"Ask ATC" Blog

The 3 Pillars of Safe Flying

Often when learning to fly, prioritizing all the tasks one is faced with can be an overwhelming process. At first, just keeping the airplane straight and level  takes all of the student's concentration. Once the basic skills have been mastered, the instructor begins to coach the student to start talking on the radio.

Now for the first time, the student's attention is diverted from  flying the aircraft as they  tune radio frequencies and try to remember the call sign  of the airplane they are flying. Suddenly, maintaining heading an altitude becomes a difficulty once again. Add to this the challenge of navigating. Once the trainee has successfully set the aircraft up for level flight they need to make sure they are headed in the right direction!  All of these new responsibilities can be daunting for the novice pilot as the distractions begin to divert his or her attention away from flying the airplane.

A quick study of accident statistics will show that even experienced pilots often fall into the same trap. It all comes down to priorities. "Aviate, navigate, communicate." While at the controls of an airplane, nothing takes precedence over the flying of the aircraft. As pilot-in-command, that is and always will be your first priority. Keep the airplane safe. Once that is taken care of determine  where you are going, especially if flying IFR. 

As long as the airplane is under control and you know where you are headed, it is important to communicate with air traffic control (ATC). The ATC system is predicated on clear and concise communication between pilot and controller. Proper communication is critically important, especially in congested airspace.

For new pilots who ARE native speakers of English, understanding how to communicate with ATC is a daunting task. For non-native speakers, it is a much greater challenge. While we can't teach you how to fly or navigate your airplane, we are going to help you with the third critical element - communicating. The founders of ATCreadback are pilots as well as air traffic controllers. We were once student pilots, struggling to get the right words out over the radio. We are currently ATC professionals who deal with international flights and pilots of various languages and skill levels. We understand the challenges. We understand what it takes to communicate in the "real world." We also understand that traditional English language schools and ICAO level 4 programs are not meeting that need.

Keep informed as we provide regular updates on our program as well as information that we feel may help you become a better pilot, controller or enthusiast.