Preview chapter - 3. Aircraft position

Chapter contents

• 3.1 Aircraft position before taxiing
• 3.2 Taxiing on airport runway system
• 3.3 Aircraft position en route
• 3.4 Announcing Aircraft position in the circuit
• 3.5 Real Communication Recordings
• 3.6 Test – Chapter 3

3. Aircraft position

Communicating correctly the aircraft position is critically important as otherwise your flight would become uncontrollable and therefore dangerous. This chapter will teach you the appropriate expressions and recommendations for you to be able to advise the controllers or other pilots of your position during flight and on the ground. At the end of the chapter you will also find section Real Communication recordings containing recordings of real life communication of aircraft position in various flight situation. You will also have the opportunity to hear the recordings made by professionals and to record and improve your own skills when communicating aircraft position.

_{Video 1: Reporting your position}

_{This video offers you some tips how to report your position to the dispatcher/controller on the ground and during your flight.}

_{Video 2: Departure from Heraklion airport at Crete}

_{On this video you can follow the various positions of the aircraft on the ground and in the circuit. In addition the video shows you the beauty of VFR flying in exotic conditions.}

3.1 Aircraft position before taxiing

Before you start communicating at an airport that you are not familiar with it is critical to be able to communicate your position of the aircraft at that particular airport. The best option is to ask someone local who is knowledgeable with the code names and numbers used for various parts of that airport, hangars, buildings etc. If you don´t find anyone then you should prepare your own definition of your position. You can use the geographical directions and specify your position in relation to the tower (e.g. OK ZAA AT THE APRON SOUTH EAST OF THE TOWER) or some other airport landmark including some bigger aircraft parked visibly (OK ZAA AT THE APRON NEXT TO THE BLACK AND WHITE GULFSTREAM)

The message can also sound like this:

Pilot: LINZ GROUND, OK ZAA AT THE GENERAL AVIATION PARKING.

or

Pilot: BEMBRIDGE RADIO, OK ZAA AT THE GRASS PARKING SOUTH OF RUNWAY ZERO SEVEN.

or

Pilot: SKOPJE TOWER, OK ZAA AT THE PARKING SOUTH OF CONTROL TOWER.

_{Picture 1 – Bolzano airport. In the situation pictured here, the initial transmisson (after start up) could be as follows: BOLZANO RADIO, OSKAR KILO LIMA ECHO X-RAY, DYNAMIC WHISKEY TANGO NINER, AT GENERAL AVIATION GRASS PARKING IN ROW TREE, AFTER START UP, READY TO TAXI FOR DEPARTURE TO LKPM.}

3.2 Taxiing on the airport taxiway and runway system

In addition to the runway all airports have a taxiway or at least some rules for taxiing to/from the runway. Before you fly to a new airport it is important to check its diagram showing the location of the airport facilities as well as taxiway and runways. The need to study the diagram increases with the size of the airport. It is next to impossible to follow the taxi instructions of the controller if you do not know where the specific taxiway or runway are located.

The taxi instruction can sound as follows:

_{Video 3: Departure from Rhodos International Airport}

Yet another video which demonstrates the various positions of the aircraft on the ground and in the circuit. Here too you can enjoy  the beauty of international VFR flying.

Controller: OK ZAA, TAXI VIA TAXIWAY CHARLIE AND DELTA TO HOLDING POINT BRAVO, RUNWAY TWO SEVEN. HOLD SHORT OF RUNWAY TWO SEVEN AT BRAVO.

or

Controller: OK ZAA TAXI VIA DELTA, CROSS RUNWAY ONE TWO AND CONTINUE VIA ALPHA TO HOLDING POINT BRAVO, RUNWAY TWO SEVEN.

If you are at an unknown more complex airport you may get lost or you may just suddenly be unsure of your position or direction for taxiing. In such a case you may ask the controller for example in the following manner:

Pilot: SKOPJE TOWER PLEASE ADVISE WHICH DIRECTION I SHOULD TURN, OK ZAA.

If it gets too complex for you and your feel that your unable to carry out the controllers instructions with full confidence then it is best to ask for PROGRESSIVE INSTRUCTIONS. The communication can sound like this:

Pilot: SKOPJE TOWER OK ZAA REQUESTING PROGRESSIVE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS. 

In no case you should taxi at a controlled airport if you are not certain that you understood the instruction correctly and that you know where you are and where you are supposed to taxi. Also never taxi at a controlled airport before you were instructed to do so by the controller.

