Welcome! This is a private page reserved exclusively for insiders at ATCcommunication.com. Here you will find:
Test versions of various simulations, including the Aircraft Radio Simulator
Problems with the Aircraft Radio Simulator? Got other questions? Try here.
Free Downloads Available now: A downloadable lineup card for planning and executing your next flight.
Archived Newsletters Catch up on past issues of our bi-weekly newsletter Radar Contact.
Answers to the Questions in Radar Contact Shown by issue. Read these after you’ve figured out the answer to the question presented in each issue of Radar Contact.
Discussion Area Talk about the Aircraft Radio Simulators, your experiences with ATC, or anything else that’s on your mind.
A Brand New Feature of the ATC Vocabulary Builder
I’ve just added a brand new feature to the ATC Vocabulary Builder. This new feature tests your ability to follow taxi instructions from Ground Control. After the ATC Vocabulary Builder teaches you the language of Ground Control, the taxi tester checks to see if you truly understand taxi instructions. Look at the demonstration below of how to use the taxi tester, then click the link below the demo video to try a sample of the program.
Here is a link to the Taxi Tester.
ATC Vocabulary Builder
The ATC Vocabulary Builder is a learning program I developed to teach you the language of air traffic control. It is designed for pilots and student pilots who struggle to understand ATC instructions. The program is very helpful for pilots who speak English as a second language. While still in development, it is available for testing at ATCPractice.com
Aircraft Radio Simulator Version 2 Beta Test
- This is Flash-based simulation. You must use a web browser that supports Flash in order to use the simulator.
- The flight simulator is a partially functioning sim that closely mimics, but does not exactly reproduce, the flight characteristics of a Cessna 172.
- The only purpose of this flight simulator is move the radio stack through space and time. This movement forces you to keep up with the changing environment, and adjust your radio calls according to the current situation.
- This simulator is not designed to teach flying skills. It’s flight characteristics are based on aerodynamics, but the characteristics are not completely accurate.
- The simulator will imitate stall behavior, though the result is extremely artificial.
- The simulator will also crash if you allow it to descend to ground level: 2,280 feet MSL at greater than 150 feet per minute. To reset after a crash, cycle the web page. (I’m working on a more elegant solution for resetting.)
Update 15 April 2011. Applicable to the Chrome web browser only: If the sim does not activate, make sure Flash or Shockware Flash is enabled by typing about:plugins in the address bar. Click the plus sign next to “Details” in the browser window’s upper right corner. Check to make sure the latest version of Flash is enabled. If not click “Enable,” and restart Chrome. If “Enable” is active, try cycling “Disable” then “Enable” and restart Chrome. Thank you to David for calling this to our attention.
Tutorial Video (in HD)
I know it’s tempting to go right to the simulator, but please watch the tutorial first. You will save a lot of time and error by watching this tutorial first.
Here’s a 12-minute tutorial on how to get started with the Aircraft Radio Simulator. I suggest clicking “720p HD”, (which, for some ridiculous reason, only becomes visible after hitting “Play”,) and the full-screen icon in the lower right corner of the video player to make this video easier to see. Jeff
This is the Link to the Aircraft Radio Simulator
Simulator not working for you? Try these Occasionally Asked Questions.
Here’s the alpha test version of the Aircraft Radio Situational Awareness Game
This is an alpha test, which means this is not the final version. It is missing some elements.
1. There is no sound for the aircraft simulator.
2. The terrain and airport are very basic.
3. There are only 2 rounds of play for testing, with each round as a stand-alone.
Other thoughts:
These test rounds are relatively easy. The final version will have rounds of increasing difficulty.
Be sure to read all the instructions and all of the hints in the included operating sheet. Not everything in the game is obvious and intuitive.
The first round is the easiest. It operates at an uncontrolled airport. The second round operates at a tower-controlled airport and assumes you know a bit about how traffic flows at a controlled airport.
The point of releasing this alpha is to get feedback from you.
You are my agent in the field, tasked with telling me about what worked and what didn’t work with the program. I am counting on you to get in touch with me after you play by either sending me an email at jeff@atccommunication.com or by leaving a voice message at my Google Voice number: 678-719-2823.
