Airport and Radio Communications Flashcards

A remote pilot is operating near a non-towered airport and wants to maintain situational awareness of manned aircraft operations. Which frequency should the pilot monitor?

Answer: The airport's designated CTAF (Common Traffic Advisory Frequency)

The Common Traffic Advisory Frequency (CTAF) is the designated frequency for pilots to self-announce their positions and intentions at airports without an operating control tower. [1, 2, 3] Monitoring the CTAF is the best way for a remote pilot to maintain situational awareness of manned aircraft in the vicinity. While MULTICOM (122.9) can be a CTAF, it's not the only one, and the specific airport's CTAF should be identified from aeronautical charts. [5, 20]

In aviation radio communications, what is the primary reason for using the phonetic alphabet (e.g., "Alpha, Bravo, Charlie")?

Answer: To ensure clarity and prevent misinterpretation of letters that may sound similar over the radio.

The primary purpose of the ICAO phonetic alphabet is to ensure clear and unambiguous communication. [6, 13] Many letters, such as 'B' and 'P', or 'M' and 'N', can sound alike over a noisy or static-filled radio transmission, and using distinct code words (Bravo, Papa, Mike, November) prevents potentially dangerous misunderstandings. [15, 18, 19]

A remote pilot monitoring a CTAF hears a manned aircraft pilot announce, "Centennial traffic, Skyhawk one-seven-two, midfield left downwind, runway one-seven left, Centennial." What is the aircraft's approximate position and direction of flight?

Answer: Flying parallel to the runway in the opposite direction of landing.

The "downwind" leg of a standard traffic pattern is a flight path parallel to the landing runway, but flown in the opposite direction of the intended landing. [8, 9] "Midfield" indicates the aircraft is abeam the middle of the runway. "Left downwind" means the airport is to the pilot's left. [9, 11] Therefore, the aircraft is flying parallel to runway 17L in the opposite direction of landing.

Which of the following best describes the function of a UNICOM station at a non-towered airport?

Answer: A non-government ground station that can provide airport information like wind, weather, and recommended runway.

UNICOM (Universal Communications) is a non-government station that provides airport advisory information to pilots. [2, 4, 21] Pilots can use UNICOM to request information like wind direction, weather conditions, or services such as fuel. While the UNICOM frequency is often also the CTAF, its primary role is as an advisory service from a ground station, not just air-to-air communication. [3, 14]

When monitoring radio communications, which is the correct and standard way a pilot would state an altitude of 9,500 feet MSL?

Answer: "Niner thousand, five hundred feet"

According to the FAA's Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM), for altitudes up to but not including 18,000 feet MSL, pilots should state the separate digits of the thousands, followed by the word "thousand," plus the hundreds. Therefore, 9,500 is stated as "Niner thousand, five hundred." [10, 17, 27]

You are operating a UAS near an airport that does not have a control tower, FSS, or UNICOM. What frequency would be designated as the CTAF for pilots to self-announce their positions?

Answer: 122.95 MHz (Towered Airport UNICOM)

At airports that have no tower, Flight Service Station (FSS), or UNICOM, the designated frequency for self-announcing procedures is MULTICOM, which is 122.9 MHz. [5, 20] This frequency serves as the CTAF in these specific situations, allowing pilots to coordinate with each other for safe operations.