CPL Communications and Radio Telephony 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When making a position report on an IFR flight over a compulsory reporting point, which element is NOT required?
- Aircraft identification
- Position
- Fuel remaining (Correct answer)
- Estimated time to next reporting point
Correct answer: Fuel remaining
Standard IFR position reports include aircraft ID, position, time, altitude, next reporting point, and ETA — fuel remaining is not a compulsory element of a routine position report.
Question 2: What is the correct way to transmit the altitude 10,500 feet in radio communication?
- Ten thousand five hundred feet (Correct answer)
- One zero thousand five hundred
- One-zero-five-zero-zero
- Ten five hundred
Correct answer: Ten thousand five hundred feet
ICAO and FAA radio telephony conventions transmit altitudes by saying the number as a whole, so 10,500 is spoken as 'ten thousand five hundred feet.'
Question 3: In which situation is a pilot required to contact ATIS before calling approach control at a busy terminal?
- Only when ATC specifically requests it
- Whenever ATIS is available and the flight is approaching that airport (Correct answer)
- Only during IMC conditions
- Only at Class B airports
Correct answer: Whenever ATIS is available and the flight is approaching that airport
Pilots should obtain the current ATIS information before initial contact with approach control whenever ATIS is operating, reducing controller workload by not requiring them to relay routine information.
Question 4: What does the phrase 'WILCO' mean in aviation radio communication?
- I have received your message
- I have received your message and will comply (Correct answer)
- Message acknowledged, no action required
- I understand and am questioning the instruction
Correct answer: I have received your message and will comply
'WILCO' is a contraction of 'will comply,' indicating that the pilot has received the message and intends to carry out the instruction given.
Question 5: A commercial pilot hears another aircraft transmit 'PAN-PAN, PAN-PAN, PAN-PAN.' What should the pilot do?
- Immediately switch to 121.5 MHz and assist
- Keep the frequency clear and listen for ATC instructions (Correct answer)
- Continue normal communications; only ATC responds to urgency calls
- Transmit position to assist the aircraft in distress
Correct answer: Keep the frequency clear and listen for ATC instructions
Upon hearing a PAN-PAN urgency call, other aircraft should maintain radio silence on that frequency unless they can provide assistance, and follow ATC direction for handling.
Question 6: Which transponder mode transmits both pressure altitude and aircraft identification to ATC radar?
- Mode A
- Mode C
- Mode S (Correct answer)
- Mode 3
Correct answer: Mode S
Mode S transponders transmit a unique 24-bit ICAO aircraft address (identification) plus pressure altitude automatically, and support selective interrogation and advanced data link functions.
Question 7: What is the primary purpose of a readback in ATC communication?
- To acknowledge receipt of information
- To verify that the correct message was received and understood (Correct answer)
- To confirm the pilot is aware of nearby traffic
- To satisfy legal recording requirements
Correct answer: To verify that the correct message was received and understood
Readbacks serve as a closed-loop check: the controller listens to the pilot's readback and can correct any misunderstanding before an error results in an incident or accident.
CPL Communications and Radio Telephony 2
When making a position report on an IFR flight over a compulsory reporting point, which element is NOT required?