ATC Radio Trainer

Airspace is divided into controlled and uncontrolled airspace. Classes A, B, C, D are controlled. All others are uncontrolled.

In Estonia there are only two Control Zones (CTRs):

• Tali CTR (Tallinn) — surface to 1,700 ft
• Amari CTR (Ämari) — surface to 1,700 ft

CTR includes runways and taxiways, not just air. The tower controller controls both air and ground traffic.

Visual flights in Estonia are limited to 1,200 ft max within the CTR (500 ft buffer below the 1,700 ft ceiling).

Flight Information Zones (FIZ) can be active only certain hours. You can fly without talking to them outside active times.

NATO phonetic alphabet is essential. Practice spelling your call sign and waypoints.

Numbers: spoken digit-by-digit (e.g., 135.905 = "one three five decimal nine zero five").

• Exception: altitudes/headings can use hundreds (e.g., "1,200 feet")
• Frequencies: "one one nine decimal one zero zero" — concise sounds more professional

Time: only minutes when airborne (e.g., "55" not "1855"). If past the next hour, use the next hour's minutes.

Standard call structure:

Call sign shortening: First letter + last two letters (e.g., "Oscar Victor Yankee" for "Oscar Hotel Charlie Victor Yankee").

Must know by heart. Every radio communication exam has a question about these.

Setting 7700 turns your squawk red on ATC screens and gives you priority.

1. Mayday — life-threatening emergency
2. Pan-Pan — urgent but not life-threatening
3. QDM request — pilot is lost, requesting magnetic bearing to airfield
4. Normal communication — routine ATC exchanges
5. Weather requests
6. Non-essential — taxi requests, restaurant info, etc.

QDM: Magnetic bearing from the station to the aircraft.

QTE: Direction from aircraft to station.

Controllers see on radar which direction your transmission comes from. Always magnetic (aircraft only have magnetic compasses).

Rarely used in practice but appears on exams. Only gives direction, not distance.

Flight plan must be filed 30 minutes before departure.

ATIS (Automatic Terminal Information Service):

• Updated every 30 minutes
• Each has a letter code (e.g., Hotel)
• Note the letter and QNH (barometric pressure)

Standard traffic circuit:
Takeoff → Crosswind → Downwind → Base → Final → Touchdown

Step 1 — Initial Call (on apron):

Response:

Readback — repeat all three items: route, altitude, squawk + call sign.

Step 2 — Taxi:

Step 3 — Line up:

Step 4 — Takeoff:

Do not read back wind/weather — only the clearance.

Step 5 — Touch and go:

Step 6 — Traffic separation:

Options:

• "Traffic inside" — I see it → "Continue approach as number two"
• "Looking out" — I don't see it → "Orbit right"

Step 7 — Full stop:

Backtrack: If you need the full runway length to turn around:

Instrument flying is easier — autopilot, flight management system, follow vectors. Visual flying requires constant looking and thinking.

Pilots with instrument rating can switch between VFR and IFR mid-flight, but must inform ATC.

Visual approach: Last part of an IFR flight done visually.

Autoland: Category III airports (e.g., Berlin) allow fully automatic landing in very bad weather. Pilots don't touch the yoke.

In Tallinn, minimum decision height is 200 ft (~60m). With local knowledge, can go to ~100 ft (30m).

• In the beginning, stress is high — everyone is listening, instructor is next to you
• Gets easier in a "couple of months" — eventually you'll know what the controller will say before they say it
• Controllers may speak fast or have accented English — but if you know the procedure, you already know what they're saying
• Write down ATIS letter and QNH on paper — don't rely on memory
• Read back everything except weather/wind
• Practice with radio simulators or games

Run 1 — Standard Circuit:

Run 2 — With Backtrack: