The Pilot's Radio Communications Handbook (First Edition, Fourth Printing), 1984, 1984

Document Type: Textbook (Technical).

Purpose: Training and Education.

Authority: Author Expertise.

Scope (from Introduction): "It's not just hems and haws from fledgling pilots that are disturbing; those we expect and could live with. Instead, it's the garbled, disjointed communications, the incomplete communications, the air-consuming hesitations, the rambling, the lack of knowing what to say and how to say it and, in some cases, the failure to communicate at all that arouse concerns. These are the symptoms that a void exists—a void either in the literature available or in the pilot training process itself. In the effort to fill the apparent void, this book has two primary purposes: to contribute to increased safety in flight through timely and correctly worded communications; and to equip the student and licensed pilot with the knowledge of radio communications and the various ground facilities so that his or her flight horizons are expanded beyond the local controlled or uncontrolled airport. Designed primarily, but not exclusively, for the VER pilot, the book discusses the whole spectrum of radio facilities and communicating responsibilities. First there is Multicom, where only aircraft-to-aircraft self-announce messages are exchanged. Then comes a similar treatment of Unicom, followed by Flight Service Stations, Ground Control, the tower, Approach and Departure Control, and the Air Route Traffic Control Centers. Accompanying the discussion of the various facilities are explanations of what each does, how to determine the proper frequencies, and most important, innumerable literal examples of what the pilots should expect to hear and how he should respond."

Contents (from the Table of Contents): Introduction 1. A Case for Communication Skills 2. The Whys and Wherefores of Multicom 3. Unicorn 4. Flight Service Stations 5. Automatic Terminal Information Service (ATIS) 6. Ground Control 7. The Control Tower 8. TCAs, TRSAs, Radar Airports, and the Like 9. Departure and Approach Control 10. Air Route Traffic Control Centers 11. In the Event of Radio Failure 12. A Cross-Country—To Put it All Together 13. A Final Word Glossary Abbreviations Index