Last note:
I would appreciate it if you would save the downloads of the two rounds of the game to your hard drive rather than uploading the game from my server each time you play. This will help keep deployment costs down and keep the cost of the final version lower.
To download, right click on these links and choose “Save Target As,” or “Save Link As,” and then specify a place on your hard drive to download. Next open the saved operating instructions using Adobe Reader or another .pdf reader. Open each round of the game by using a Flash-compatible browser with the latest version of Flash Player installed. In your browser’s menu, use File–>Open–>[saved filename].swf. The game will open in your browser. Follow the operating instructions.
Right click and save this link (0.36 Mb): Alpha test operating instructions
Right click and save this link (3.9 Mb): Alpha test game Round 1
Right click and save this link (3.9 Mb): Alpha test game Round 2
Bonus! A Downloadable Lineup Card and a Lost Comm Checklist
Download your free copies of our VFR/IFR lineup card to make your flying easier.
This is the link for a .pdf version of the lineup card.
This is the link for a Word .doc version of the lineup card.
Download your free copy of the Lost Comm Checklist to help you troubleshoot a lost communication situation when flying.
This is the link for a .pdf version of the Lost Comm Checklist.
This is the link for a .doc version of the Lost Comm Checklist.
Newsletter Archive
Follow this link to catch up on past issues of Radar Contact.
Answers to the Questions in Radar Contact
Audio Edition #5 for 16 December 2011
Today’s question is a 2-parter.
Part 1: What is a common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF)?
Part 2: If the CTAF is not manned, meaning, when you call on the frequency and no one answers you, what are you expected to do?
Answer to Part 1: A CTAF is a radio frequency used to provide airport information when the airport’s tower is closed. You may find the frequency on a airport’s taxi chart or instrument approach chart. A CTAF is normally manned by a specialist at a flight service station. When contacted, the FSS specialist will give you an airport advisory.
AIM Chapter 4. “Airport advisory service includes wind direction and velocity, favored or designated runway, altimeter setting, known airborne and ground traffic, NOTAMs, airport taxi routes, airport traffic pattern information, and instrument approach procedures.”
The specialist will only provide advisories. He or she will not control traffic at the airport. When the CTAF is in effect, you are responsible for staying safely separated from other aircraft. You are also responsible for your own navigation into and out of the airport.
You should check in with the person manning CTAF approximately 10 miles out from the airport when inbound for landing. When starting out on the ground, contact the specialist before taxi. Give your aircraft call sign, position, and intentions. Example: “Grand Rapids Radio, Archer 560 Victor Uniform, ten miles southeast of Grand Rapids, inbound for landing.”
Once the FSS specialist gives you an update on the airport, announce your positions at key points around the airport traffic pattern. Continue announcing your position until you have landed and taxied clear of the landing runway. If departing, begin announcing when you start to taxi, and continue announcing until you are clear of the airport’s traffic pattern.
Answer to Part 2: If the CTAF is not manned, you can get weather and other information from ATC at a nearby airport, or from ATIS or AWOS. Announce your position at key points around the airport, as you would on any UNICOM frequency. The AIM says you should never ask other pilots in aircraft around the airport for traffic or airport weather information.
Audio Edition #4 for 29 November 2011
There you are, flying just outside of the edge of Raleigh-Durham’s (RDU) Class C airspace. Fuel is running low and you would like to land at RDU sooner, rather than later. You get on the radio and call the approach controller at RDU:
“Raleigh approach, Bad Luck 4228 Charlie, twenty-five miles southwest, landing Raleigh-Durham, VFR.”
Raleigh Approach says, “Bad Luck 4228 Charlie, Raleigh Approach, standby.”
The Question: Should you wait outside of Class C airspace until the controller clears you to enter, or can you enter right now and fly towards RDU?
The Answer: Enter Class C right now and fly towards the airport. The Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM) says: “Class C service requires pilots to establish two‐way radio communications before entering Class C airspace. If the controller responds to a radio call with, “(a/c call sign) standby,” radio communications have been established and the pilot can enter Class C airspace.” (AIM 7-8-4)
If the air traffic controller needs you to hold outside of Class C, he will specifically tell you to, “Remain outside of Class C and standby.” If he doesn’t say “Remain outside,” then come on in, the airspace is fine.