_{Picture 2 – Lanseria airport. Here the pilot of "our aircraft" OK ZAA received the following instruction from Lanseria GND controller: OK ZAA, HOLD SHORT OF TAXIWAY ALPHA ON ALPHA TWO FOR TAXIING TRAFFIC.}

_{Picture 3 – Sion airport. Here the message from "our" OK ZAA pilot looked like this:} 

Pilot: SION GROUND, OK ZAA HOLDING SHORT OF RUNWAY TWO FIVE ON BRAVO.

3.3 Aircraft position en route

From time to time the controllers will ask you to specify your actual position (REPORT/ADVISE YOUR POSITION or SAY YOUR POSITION). The controller may also ask you to specify your position as part of your initial call. The controllers may also ask you REPORT/WHAT IS YOUR NEXT REPORTING POINT? It is therefore always important to be clear where you are and towards what point you are heading. The AIPs of some countries also specify that your reporting points should not but further apart than 30 minutes of flight.

The communication with the controller may sound like this:

Dispatcher: OK ZAA, REPORT YOUR POSITION.

Pilot: TEN MILES SOUTH OF LFGC AIRPORT AT TREE TOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED FEET, OK ZAA.

or

Pilot: FIVE MILES EAST OF VEKEN IFR POINT AT NINER TOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED FEET, OK ZAA.

Note:

You should use to a maximum extent VFR/IFR, radio navigation facilities (VOR/NDB) etc. when planning your flight. Their position is precisely defined and they are easier to use in your communication with the controllers than if you used geographical names. Using geographical location names is not prohibited but with your pronunciation which will be definitely different from that of the local controller it might be difficult to agree where you actually are. Also, it may be difficult for the controller to locate you on the map if you used some less known geographical location. Also, try to avoid planning your route with reference to airports. This because using airports as navigation/reporting points will take you to their ATZ. Then you would have to pay more attention to the local traffic and communication with the airport radio.

If you fly over the sea or unknown terrain without any easily defined points you can also specify your position by using the GPS co-ordinates.

_{Picture 7 – Statue of Liberty. One of the reporting points used for reporting aircraft location during during a flight around Manahattan over Hudson river. The aircraft flying this scenic rout must SELF ANNOUNCE at several pre-determined points. Here the communication would look like this:} 

Pilot: HUDSON TRAFFIC, OK ZAA, CESSNA ONE SEVEN TWO, FROM NORTH TO SOUTH, OVER STATUE OF LIBERTY AT ONE TOUSAND FEET, ONE HUNDRED KNOTS, HUDSON.

_{Picture 5 –Philadelphia International Airport. Picture was taken during a VFR crossing at 4500 feet – the communication at this point went approximately like this:} 

Pilot: PHILADELPHIA APPROACH, OK ZAA NORTH OF TRESHOLD RUNWAY ONE FIVE AT FOUR TOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED FEET, PROCEEDING TO THE NORTH.

Controller: OK ZAA, ROGER, CONTINUE HEADING TREE FIVE ZERO AT FOUR TOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED FEET, MAINTAIN VFR AND ADVISE CROSSING CTR BOUNDARY.

3.4 Position announcements in the circuit

As you definitely know there is a standard phraseology used for specifying the aircraft position in the circuit. The basic parts of the circuit (PATTERN in the USA) are UPWIND, CROSSWIND, DOWNWIND, BASE, FINAL. It is often important to specify the position more precisely. The terminology used for more precise specification differs slightly in relation to the country/continent you are flying in.

The downwind leg may be divided up into EARLY DOWNWIND, MIDFIELD DOWNWIND AND EXTENDED/LATE DOWNWIND, the final leg may be LONG FINAL/FINAL or SHORT FINAL. ABEAM THE NUMBERS – is used in the v USA while in Europe you hear more often the expressions ABEAM THE TRESHOLD or LATE DOWNWIND. Given the importance of this issue you find below an animation showing an aircraft icon moving in the circuit. You can listen to the position announcements which correspond to the aircraft position. As always, you can also record and keep improving your own circuit position announcements.  

_{Video 4: Landing at Rhodos International Airport}

^{Another video which helps you to recognize various positions of the aircraft during arrival and taxiing at an controlled airport.}

Animation No 1 displays the position reports at the airport traffic circle/pattern. You can listen to all the reports and then record yours. 

