Annoying Things Pilots Say on the Radio

Going over some common mistakes that people make on the radio. Let me know if I missed any (or if I'm wrong!)

[charlesriley]

I took my MEI Checkride couple weeks ago- I kept saying "With You at 8000." My big time United Captain DPE was getting very annoyed. I couldn't stop saying it.... he kept getting more irritated- I thought he was going to flunk me! He even brought it up to me in the debrief. I have been in therapy and been working on it- and I no longer say "with you!"

It was pretty funny... The DPE is a friend of mine- I sent him your video. We both had a good laugh! Great stuff

[AkPacerPilot]

26 years in the fire service and 15 years flying. I use radios on a regular frequent basis, in some of the most stressful situations you can imagine. My advice for radio traffic… think what you want to say, say it once (at least in your head if not out loud), if you have to take a breath before you’ve finished, rethink what you are going to say. Once you know what you’re going to say, listen for a break in traffic, key the mic, take a breath, say what you practiced, take a breath, release the mic.

This does a couple of things. It helps you be concise, keeps the message short, makes sure you aren’t interrupting, the breath before speaking and after speaking while still having the mic on, insures you didn’t cut off your message early. If you can’t make your message in one breath, it’s too long.

[WeekendFlier]

New pilot here, less than 100 hours. I was doing the left/right final one because I called left crosswind, downwind, and base, I just thought it was the logical thing to do until my instructor informed me otherwise and now I don't do that anymore. The other one I need to work on, being a little long winded on my initial call with intentions into uncontrolled field. It's usually because I haven't fully thought it through first, definitely need to work on that one for sure. Thanks for the tips!

[GlenAndFriendsCooking]

6:18 I take exception to this point. If you are flying your American registered aircraft in Canada you have to use the ‘November’ and full registration on every call; just like when I fly into the U.S.A. I am now required to always say my entire Charlie Foxtrot Mike Victor Uniform on every call to ATC. Using the whole registration (Canadian in USA / USA in Canada) changed a few years ago - and some ATC are sticklers for it, and some let it slide.

When Flying here in Canada I’m required on my initial call to each new ATC to say Foxtrot Mike Victor Uniform (dropping the Charlie as understood) - which then usually gets shortened to Mike Victor Uniform. Though some controllers are now starting to use the entire registration here at home as well.

[jimmykingsborough]

I like your review of annoying transmissions. I am celebrating 50 years of having pilots license. Back in the day, when ATC called out traffic, we would respond by saying " Tally Ho' or "No Joy". This was quick and sweet.

[OneAlphaMike]

One of my biggest pet peeves is pilots calling for their clearance like this: "clearance on request to Charlotte." No. "Clearance on request" is ATC's response to you while they obtain your clearance, it's not what you say when you ask for it. You just say, "Tampa clearance, callsign, IFR to Charlotte." (Add ATIS code or gate, as necessary.)

[dreamcreator]

I don’t see using “Full Stop” as a bad thing or unnecessary. It does give incoming traffic what to expect of the landing aircraft. Depending on your location in the air or on the ground it gives you the pilot’s intentions. If the landing traffic needs to go around they will announce that if it happens. Great video !

[Csailor]

I don’t care what y’all say, just keep it short on a busy freq. Nothing worse than trying to check in on NY Approach and having some guy do a long-winded morning NY approach this is Skyhawk November 12345 with you…”

Comm. Brevity.

[scottstp]

When I’m approaching an uncontrolled airport and it sounds quiet with nobody in the area, I appreciate hearing someone announce that they’re taxiing out to runway bla bla

[Chrisovideos]

Here in Southern Ontario Canada, the one that drives me nuts is when someone comes on the radio and after their call sign uses the word "currently" to describe their position (Currently 10 miles south of... at xxxx feet). Just state your altitude and location! We know it's "current" because you're announcing it. For long winded radio callers I nick name them "podcasters" Unfortunately lots of instructors are guilty of being podcasters, which makes their students podcasters too.

