Five Tips From ATC

We bow to no one in our willingness to reject ATC clearances and forcefully but politely seek what we want and need from a controller. Since our chair usually is moving faster than their’s, we cop the attitude that our needs are more important than ATC’s. At the same time, we certainly understand controllers often have little flexibility in responding to our needs, whether due to their own requirements, conflicting traffic we know nothing about or high workload. But they also need things from us: basic airmanship, concise communication and the ability (willingness?) to follow instructions. To put it another way, both sides of the pilot/controller relationship have expectations. We know what ours are; What are their’s? To find out, we asked a controller-friend working in an ARTCC in the Midwest U.S. to share with us his top five pet peeves. Here’s what we learned.

Key Takeaways:

• Effective pilot-ATC communication hinges on concise, confident transmissions, complete clearance readbacks, and proper callsign usage (e.g., including "November") to ensure clarity and safety.
• Pilots should maintain strong situational awareness, especially near busy airspace, and are encouraged to use VFR flight following, which controllers often appreciate for better traffic management.
• Listening to the frequency before transmitting is crucial for understanding ongoing communications, avoiding interruptions, and gathering relevant information, ultimately fostering smoother operations for everyone.

Key takeaways sponsored by Aviator Pro | Start Your Training ->

See a mistake? Contact us.