_{Animation 1: Aircraft positions in the circuit/pattern} 

Pilot: BENAVENTE RADIO, OK ZAA CESSNA ONE SEVEN TWO ENTERING LEFT DOWNWIND RUNWAY TREE SIX.

or

Pilot: BEMBRIDGE TRAFFIC, OK ZAA CESSNA ONE SEVEN TWO STRAIGHT IN APPROACH RUNWAY TREE ZERO, BEMBRIDGE.

or

Pilot: JERSEY TOWER, OK ZAA CESSNA ONE SEVEN TWO, FIVE MILES SOUTH AT TWO TOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED FEET ON QNH ONE ZERO ZERO SIX REQUEST LANDING INSTRUCTIONS.

Controller: OK ZAA, ROGER, ENTER RIGHT DOWNWIND RUNWAY ZERO EIGHT AT ONE TOUSAND FEET QNH ONE ZERO ZERO FOUR AND REPORT TURNING BASE.

Pilot: JERSEY TOWER, ENTERING RIGHT DOWNWIND RUNWAY ZERO EIGHT AT ONE TOUSAND FEET QNH ONE ZERO ZERO FOUR. WILL REPORT TURNING BASE, OK ZAA.

Controller: OK ZAA , EXTEND YOUR DOWNWIND FOR INCOMING TRAFFIC ON FINAL RUNWAY ZERO EIGHT, I WILL CALL YOUR BASE.

Pilot: EXTENDING DOWNWIND AND EXPECTING YOU TO CALL MY BASE, OK ZAA.

3.5 Real Communication Recordings

In this section you can listen to recordings of real flight communication related to Chapter 3. These were recorded during flights in various countries in several continents. The recordings are sorted into sections corresponding to specific situations in or phases of a VFR flight. Each of the recordings is accompanied with a note clarifying an interesting part of the recording or pointing to a specific issue. All recordings contained in this application can be found in Chapter 11. 

Aircraft position during flight

1 - Position reports within ATZ of a Non Towered airport – USA

_{Examples of various reports by pilots approaching an uncontrolled airport.} 

2 - Position report over VFR/IFR point

_{When crossing TMA/CTR the controller usually wants the pilot to report over VFR/IFR points within the CTR/TMA. With navigation applications it is mostly not a difficult task. The reporting points sometime identify the boundary between CTR and TMA or uncontrolled airspace. It is also the case in this recording.} 

3 - Position report using distance/direction

_{In the absence of predefined reporting points or visible objects on the ground it is possible to use distance and direction like in this recording.} 

4 - Position report over a navigation point (VFR)

_{The pilot in this recording advises the controller that he is reaching a point which the controller asked him to report. This is often done for frequency change to the next ATC service or for safe seperation from other aircraft.} 

5 - Position report over a navigation point (VFR)

_{Here the pilot informs the controller of reaching the defined point and recieves a new reporting point for the next leg of his journey.}

6 - Position report using time to arrival

_{Here the pilot informs AFIS at an UNCONTROLLED/NON TOWERED airport of his distance using time before arriving. This may be a better option for ensuring sufficient sequencing of a group of aircraft arriving to the same airport within a short period of time like in this case.} 

7 - Position report within the circuit/pattern - Canada

_{The pilot informs traffic in the ATZ of an UNCONTROLLED/NON TOWERED airport of his position in the circuit/pattern.} 

8 - Position report within the circuit/pattern - Canada

_{Pilot informs traffic in the ATZ of an UNCONTROLLED/NON TOWERED airport of his position in the circuit/pattern.} 

9 - Position report using geographical description

_{The pilot was instructed to report “south coast” when leaving the CTR. Then he received instruction to contact DEPARTURE to continue his flight within the airport´s TMA.}

10 - Position reports within CTR

_{Requested position reports provided to the TWR controller by the pilot flying through his CTR.}

11 - Position report by pilot arriving to an uncontrolled airport

_{The pilot specifies his position and the runway at which he intends to land.}

12 - Position report by pilot arriving to an uncontrolled airport

_{The pilot specifies his position and the runway at which he intends to land.}

13 - Position report when approaching airport

_{The controller requests the pilot to advise his position at a time of approaching the airport.}

Aircraft position on the ground

1 - Reporting vacating runway - Canada

_{The pilot informs the traffic at an uncontrolled airport that he vacated the active runway. He uses just the expression ACTIVE.}

3.6 Test - Chapter 3

In this test you can verify the knowledge you have acquired by studying Chapter 3 as well as your ability to correctly understand main information in some of the real flight recordings. Please click below.

Aircraft position TEST