Bronze Theory Radio Telephony

1
Bronze TheoryRadio Telephony

• January 2009

2
Licences

• You must hold licence for the radio installed
  in your glider.
• You must hold a licence for an air-band
  transceiver.
• You must hold a licence yourself if you intend
  to use any other frequency other than the
  gliding frequencies (e.g. air traffic control
  units)
• Licence is obtained from CAA Radio Licensing
  section (for aircraft)
• Or
• Air Traffic Services Standards Department (for
  Hand Held)

3
What to Say

• Your position
• Information regarding weather conditions
• Imminent unscheduled landing
• Warnings of collision risks
• Training instructions
• Cloud flying warnings
• Changes to another frequency.

4
How to say it

• We use call signs usually the aircraft
  registration or competition No. Sites use the
  call-sign Base, cars use Mobile.
• First give call-sign of station you are
  calling.
• Followed by your own call-sign
• Subsequent messages to that station dont
  require you to call them up first.
• When replying to the first call you could reply
  with your status to save time, or simply
  call-sign pass your message.

5
Terminology

• Affirm
• Acknowledge
• Break
• Cancel
• Changing to
• Cleared
• Confirm
• Contact
• Correction
• Disregard

• Request
• Roger
• Say Again
• Speak Slower
• Standby
• Transmitting Blind
• Tyro
• Unable
• Verify
• Wilco

• Expedite
• Go Around
• How do you read
• I say again
• Monitor
• Negative
• Orbit
• Pass you message
• Radio Check
• Read Back

6
Gliding Frequencies

• 130.4 Cloud flying and cross-country
• 130.1 Competition start/finish. Local flying.
  (Secondary use lead and follow)
• 130.125 Lead follow training, cross country
  location msgs. (Secondary uses comp
  start/finish local flying)
• 129.975 Used by approved BGA sites within a range
  of 10nm.
• 129.9 Ground to ground only and is shared by
  other users.
• 121.5 Emergency frequency

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Mayday

• First call Mayday on whatever frequency you are
  on.
• or use 121.5Mhz
• South of 55 N call London Centre. North call
  Scottish Centre.
• Do not leave 121.5Mhz without permission once
  you have used it.
• If you hear a Mayday call on your frequency
  keep quiet, record emergency then Mayday Relay
  on 121.5
• Pan-pan, Pan-pan, Pan-pan. For non life
  threatening emergencies.

8
Mayday Sequence

• Mayday, Mayday, Mayday
• Station you are talking to
• Your registration
• Nature of problem
• Your Intention
• Position
• Height
• Heading
• Other useful info e.g. number of people on
  board.

9
Training Fix

• Select 121.5, listen to be sure channel is clear
• Practice PAN Practice PAN Practice PAN,Glider
  FPM requires training fix
• Wait for reply relative to a major landmark
• Respond with accuracy of fix.
• Reply frequency you are changing to.

10
Phonetic Alphabet

• Alpha
• Bravo
• Charlie
• Delta
• Echo
• Foxtrot
• Golf
• Hotel
• India

• Sierra
• Tango
• Uniform
• Victor
• Whisky
• X ray
• Yankee
• Zulu

• Juliet
• Kilo
• Lima
• Mike
• November
• Oscar
• Papa
• Quebec
• Romeo

11
Saying Numbers

• Zeeroh (never as o)
• Wun
• Two
• Tree (not three)
• Fow-er
• Fife
• Six
• Seven
• Ait
• Nine-er

• 11000 feet is said as Wun Wun Tousand
• 5500 feet would be said as Fife Tousand fife
  hundred
• Glider number 150 however is said as Wun fife
  zeeroh
• Frequency 130.4 is said as Wun Tree Zeeroh
  Dayseemal Fower

12
Useful Bits

• If a controller gives you instructions e.g. a
  clearance you must repeat exactly what they say.
• If a station has a call-sign with either
  Information or Radio they are not a
  controller and will not give instructions just
  information.
• Do not start talking until you have the button
  pressed or until you know what your going to
  say.
• If the radio goes very quiet check you dont
  have the transmit button pressed or the squelch
  turned down too much.
• Radio Waves travel in straight lines, so be
  aware ground features will affect your ability
  to transmit.

13
More Useful Bits

• Class D Airspace requires clearance before
  entering. If you find yourself in it, call Air
  Traffic Control and explain your intentions.
• Class B Airspace contact controller as climbing
  through fl200 listen to correct frequency for
  routine calls, call when leaving at fl 245 (no
  longer current but this is typical of a local
  agreement that may exist)