’t take it personally - not only is this great advice, but it applies to life in general. Store clerk was snippy with you? It probably had nothing to do with you. Understand something else must be going on with them and try to be thoughtful. I worked in television broadcasting, and the same was told to me about headset communication. It may sound like the director is pissed at you, but they’re really just trying to make good television. Good thing bad TV never kills anyone, though.
Another tip: When ATC is overloaded, see if you can be of help. I flew out of KORL a lot back in 2002. Busy airspace. Private jets coming/going, lots of student pilots who are local or from Daytona Beach, class B for KMCO with the approach for 18R directly above us, and KSFB class C just to the north. When things got hectic, I wouldn’t hesitate to say, “Executive Tower, 4SK, how ’bout I circle Universal (Studios) until you get those Citations in?” They sounded like they appreciated that since spacing a C172 in between Citations coming can be painful. Although this works better when you’re very familiar with the airspace, controllers, and common practices that are used around there.
I would also announce my student pilot status and even note my experience. “Executive Tower, 4SK at Sheltair for touch ‘n go’s with Hotel, student pilot, second solo.” Later on, things got heavy with lots of traffic and a runway reversal from 7 to 25. They vectored me all over the place to get some jets in and begin using 25. After things calmed down, and I was on final for 25, he said, “Nice job student pilot.” I appreciated that he noted and remembered that. It made me feel like he had my back, just like this video mentions.
Asking for help: One time I was flying solo while still a student and needed to get back before sunset. When I called the D airspace tower, they replied, “Aircraft calling, call back in 5 minutes.” F**k, I thought. I need to land soon. I ended up making it back in time and told my instructor about it. He said, “Why didn’t you just tell them you need to land before sunset? They would’ve accommodated you.” Lesson learned for me there.
Thanks for sharing your experience! I think it's fun to learn these lessons with ATC and get better at it. There's something gratifying about being in really busy airspace and being able to keep up and be part of the system. I really enjoy it.
this helped me a lot talking to atc thank you and i subbed
Awesome! I'm so glad to hear that. Pumped to have you as a subscriber.
Back again one of my favorite video.
UN-familiar with the area. That is a good idea to get VFR flight following.
The way to impress people on the radio is being CLEAR in your communications! That means the opposite of being fast. Being actually understood by other people on the radio.
And sometimes, your radio doesn't come in loud and clear, so you have to slow *way* down to be understood. I learned this through 1) years of talking to people on the phone in call centres, and 2) through comms I watched on TV with deep-sea submersibles. Their radios were super staticky, and you'd hear them say something like "Switch. To. Victor. Hotel. Foxtrot. Channel. One. Two. Four. Decimal. Four." with clear periods for each word, to absolutely ensure that their message is received properly.
Your mileage may vary, but above all, be absolutely CLEAR in your comms. Maybe you'll get faster in the future. But being clear matters *far* more.
Hey man, let’s go fly, I need an instructor, your videos are great!
Just getting started....Thank You!
Charlie, i can't thank you enough for making the content you do.
Thank you! I really appreciate it and am glad you enjoy the channel.
Excellent information and examples. I’ve recently started pursuing my PPL. I can already see coming back to this video multiple times. Thanks for sharing
Congratulations!! So glad the video is helpful.
Dude, I agree 100% about you have said.
Fantastic content, thank you so much!
Thanks, man! I really appreciate that.
Brilliant! Well Done.
Thank you! :)
very practical tips...very student pilot friendly, good job.
Thank you!
Just found this channel, but I’m glad I did. This is some underrated stuff. Great tips. Keep it up!
Thanks so much! Really appreciate it!
The key for me is hoping I get a controller who isn't trying to impress his boss with speed-talking. I've already had a controller get upset with me asking him to repeat slower. This was in class D.
Mindset, motivation, methodology! Thank you!
Good evening captain! It is pleasure to watch your video about the ATC. I am a phenom 300 pilot and I have been trying to get the icao test in brazil. I am live in sao paulo-BR. I have been studying a lot in relation to atc end how I can to take note about the atc instruction in english. Tanks for your video!! Have a good fly and amazing winds!!
