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General

Issuance of Clearance

ATC Clearance Given to a Pilot:

  • (Aircraft Call Sign) CLEARED TO (or FOR) (Clearance)
    • Example: "N52515, runway 10, cleared to land."
    • Example: "N11444, runway 33R, cleared for take-off."

Reporting a Clearance from Another ATC Unit:

  • (Name of Unit) CLEARS (Aircraft Call Sign) TO (Clearance)

Modified Clearance Given by ATC:

  • RECLEARED (Amended Clearance Details) [Rest of Clearance Unchanged]
  • RECLEARED (Amended Route Portion) TO (Significant Point of Original Route) [Rest of Clearance Unchanged]

Clearance may apply to departure, arrival, crossing zones, flight plan changes, etc.

Indicating Route and Clearance Limit:

  • FROM (Location) TO (Location)
  • TO (Location)
  • TO (Location), DIRECT
  • TO (Location), VIA (Route and/or Significant Points)
  • TO (Location), FLIGHT PLANNED ROUTE
  • TO (Location), VIA (Distance) DME ARC (Direction) OF (Name of DME Station)

When Clearance Cannot Be Issued or Followed by ATC or Pilot:

  • (Route) NOT AVAILABLE DUE (Reason). ALTERNATIVE(S) IS/ARE (Routes). ADVISE.
  • CANNOT BE ISSUED
  • UNABLE, TRAFFIC (Direction) BOUND (Type of Aircraft) (Level)
  • ESTIMATED (or OVER) (Significant Point) AT (Time) CALL SIGN
  • (Call Sign) ADVISE INTENTIONS.

Level Instructions

ATC may instruct aircraft to fly at a specific level, transmitted as:

  • FLIGHT LEVEL (Number)
  • (Number) METRES
  • (Number) FEET

Examples:

  • FLIGHT LEVEL 90
  • 300 METRES
  • 8500 FEET

Speed Control

ATC Speed Instructions:

  • REPORT SPEED
  • MAINTAIN (Number) KILOMETRES PER HOUR (or KNOTS) [OR GREATER / OR LESS] [UNTIL (Point)]
  • DO NOT EXCEED (Number) KILOMETRES PER HOUR (or KNOTS)
  • MAINTAIN PRESENT SPEED
  • INCREASE (or REDUCE) SPEED TO (Number) KILOMETRES PER HOUR (or KNOTS) [OR GREATER / OR LESS]
  • INCREASE (or REDUCE) SPEED BY (Number) KILOMETRES PER HOUR (or KNOTS)
  • RESUME NORMAL SPEED
  • REDUCE TO MINIMUM APPROACH SPEED
  • REDUCE TO MINIMUM CLEAN SPEED
  • RESUME PUBLISHED SPEED

Canceling Speed Restrictions:

  • NO [ATC] SPEED RESTRICTIONS

Pilot Response to Speed Queries:

  • SPEED (Number) KILOMETRES PER HOUR (or KNOTS)

Transponder Mode and Code

ATC Instructions to Change or Check Transponder Mode and Code:

  • RESET SQUAWK [(Mode)] (Code)
  • CONFIRM SQUAWK (Code)

Pilot Readback:

  • RESETTING [(Mode)] (Code)
  • SQUAWKING (Code)

Squawk IDENT Procedure:

  • SQUAWK [(Code)] [AND] IDENT

ATC Request for Suspension of Transponder Operation:

  • SQUAWK STANDBY

ATC Request for Emergency Squawk (MAYDAY):

  • SQUAWK MAYDAY [CODE SEVEN-SEVEN-ZERO-ZERO]

ATC Request for ADS-B Altitude Transmission:

  • SQUAWK CHARLIE
  • TRANSMIT ADS-B ALTITUDE

Level Changes, Reports, and Rates

Climb Instructions:

  • CLIMB TO (Level)
  • CLIMB TO AND MAINTAIN BLOCK (Level) TO (Level)
  • CLIMB TO REACH (Level) AT (Time or Significant Point)
  • CLIMB TO (Level), REPORT LEAVING/REACHING/PASSING (Level)
  • CLIMB AT (Number) FEET PER MINUTE [OR GREATER/LESS]
  • CLIMB AT (Number) METRES PER SECOND [OR GREATER/LESS]

Descent Instructions:

  • DESCEND TO (Level)
  • DESCEND TO AND MAINTAIN BLOCK (Level) TO (Level)
  • DESCEND TO REACH (Level) AT (or BY) (Time or Significant Point)
  • DESCEND, REPORT LEAVING (or REACHING, or PASSING) (Level)
  • DESCEND AT (Number) FEET PER MINUTE [OR GREATER/LESS]
  • DESCEND AT (Number) METRES PER SECOND [OR GREATER/LESS]

Emergency and ACAS Procedures

TCAS Alert Management:

Pilot response after initiating deviation due to ACAS (RA):

  • Pilot: TCAS RA
  • ATC: ROGER

When clear of conflict and returning to ATC clearance:

  • Pilot: CLEAR OF CONFLICT, RETURNING TO (Assigned Clearance)
  • ATC: ROGER (or Alternative Instructions)

When resuming original clearance after RA resolution:

  • Pilot: CLEAR OF CONFLICT, (Assigned Clearance) RESUMED
  • ATC: ROGER (or Alternative Instructions)

If ATC issues a contradictory instruction during an RA event:

  • Pilot: UNABLE, TCAS RA
  • ATC: ROGER

Vectoring and Maneuver Instructions

Vectoring for Spacing or Separation:

  • MAKE A THREE SIXTY TURN LEFT (or RIGHT) [Reason]
  • ORBIT LEFT (or RIGHT) [Reason]
  • MAKE ALL TURNS RATE ONE (or RATE HALF, or (Number) DEGREES PER SECOND), START AND STOP ALL TURNS ON THE COMMAND "NOW"
  • TURN LEFT (or RIGHT) NOW
  • STOP TURN NOW

Vectoring Reasons:

  • DUE TRAFFIC
  • FOR SPACING
  • FOR DELAY
  • FOR DOWNWIND (or BASE, or FINAL)

Transfer of Control and Frequency Changes

ATC Transfer Instructions:

  • CONTACT (Unit Call Sign) (Frequency) [NOW]
  • WHEN READY CONTACT (Unit Call Sign) (Frequency)
  • REMAIN THIS FREQUENCY

Pilot Request for Frequency Change:

  • REQUEST CHANGE TO (Frequency)
  • ATC: FREQUENCY CHANGE APPROVED

Aerodrome and Meteorological Information

Runway and Surface Conditions:

  • RUNWAY SURFACE CONDITION RUNWAY (Number) (Condition)
  • CAUTION CONSTRUCTION WORK (Location)
  • CAUTION (Reason) LEFT/RIGHT/BOTH SIDES OF RUNWAY (Number)

Wind and Weather Reports:

  • [SURFACE] WIND (Number) DEGREES (Speed) (Units)
  • RUNWAY VISUAL RANGE (or RVR) RUNWAY (Number) (Distance) (Units)
  • PRESENT WEATHER (Details)
  • TEMPERATURE [MINUS] (Number) (and/or DEWPOINT [MINUS] (Number))
  • QNH (Number) [Units]
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