This guidance only applies to Class C airspace. Check the AIM for guidance on entering Class D and Class B airspace when VFR.
Audio Edition #3 for 7 November 2011
If you fly an aircraft with 2 VHF communication radios, you may not use Comm Radio #2 very often. Sometimes Radio #2 is useful for listening to ATIS or contacting Flight Service, while still working with ATC on Radio #1. But, if you are not currently using Radio #2 for any specific reason, what frequency should you tune into Radio #2 and why?
The Answer: It turns out there is no specific requirement to tune anything into Radio #2 unless you are flying over the open ocean or in certain special use airspace. You can even turn Radio #2 off if you wish. However, there is a recommendation for Radio #2.
The Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM) recommends keeping Radio #2 tuned to 121.5, the universal emergency frequency, if you are not using it for anything else. Here is why the AIM recommends this:
“6-5-2 Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT)
d. Inflight Monitoring and Reporting.
1. Pilots are encouraged to monitor 121.5 MHz and/or 243.0 MHz while inflight to assist in identifying possible emergency ELT transmissions.”
The AIM goes on to say, pilots should report hearing the emergency tone from any ELT to any available air traffic facility–ATC or flight service. ELT sends an alarm tone on 121.5 when a plane carrying the ELT crashes. There are other reasons for an ELT to go off, but that’s not our concern. If we hear an ELT, we are supposed to report it.
That’s a good start. Here are even better reasons to tune Radio #2 to 121.5:
- The military and other defense agencies broadcast warnings on 121.5 (also called “Guard,”) whenever a pilot approaches restricted or prohibited airspace. If you get disoriented and blunder towards a restricted area, wouldn’t it be nice to get a warning on Guard before the fighter jets or missiles come up to intercept your airplane?
- If you were talking to ATC and they can’t reach you on your current frequency for whatever reason, the first thing the air traffic controller will try to do is make contact with you on 121.5: “Wrongway 8774 Charlie, if you hear Potomac Approach on Guard, contact Potomac Approach on 127.3.”
- If you have a real emergency, I mean one where you are completely Tango Uniform, wouldn’t it be nice to have the emergency frequency tuned in and ready to go when you need to call for help? The last thing you want when your head is spinning and the plane is about to flip over is the need re-tune a radio to the emergency frequency. It really is the last thing you need. The first thing you need is to fly the airplane and save your own rear end!
Comprende?
Audio Edition #2 for 13 October 2011
You are flying VF and R in Central Florida, under radar contact with Miami Center. You would like to fly direct to the Virginia Key VOR near the City of Miami, but you are too far away for your VOR receiver to pick up the navigation signal from Virginia Key. You call Miami Center: “Miami Center, Cessna 9217 Yankee, request a vector direct to the Virginia Key VOR.”
You expect Miami Center to reply with a heading for you to fly direct to Virginia Key. Instead, this is what you hear:
“November 6-5-4 Kilo Romeo, say your heading for Dolphin VOR.”
“November 6-5-4 Kilo Romeo is heading 185.”
“Miami Center copies.” Then, to you, “Cessna 9217 Yankee, for direct to Virginia Key, fly heading 195.”
The Question: Considering Dolphin and Virginia Key are two different VORs, why did Miami Center ask for N654KR’s heading to Dolphin before issuing you a heading to Virginia Key?
Here’s a clue. The answer to this question is directly related to the first story I told in the audio show about looking for traffic at 12 o’clock but actually finding that traffic at your one to two o’clock position.
The Answer: Notice that Dolphin and Virginia Key are pretty close together. It is likely that N654KR is also pretty close to your airplane, and probably at or very near your altitude. That means N654KR is flying in the same winds aloft as your aircraft. When Miami Center asked the other pilot for his heading to Dolphin, he was comparing the answer the pilot gave–heading 185–to the ground track of that aircraft. In this case, the air traffic controller noticed the radar blip for N654KR was tracking a heading of 175 degrees over the ground as it flew direct to Dolphin. That means, the pilot had to hold a heading of 185 to track 175. The winds aloft were blowing from the west strong enough to require a 10-degree crab to the right as the airplane tracked 175.
