Chapter 1
The Four W’s of Radio Calls
Who you are calling, Who you are, Where you are, What you want
Clear radio transmission hinges on brevity and standard format. Whenever keying the microphone, compose your transmission mentally beforehand using the Four W’s.
For example: "Orlando Tower (Who you are calling), Skyhawk 738FA (Who you are), 10 miles north at 2,500 feet inbound with Information Charlie (Where you are), full stop landing (What you want).
Mandatory Emergency Transponder SquawksEmergency Transponder
• 7500: Hijacking / Unlawful Interference
• 7600: Lost Radio Communications
• 7700: General In-Flight Emergency
• 1200: Standard VFR Flight (USA) / 7000 (ICAO Europe)
Article Author & Flight Instructor
Capt. Samantha Vance
International long-haul captain with 11,000+ hours across North Atlantic tracks. Passionate about cockpit decision-making and threat & error management.
