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Old December 26th 03, 01:25 PM
Geoffrey Barnes
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Hi, I don't have a pilot's license and nor have I started training for
one, but does the radio chatter usually sound this clear? I was
discouraged a little bit earlier in the week when I was listening in
to some ATC that I couldn't understand! Thanks...


No, it doesn't usually sound this clear. But the only the first section of
the recording was recorded from the radio. The middle section was between
two different ATC facilities, and was thus took place over a dedicated
telephone line. The final section was recorded when the pilot called in for
a weather briefing later that day.

The radio section did seem remarkably clear. It's possible that it has been
run through some filters to clean it up a bit. Maybe the pilot happened to
be right on top of receiving station for the particular facility.

The radio is almost completely impossible to understand when you first start
to listen. The sound quality isn't great, people talk very quickly,
standard radio procedures are soundly ignored, and many phases are
abbreviated in some way. If you happen to know any pilots, it might help to
have one of them listen in with you and translate a bit, but even that isn't
all that necessary.

The good news is that once you begin to get used to the things that are
commonly said on the radio, it will begin to make much more sense to you.
Then when you begin your training, you will be way ahead of the pack when it
comes to radio work.

You are going to begin flight training, aren't you? You know you want to do
it!