[skyhawkadventures]

Great issue to bring up to help folks.
FYI “November” on an American aircraft initial call with a controller is required in anywhere in North America, excerpt the USA.
If the controller shortens it on a reply, then you can shorten it on subsequent transmissions.
However, each time you check in with a new controller, you should once again use your full call sign,
if it’s a foreign aircraft to whatever country you’re flying in, you have to use your full call sign on your initial call.
Another pet peeve of mine is any call that ends with “conflicting aircraft please advise.” It’s redundant. That’s the whole point of the transmission.
Happy flying.

[luscombe]

Preach. Nicely done. I also hate it when people say “traffic” at the end of their calls.

[joecritch]

I’m a Canadian pilot and I’ve noticed that most US pilots reading back everything the controller says. In Canada we only read back hold short instructions. Not “taxi alpha, bravo, right on delta, cross 23 and we’ll call you back on 120.10 holding short of rwy 30. Holy moly just read back “hold short 30”. Thats it unless the ruling is different down there that i don’t know about but i’ve never been chastised by ATC yet.
As far as call signs go. whatever the controller calls you, you must repeat the same. If he/she uses your whole call sign then you need to repeat the same. if they don’t use N you don’t use N. If they say 8MP then you say 8MP. No need to say aircraft type or model every time you communicate with ATC. Only on initial contact. They say 8MP climb and maintain 5000. You say “5000 8MP”. He/She will see you climb on radar. If they can’t see you on radar they will say “8MP climb and report level 5000”. You say “report 5000 8MP. Thats it nothing else unless they ask for it. It’s their ball game!! Anyhow i love flying in the US. So many beautiful airports and wonderful people there. I always say about aviation in the US “every town seems to have an airport or every airport has its own town”. Lol. CGNBR PA28

[CampainAlaska-epsd]

Used to love hearing a pilot tell me “Fog all the way to the ground” when giving a PIREP or telling me they could maintain visual separation with another SVFR aircraft that was going in a direction 180 degrees from their direction in 1 mile visibility.

[DesertRat]

Amen sir. I’m leaving this comment at 1:30 into the video, because…. during your setup, I started thinking “what is the 1st thing he’s going to list?” Sure enough it’s “with you.!” I still remember a crusty old check pilot going on a rant about this many years ago, and I then realized I wasn’t the only one who thought this was dumb. But I recall hearing “with you” when I was an impressionable young student pilot and assuming it was cool lingo. Eventually I learned that measured, judicious use of words is most effective. I can only assume you will go on to say “reading back every word of a controller’s transmission, ’ as opposed to the required items. I’ll continue watching to find out. Good topic that many could learn from!

[Mikex]

The worst violators of radio etiquette are YouTube pilots. OMG! Some of them are chatty, chatty, chatty. They respond unnecessarily, volunteer irrelevant information, and flirt with controllers.

[capntodd]

Good info on the "traffic in sight" question. I tend to tell approach I've got the traffic on ADS-B; I didn't realized they don't need that info. I'll stop now!

[vrotait]

Nicely done John, and six minutes to the new year. I hope you, Maddy, Quinn and the whole lovely family are having a lovely break over the new year break. I've noticed some American pilots saying blah, blah, blah "for 123AB". That one grinds my gears and I'm not even in your country! Cheers from a cold and wet NZL, David (Where's summer?!)

[rickroberts]

Best part: "Don't say things that don't exist" 😆Great advice while in the pattern and in life in general ;)

[streettosky]

I always appreciate “full stop” especially when they have been doing pattern work consistently as it’s going to take them a lot more time to get off the active runway than if they are doing touch and goes. I will definitely extend my downwind a bit more If I hear full stop as I will quickly eat up the full stop traffic when my field that I am at is long with turn offs only at both ends and training aircraft never land long to get closer to the end turnoff.