Thanks the comment and hope the ATC tips help! As with anything else, it just comes with practice. Jealous of the Phenom 300 you get to fly. :)
LOL tanks for your comments!! I will continue to learn english a lot and watch your videos as well!!!! Have a good day!
As a low time student pilot I am very grateful to come across your video. I also became a sub. I’ve checked out some of your other videos great content!
Awesome! Pumped to have you as a subscriber!
Such great support friend, thank you!
Also, thank you!! this video is so helpful and I wish it was around when I started my Private license!!
Sure thing! I'm glad it's helpful and that you enjoyed it. :)
By far , THIS is the best! Thank you.
So glad you think so! Thank you!
Love your videos and your obvious passion for aviation. Great stuff. I appreciate all the money you must spend on 100LL sitting on the ramp talking to us. ;)
Haha! Thanks so much. Videos done from my home office are cheaper :)
Genuine video instructional at its best! -student pilot. Subscribed.
Thanks so much! Glad to have you as a subscriber!!
This is a very helpful video. Thank you!
Sure thing! Glad you enjoyed.
I am currently going through flight school and got done with my solo cx. ATC scares me, this video helped me with my nerves watching it right before.
Hi Austin - congrats on the solo xc! That's a huge accomplishment. And don't worry, ATC intimidated me for the longest time. I PROMISE it gets so much easier with time and practice. Glad you found the video useful!
Great advice/tips, thank you. Ultralight pilot planning to transition to LSA
Subscribed. You are a natural teacher.
Thanks so much! Really appreciate that and glad to have you as a subscriber!
You made it sound soooo EASYYY!! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 Thank u for this
I often visit Addison with my radio during lunch to listen to traffic. Would love to fly with you one day.
Excellent video. Thank you. I started flying out of KSNA and I was very intimidated taxiing between commercial aircraft and just too overwhelmed with all the chatter and an impatient FI. Wish you were my instructor :D or had heard this tips back then.
Thanks Blaine. Glad you found it useful! You aren't alone - taxiing among the big boys can be intimidating sometimes.
Charlie, Thank you for 15 tips and putting this video. Simply Awesome tips and inputs. Thank you for giving confidence and boost! - Student Pilot
Great video for beginner. Thanks for making videos
Sure thing! Glad you found it helpful!
"just listen for 10 seconds" actually even better, gain a rhythm for ask and answer. If you pay attention to calls, you will start to know if a call requires an answer. "123PV, cleared to runway 35 right via bravo alpha victor", the pilot is going to read that back. Not only does that prevent you from stepping on the pilot, but you also know just when you can make your call, as in right after the readback. It means you are "in sync" with what is happening.
It can also give you very important info. When I was a student pilot and handheld mics were a thing, I made my usual inbound call "123pv inbound at tank farm". My instructor grabbed the mic from my hand and started talking rapidly on frequency. What I had not paid attention to was another airplane calling in at that same location, meaning we were in danger of colliding! Turns out the other airplane gave a false position report.
Totally agree! Also you can't always hear the frequencies that approach or center is talking on (they manage several at once usually) and so if they make a call to an airplane you know they are needing a response even if you can't hear it. Just because YOU can't hear it doesn't mean the controller isn't occupied with it. Thanks for the comment.
Thanks that was an excellent video- really informative, well presented & covered pretty much everything- subscribed!
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed!
You are sooo good! Thank you so much! Instrument student and this was incredibly helpful!
Thank you! Really appreciate it!
Excellent video! Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
Sure thing! Glad you enjoyed!
*8:36**, that pilot may have potentially been on a work day without coffee. I love it, an honest answer.*
Excellent video! Thanks for this
Sure thing! Glad you enjoyed!
Thank you very much! Greetings from Italy 🇮🇹 PLEASE MORE EDUCATIONAL VIDEOS FOR VFR PILOTS