The air traffic controller could plot your course to the Virginia Key as 185 degrees, but, based on what the other pilot told him, he knew you would also require a 10-degree crab to the right to fly that 185-degree course. So, he told you to fly a heading of 195 degrees.
Enroute controllers and approach controllers will ask pilots in aircraft with inertial or GPS navigation systems to give them a wind read out from the pilots’ navigation display. The controller will then “plug” the reported winds aloft into their radar’s computer system. The system can then produce a wind-corrected heading when the air traffic controller needs it. If there are no planes in the area with inertial or GPS systems, the controller may ask a pilot his heading, and then make a manual wind correction, for other aircraft, as needed.
Issue: 7 September 2011
There you are on a clear, beautiful day, holding short of the runway, the first of four aircraft in line for takeoff. Your radio is dead. You cannot turn around and return to your parking space via the taxiway because 3 other aircraft block that path. What do you do now? What do you expect the air traffic controller in the airport tower to do?
First, if you can, turn so the tower can see your landing light. Flash your landing light off and on several times. This signals that your radio is not working and you cannot transmit. Do not turn your aircraft if there is a chance of hitting other aircraft near you; or, if turning might put part of your aircraft over the runway hold short line.
If you cannot turn to aim your landing light at the tower, stay where you are and flash your navigation lights off and on several times. This accomplishes the same thing as flashing your landing light, though it may be harder for the controller to see the blinking nav lights during the day.
Even if you do nothing but sit there, the tower controller will try and call you. Once the controller fails to reach you by radio, he will figure out your radio is dead.
Now, you can expect the controller to give you light signals, using a high-intensity light gun hanging on a retractable line in the tower. In the table below, you can see the different types of light signals the controller can use to give you direction. This table comes straight out of the U.S. Federal Regulations. The light signals described in the ICAO Air Traffic Management manual (used in countries outside the U.S.) are the same.
Here’s what you can expect the tower controller to do. After he makes sure no one is going to land, he will give you a flashing green light, meaning, cleared to taxi. At that point, you can taxi on to the runway and continue to the first available intersection. You can expect to see a flashing red light when the controller wants you to exit the runway, but if you don’t see any light, just turn off the runway as soon as possible. (Important: flashing red does not mean stop. It means clear the active runway, so don’t react, as most people would, by stopping on the runway.)
Next, you can expect to see a flashing white light from the tower, meaning, head back to your parking spot. Keep an eye on the tower at all times, because you might get a steady red light, meaning stop. If you do have to stop, watch for the flashing green light, meaning cleared to taxi. Get back to your parking spot and get that radio fixed!
Issue: 17 August 2011
Why didn’t Killjoy Tower clear everyone else out of the traffic pattern and give you priority to land after you declared “Minimum fuel?”
Declaring “Minimum fuel” is an advisory call to ATC. It is not an emergency that requires ATC to give you priority handling. According to the Aeronautical Information Manual, declaring “Minimum fuel” is a status that tells ATC “. . . your fuel supply has reached a state where, upon reaching destination, you cannot accept any undue delay.”
The words “undue delay” are open to interpretation, but they generally mean a delay caused by ATC, not a delay caused by the general flow of traffic. For example, if the timing of your arrival in the airport traffic pattern requires you to get in line behind 3 other aircraft for landing, that is not an undue delay.
If, once established on the downwind leg for landing, ATC told you to break out of the traffic pattern and circle south of the field to allow other aircraft to get in front of you, that might be an example of an undue delay. ATC will not do this to you, except to make room for another aircraft with an emergency.
If you need to get on the ground right now because you figure you will run out of fuel by following the normal flow of traffic, declare an emergency. Declaring an emergency will give you priority for landing.
P.S. Remind me to tell you some day about the pilot who ran his airplane out of fuel after 5 failed attempts to land in foggy weather at 3 different airports in Atlanta.
Discussion Area
Use the comment area below to discuss your test of the Aircraft Radio Simulator, your experiences with ATC, or anything else that’s on your mind.
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