Overview

Site Formatting Conventions

All radio format examples follow a consistent convention to maximise clarity across the site.

Placeholder items which should be replaced with actual callsigns, altitudes, positions, etc. are italicized and highlighted in orange.

Optional items which are not required to be included but may be relevant based on the situation at hand are wrapped in [blue] square brackets.

Example

This word is a placeholder, this [word] is optional, and [these words] are both.

General Radio Tips

The key to a successful flight is often the smaller details, one of which being efficient, timely use of the radio. Pilots should strive to keep their radio calls as clear, concise, and standardised as possible.

At any one time, there may be over a dozen aircraft on frequency. If every pilot takes an extra 5 seconds to pass their message, that's an entire minute lost for the controller! Keep things short, clear, and by the book.

Tip

The best way to keep radio calls concise and clear is to take the time to think about what you want to say before you push the PTT. Format the call in your head, wait for an opportunity of radio silence, then transmit your message clearly.

Before Transmitting

It is important that you don't interrupt an ongoing conversation on frequency, which may require a station to transmit their message again, wasting time and preventing others from passing their own messages.

When switching to a new frequency, you should wait 3-5 seconds to ensure that another interaction is not taking place, then pass your message.

Transmission of Numbers

Callsigns

Numbers should be grouped in pairs, from right to left.

Callsign	Phraseology	Logon Code
Qantas 1	Qantas one	QFA1
Jetstar 23	Jetstar twenty three	JST23
Virgin Australia 844	Velocity eight forty four	VOZ844
Rex 6166	Rex sixty one sixty six	RXA6166
RA-Aus registered 24-5236	Jabiru fifty two thirty six	R5236
VH-FEK (on flights within Australian FIR)	Foxtrot Echo Kilo	FEK
VH-FEK (on flights entering, leaving, or outside Australian FIR)	Victor Hotel Foxtrot Echo Kilo	VHFEK

Tip

For a list of common operator radio designators, see Operator Callsigns.

When transmitting on a CTAF, the aircraft type should precede the callsign when making initial calls. When making an initial call on any frequency, helicopters should prefix their callsign with 'helicopter'.

Altitudes

Element	Phraseology
300ft	Three hundred feet
1,800ft	One thousand eight hundred feet
10,000ft	One zero thousand feet
7,000ft	Seven thousand feet
FL160	Flight level one six zero
FL300	Flight level three hundred

Headings

Element	Phraseology
130	Heading one three zero
025	Heading zero two five
200	Heading two zero zero

Mach Number

Element	Phraseology
0.78	Mach decimal seven eight
0.80	Mach decimal eight zero

Altimeter Setting

Element	Phraseology
1024	QNH one zero two four
1000	QNH one thousand
997	QNH nine nine seven

Transponder Code

Element	Phraseology
1200	Squawk one two zero zero
2000	Squawk two thousand
3645	Squawk three six four five

Time

Element	Phraseology
0612	Time zero six one two Time one two (if hour is the current hour)
2245	Time two two four five Time four five (if hour is the current hour)

Meteorology

Visibility

Element	Phraseology
800m	Eight hundred metres
2,400m	Two thousand four hundred metres
7,000m	Seven kilometres

Note

Visibility distances up to and including 5km are referred to in metres. Distances greater than 5km are referred to in kilometres.

Wind

Element	Phraseology
020°/15 kt	Zero two zero degrees, one five knots
350°/20 kt	Three five zero degrees, two zero knots
100°/18G30 kt	One zero zero degrees, one eight knots gusting three zero

Radio Checks

In response to a radio check, or when providing feedback on the quality of a transmission, the following scale is to be used.

Value	Meaning
1	Unreadable
2	Readable now and then
3	Readable but with difficulty
4	Readable
5	Perfectly readable

Reporting Requirements

Pilots are expected to make reports to ATC in the following scenarios:

Controlled Airspace

Ready to Taxi
Airborne
Position Report when not identified
Updated Position Report, when previous estimate is more than 2 minutes in error
Sustained variation of more than 10kt or Mach 0.02 from any previously notified speed or any standard descent profile
Aircraft performance is degraded
Leaving a level
Reaching an assigned level (if not identified)
Unable to comply with ATC clearances or instructions

IFR Aircraft in Class G Airspace

Taxiing (or Airborne if no VHF coverage on ground)
Departure
Reaching cruising level (if not identified)
Position Report when not identified
Updated Position Report, when previous estimate is more than 2 minutes in error
Before changing level or any lateral deviations
Before changing to CTAF and not monitoring ATS frequency on COM2
Arrival, to cancel SARWATCH

Readback Requirements

The following items are mandatory to read back to ATC:

An ATC Route Clearance in its entirety, and any amendments
Holding instructions
Any route and runway-holding position specified in a taxi clearance
Any clearances, conditional clearances or instructions to hold short of, enter, land on, line-up on, wait, take-off from, cross, taxi or backtrack on, any runway or helipad
Any approach clearance
Any assigned runway or helipad
Altimeter settings directed to specific aircraft (not general broadcasts)
SSR (squawk) codes
Level instructions (including 'via SID/STAR' when this is part of the instruction), direction of turn, heading and speed instructions