If you’ve ever listened to pilots talk on the radio, it probably sounds like a foreign language. Something like initial call on the ground looking to taxi to active runway:
“Wiley Post Tower, November Six Eight Hotel Niner Charlie is at PWA, looking for flight following to KOKC, Kilo Oscar Kilo Charlie, with information Mike.”
That’s a lot of words packed into one sentence, let's break it down.
First, we say who we’re calling: Wiley Post Tower.
Then we say who we are: November Six Eight Hotel Niner Charlie; that’s the airplane’s tail number N64H9C, spoken in the phonetic alphabet.
Next comes where we are: at PWA (that’s the airport we’re currently at).
Then what we want: flight following, basically asking ATC to keep an eye on us and help with traffic along the way.
Then where we’re going: KCHK (another airport, also spelled phonetically).
And finally, with information Mike, that just means we’ve listened to the latest weather and airport info, so they don’t have to repeat it.
It sounds fast and complicated, but it’s really just a structured way to say: “Hey, this is me, this is where I am, this is what I want, and I’m ready when you are.”
Pilots don’t talk this way to sound cool or exclusive (though...we do sound cool here!). We talk this way because it’s clear, efficient, and leaves very little room for misunderstanding, especially when multiple airplanes are all sharing the same frequency.
If you want to hear this in real life, LiveATC is a great rabbit hole. Choose your airport, hit play, and listen to pilots and towers do their thing.
