Communications is a two-way street between pilots and ATC. This street has some potholes. One is that pilots are reading back wrong numbers and the controllers are not picking up on the mistakes. There are four major areas for readback/hearback mistakes.
--Pick up on the existence of similar aircraft call signs. When you know there is a similar call sign situation always use your full call sign with emphasis on the similarity conflict.
--Most IFR cockpits, even in single engine aircraft, are two pilot aircraft. Be very careful if only one pilot is listening on the ATC frequency. Have the other pilot bring you up to date.
--One-zero followed by ten-thousand and one-one followed by eleven thousand are ways to say altitudes that will overcome slips of the mind and of the tongue. Watch were to, too, two, can be crossed in meaning and interpretation. Consider, turn to, two, two, zero, too.

With experience you learn what to expect from ATC. Your mind may be spring-loaded to react to the situation and miss completely an unexpected ATC communication. This loading of the mind may be with regard to such things as traffic, altitudes, restrictions, deviations, runways, and clearances. If you have not yet had all of these problems, fly long enough and you will.

In IFR there will be a mix of readback/hearback problems caused by inexperience, and distraction. There are a number of precautions and cautions that should be part of your IFR communications procedures.
--Do not accept "silence" as an ATC authorization. Always ask for ATC verification.
--If one pilot goes ‘off frequency’ make a point to bring him up to date as soon as he is back.
--Always use standard communications procedures and terminology. This is especially true when reading back clearances.
--It is very easy to pick up a stray ATC altitude reference as an instruction. always ask for ATC verification is there is any doubt.
--Protect yourself by using full call sign when aircraft are on the channel with similar call signs.

Differences in IFR Communications
--Some airports, but not all of them, expect the pilot to contact clearance delivery prior to contacting ground for taxiing instructions.

--General Aviation airports usually combine Ground Control and Clearance delivery. If any part of your taxi clearance or IFR clearance is not clearly understood, demand clarification until it is understood.

An aircraft at an uncontrolled airport may need to get a clearance through a FSS or from another ATC server by phone or radio relay. This type of clearance has a void time that becomes unusable if ATC contact is not made in 30 minutes. An attempt to get a clearance in the air may not work unless you know the altitude limitations placed on the radar facility for issuing such a clearance. ATC may suggest an intersection departure. Any such departure reduces your emergency options.

Any very first contact with an ATC facility having radar should be only:
1) The name of the facility,
2) Your identification, and
3) ‘Over’ this gives the controller time to finish work that preceded your call

If you have been handed off from another facility, your call should begin
1) Name of facility,
2) Your full aircraft identification, and
3 Your altitude (s) as level, climbing to, descending to, as well as any ATC speed restrictions.

Position reports should follow the standard format of
1) Facility name,
2) Your identification,
3) Position or ETA to next position, along with altitude(s) involved. Advise each controller if your routing is other than a published route. Anticipate that your routing may require a holding pattern at any clearance limit. Get the hold assignment well before the limit by making your request early.
4) Read back all instructions and clearances in the sequence given.

ATC is required to give you the altimeter setting at least once while in his sector. Read it back. It is easier to give the readback in the order received if you put your aircraft identification at the end. When handed-off to a new radar sector always state present altitude, altitude climbing or descending to and assigned heading if being vectored. Read back heading and altitude assignments. Altitude reassignment readback should include mandatory report of "leaving" prior altitude. "Cleared for the approach" should be read back since that automatically includes the heading and altitudes as depicted on the approach chart. Being cleared is not, repeat not, an authorization to descend below any altitude shown on the charted route. Any airspeed change of five or more knots different than filed requires that ATC be advised. Any fuel situation or deviation for collision avoidance or other reason must be identified to ATC.

Procedures
Initial IFR contact will be with either ground control or clearance delivery to obtain your clearance or engine start time. If your filing was at an uncontrolled airport by phone you will have a clearance void time. This means your clearance must be canceled or activated within 30 minutes of that time. Otherwise, rescue operations are set in motion. You are required to read back all hold short instructions, all runway assignments, runway hold short and takeoff clearances. ATC should be advised if any delay exceeds one hour. Only IFR flight plans at towered fields are closed automatically.

Initial ATC radar facility contact requires full aircraft identification and "over". This will be followed by aircraft type, present position or route data, and altitude. If you are taking a handoff you need only to give the name of the new ATC facility, your aircraft identification, altitude and any unpublished routing.

Use your identification before giving any readback of altitudes, vectors and restrictions such as for speed exactly as they are given. Any time you are approaching a clearance limit be sure to request ATC for any holding instructions unless they are charted. always read back all clearances containing vectors and altitudes.

Practice approaches should be so identified both as to sequence and expected termination. Advise when last approach is commenced and ask for additional clearance if desired. Always advise ATC if you are going to make any maneuver that cannot be expected by ATC.

Request clarification for any uncertainty in your hear back of a clearance or instruction. Remember any change in aircraft speed of five percent or 10 knots on a flight plan requires notification of ATC. You can refuse speed adjustments for safety reasons. Notification also includes such things as hazardous weather and fuel situation.

ATC must be notified about any altitude change and when such a change will not be at least 500 fpm. Advise ATC as the FAF, when making a missed and why, when reaching a holding fix or clearance limit, leaving a holding fix, any loss of navigational capability, any adverse safety factor, and time and altitude at any specified reporting points.

ATC needs to know if you cannot fly the approach in use. An uncontrolled airport should be advised on the CTAF frequency when you are at the FAF and your intentions as soon as ATC hands you off. Advise ATC your intentions regarding acceptance or rejection visual approaches and if unable to continue an accepted visual approach. Asking for a contact approach assumes you are clear of clouds and have one mile visibility, advise ATC if conditions deteriorate.

Preset Radios
Some ATC facilities are not monitored. This means if they are not working ATC will not know until someone tells them. This becomes a good reason whey you should always positively identify every navaid you intend to use. It's a good idea to keep the ident volume of a navaid you're using for an approach at a sufficient level so you can tell if it fails. Monitor identifiers throughout the approach. Flags have been known to fail. Be concise on the radio. You don't need to name the facility. Use of the facility name is a wake-up call that is most often unnecessary.

Preflight Plan for Lost Communications
1. Where are the cloud tops and which way to nearest VFR.
2. What is destination weather and alternate.
3. Trouble shoot com
a. Stuck microphone
b. Unplug and adjust squelch.
c. Check audio selector
d. Confirm frequency
e.. Try another radio
f. Reduce electrical load
g. Squawk 7600
4. Stay on published airways, transitions at published altitudes.
5. Lost communications is an emergency under IFR conditions. You can deviate as necessary to resolve the problem.

 

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