Phonetic Alphabet - P-8060025

SNFO/SWSO VOICE COMMUNICATIONS

CHAPTER ONE

Example

CENTER:

"BUCK 711, turn left heading 180, descend and

maintain 16,000, altimeter 30.02."

SNFO/SWSO:

"BUCK 711, left 180, leaving FL 210 for 16,000,

30.02."

14. Always acknowledge call-ups to your aircraft call sign. If you do not respond, the

controller has no way of knowing whether you received the information or have experienced

radio failure.

107. PHONETIC ALPHABET

To minimize confusion during communication, the FAA uses the International Civil Aviation

Organization (ICAO) phonetic alphabet (Figure 1-2). Air traffic control (ATC) facilities may

also request pilots to use phonetic letter equivalents when aircraft with similar sounding

identifications are receiving communications on the same frequency.

If control agencies have difficulty in understanding aircraft call signs during initial check in

calls, aircrew can use the phonetic alphabet to spell out the call sign. Additionally, use the

phonetic equivalents for single letters and to spell out groups of letters or difficult words during

adverse communications conditions.

Radio communications have progressed to the point that numbers can be pronounced as you

would in normal conversation. If you are transmitting on a garbled or static filled frequency, the

numeral pronunciations in Figure 1-2 may clarify communication.

Example

SNFO/SWSO:

"Atlanta Center, KATT 815 request direct to the

ROMEK intersection, then as filed."

CENTER:

"KATT 815, say again the intersection."

SNFO/SWSO:

"ROMEK intersection, ROMEO-OSCAR-MIKE-

ECHO-KILO."

TECHNIQUE AND TERMINOLOGY 1-13