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Radio Procedures

Learning to make appropriate and succinct radio calls is an important part of learning how to fly any aircraft. The following information and audio files are designed to help you learn what radio calls are required at Cairns Army Airfield and its associated stagefields.

Every radio call you make will have three things in common:

  • Who you are
  • Where you are
  • What you want to do

You may have to add additional information based on who you are talking to but all radio calls will include these three basics. The radio calls below are examples only. Make sure you pay attention to what your instructor tells you and how he/she modifies radio calls to suit the situation.

Cairns AAF

When operating under the control of Cairns AAF, there will be several radio calls you will need to make. There are two basic controller for Primary aircraft; Cairns Ground and Cairns Tower. Ground control provides coordination for all aircraft operating near the ground and ground vehicles. Before you lift off of your parking pad, you will need to call Ground control and get permission to taxi. When you call Ground, you will give them your callsign, parking pad number, the corridor you intend to fly, and the current ATIS information. This allows them to give you the most expeditious taxi instructions. Once you have told Ground which corridor you are flying, they will give you a taxi clearance to the nearest takeoff pad or runway in your vicinity. You are required to stay up on this frequency until you are ready for takeoff. When making your initial call to Cairns Ground, you should always give them a "heads up" by stating their name and your callsign. This radio frequency is very congested and this procedure prevents you from stepping on anothe radio call. In addition, it allows ground to respond to radio calls in the proper order and sequence aircraft for taxi more quickly. The following audio file is a demonstration of what an initial call to Ground might sound like. You will find that controllers speak very quickly. So if you understand what type of instructions to expect, it is easier to comprehend the radio call. Therefore, in the back of your FTG you will find examples of all radio calls you will be required to make in Primary. In addition, the audio files here are accompanied by text to help you better understand the radio call.

  • Initial radio call to ground
    • "Cairns Ground, Striker 21."
    • "Striker 21, Cairns Ground."
    • "Striker 21 is A25, for Toth, with Quebec."
    • "Striker 21, Roger, taxi to Alpha Pad."
    • "Striker 21."

Once you have taxied to your intended takeoff point, you will change your radio frequency to Cairns Tower. Tower provides safe operation of aircraft within Cairns Class D Airspace. You do not need to give Tower a "heads up" since their frequency is generally very congested. Giving a heads up only increases the number of radio calls over the frequency and further congests the airway. When you contact Tower you will give them your callsign, position, and corridor. Tower will call you back with your takeoff instructions. Make sure you listen carefully to your takeoff instructions. These instructions may include watching or following other aircraft in the near vicinity to provide safe operations.

  • Initial radio call to tower
    • "Cairns Tower, Striker 21 holding short of Alpha Pad for Toth."
    • "Striker 2, Cairns Tower, make a present position departure with a right turn out for the Toth corridor, winds calm, cleared for takeoff."
    • "Striker 21."

Once you have completed your daily flight, you will need to return to Cairns AAF at the end of the day. You will initiate your first radio call to Cairns at designated checkpoints for each corridor. Your instructor will familiarize you with each of these checkpoints and their names. You need to initiate the call early enough to receive your Tower instructions prior to passing over the checkpoint. If you have not received instructions from Tower prior to passing over the checkpoint, you are required to orbit over the checkpoint until such instructions are received. These instructions may include a second reporting point or a direct clearance to land. Remember, you have not been cleared to land until you hear the words, "Cleared to land." There are three radio calls below. The first is an example of the initial radio call to Cairns prior to your checkpoint. The second call is a special instruction from the Tower that requires you to terminate your approach before a given point (generally on the runway). These are called "hold short" clearances and are generally issued on crossing runways to allow another aircraft to land to another intersecting runway in front of your aircraft. Listen carefully to these instructions and ALWAYS read back a "hold short" clearance so that Tower can be sure that you understand you need to give way to another aircraft. The third radio call is a typical landing clearance that you will receive prior to landing at Cairns.

  • Initial call to Cairns from corridor checkpoint
    • "Cairns Tower, Striker 21, Grady inbound with Sierra."
    • "Striker 21, Cairns Tower, report a right base for Runway 36."
    • "Striker 21."
  • Hold short clearance
    • "Cairns Tower, Striker 21, right base for 36."
    • "Striker 21, Cairns Tower, winds calm Runway 36 cleared to land, hold short of Runway 6, traffic is a Creek low approach Runway 6. "
    • "Striker 21, hold short Runway 6, cleared to land."
  • Landing clearance
    • "Cairns Tower, Striker 21, right base for 36."
    • "Striker 21, Cairns Tower, traffic is a Creek on short final for Runway 36 to your 12 O' Clock, need you to follow him number 2, winds calm, you are cleared to land."
    • "Striker 21 has tally on the traffic. Cleared to land."

Stagefield Radio Calls

You will make initial radio contact with your assigned stagefield over designated checkpoints on your corridor. Your instructor will familiarize you with these checkpoint locations and names. These radio calls cannot be made prior to the checkpoint. They must be made upon crossing over the checkpoint inbound to the stagefield or confined area. You will always give the stagefield Tower a heads up since the radio frequency is heavily congested. When the Tower responds with your callsign, your will respond with the following information: callsign, aircraft number and buzz number, number of POB (personnel on board), and your request. Requests may include requesting SEF coverage, upper air coverage, or confined areas. You need to listen carefully to the information the Tower gives you. Information will include coverage, landing direction, winds, and any other pertinent information. When you respond back to Tower after receiving stagefield information, you will do so with your aircraft buzz number not your instructor's callsign.

  • Inbound call to stagefield
    • "Toth Tower, Striker 21."
    • "Striker 21, Toth Tower, go ahead."
    • "Striker 21 is aircraft 8767B Grady inbound with 3 POB, request SEF coverage to the south."
    • "8767B, Toth Tower is landing and departing to the west, wind estimated 160 at 10 Cairns altimeter is 3023, report SEF complete."
    • "67B."

When you are ready to depart the stagefield you may be enroute back to Cairns AAF or to a confined area. When you call the Tower for your departure clearance, you need to give them the following information: your buzz number, location on the stagefield, destination, and ETR (estimated time of return). Saying "Negative ETR" means that you do not plan to return to the stagefield.

If you plan to perform SEFs at altitude, you will need to request SEF coverage in your departure call. In addition, you will need to alert Tower when you have completed the SEFs. This is usually accomplished with a "good power" call to let the Tower know that your engine regained full power after the SEF and you have completed the maneuver successfully.

  • SEF "Good Power"
    • "Toth Tower, 67B, good power."
    • "67B report arrival RT 106."
    • "67B."

Once you arrive at your confined area, you need to call Tower and report arrival. This is done by simply calling Tower and saying your are arrival at the designated RT number (i.e., RT 134). The Tower will respond with your coverage and a time limit within which you need to contact them again if you have not departed the RT prior to that time. This time is normally 20 minutes. If you have not left the RT within the given amount of time, you simply call Tower and report "operations normal". This allows the Tower to keep track of all the aircraft and ensure safe operations.

Summary

Remember that radio calls can include a lot of very important information. If you did not understand the controller or are confused by the information, always call back for confirmation or clarification. Also, don't forget to reference the section in the back of your FTG (flight training guide) on radio call procedures.

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