ATS phraseologies
ATS phraseologies
Syllabus: 010 Air Law and ATC Procedures > 07 Air traffic services > ATS phraseologies
Learning objectives
- State when plain language may replace a standard phrase on the radio.
- Explain what the main procedure words mean, and which reply a hold-short instruction needs.
- Identify the standard phrase for each stage of a VFR circuit flight, including the take-off word and the long final report.
- Explain the difference between what an air traffic control (ATC) unit and a flight information service (FIS) unit may say.
The idea
A radio call is a very short message that has to survive noise, accents and stress. If everyone says the same thing in the same way for the same situation, the listener knows what is coming and notices straight away when something sounds wrong. That is why aviation has a fixed set of phrases. You use them when one exists, and you speak plainly and briefly only when none fits.
The rule: standard phrase first
Where a standard phrase exists for a situation, you must use it. Plain language is for the cases where no standard phrase can carry your message. Every exchange has to be concise and unambiguous, and has to use standard phraseology whenever it is available. You speak in a normal conversational tone.
Standard phraseology must be used wherever a standard phrase exists. Plain language is used only when no standard phrase can carry the intended message.
The reason is practical. Exact words keep the message short, and a wrong readback stands out when everyone expects the same wording, especially when the people on frequency have different first languages.
The phrases are a core set for usual situations, not a complete list. When your situation is different, you use plain language that is as clear and concise as you can make it. So "that phrase is not in the book" is not a reason to stay silent.
Where the phrases live
There are two layers. The duty to use standard phraseology is an implementing rule, adopted as a Commission regulation. The phrase tables themselves are acceptable means of compliance (AMC), adopted by an EASA Executive Director decision. An AMC is an accepted way of complying with the rule.
The rule itself does not contain the phrases. It points to an appendix of the AMC, which holds the ATS phraseology tables. The ICAO source behind them is Doc 4444 (PANS-ATM), the syllabus anchor. The SERA tables are the EU version that applies to pilots in EU airspace.
The word "Appendix 1" appears twice in SERA, and it means two different things. The appendix to the SERA Annex called "Signals" covers visual and light signals. The phraseology tables are in an appendix to the AMC. If an exam asks where the radio phrases are, "Signals" is the decoy.
Reading the tables
You will not carry the tables in your head on exam day, but you should understand their layout, because the syllabus expects it.
Describe this figure
A table row is drawn with five columns: number, circumstances, phraseologies, ATC and FIS. The example row is invented and reads 9.9.9, "Pilot asks for an item", "* REQUEST (item) [NOW]". The word (item) is bold and underlined to show that a value is inserted, and [NOW] is italic to show that it is optional. The star marks a pilot transmission. The ATC column holds a tick and the FIS column an empty box, so this phrase belongs to ATC only. Six numbered badges link each part to a legend underneath.
Each row has a section number, a "Circumstances" column saying when the phrase is used, a "Phraseologies" column with the words, and two "Applicable to" columns, one for ATC and one for FIS. The tables are organised by phase of flight or by technology. The main parts are general phraseology, en-route, arrival and departure, on and near the aerodrome, and data-link communications. Further parts cover surveillance service, alerting, ground crew and traffic flow management. This page stays with what a VFR aeroplane pilot meets.
A few symbols matter:
- Words in round brackets mean you insert specific information, such as a level, a place or a time, or that an optional phrase may be used.
- Words in square brackets are optional extra words needed in some cases.
- An asterisk marks a transmission made by the pilot.
- A double-dagger symbol marks an instruction that needs a specific acknowledgement, or a conditional clearance.
The ATC and FIS columns tell you who speaks. The pattern is simple. Clearances and instructions, such as JOIN, CLEARED TO LAND, TAXI TO HOLDING POINT, HOLD SHORT and LINE UP, are for ATC only. Information items, such as traffic, wind, QNH, weather reports and the request to report a position in the circuit, are marked for both.
Procedure words and their exact meanings
Some words have a defined meaning, and you must use them only with that meaning. The tables do not repeat them, but they are standard phraseology too. The core set for a VFR pilot:
| Word or phrase | Exact meaning | Mind the difference |
|---|---|---|
| Pair 1: ROGER and WILCO | ||
| ROGER | I have received all of your last transmission. | Receipt only. Never a valid answer to a question that needs a read-back or a direct yes or no. |
| WILCO | I understand and will comply. | Receipt plus a promise to act. |
| Pair 2: AFFIRM and CORRECT | ||
| AFFIRM | Yes. | The word for "yes". The word for "no" is NEGATIVE. |
| CORRECT | True or accurate. | Says that something is accurate. It is not a plain "yes". |
| Pair 3: SAY AGAIN and I SAY AGAIN | ||
| SAY AGAIN | Repeat all, or the stated part, of your last transmission. | A request to the other station. |
| I SAY AGAIN | I repeat, for clarity or emphasis. | Said by the speaker about their own words. Example in the tables: CANCEL TAKE-OFF I SAY AGAIN CANCEL TAKE-OFF. |
| Pair 4: STANDBY and STAND BY FOR | ||
| STANDBY | Wait and I will call you. | Neither approval nor refusal. If the wait is long, the caller would normally call again. |
| STAND BY FOR (unit call sign) (frequency) | The named unit will call you soon. | A frequency-change phrase: it points to another unit. |
| Pair 5: MONITOR and CONTACT | ||
| MONITOR (unit call sign) (frequency) | Listen out on that frequency; information is broadcast there. Pilot reply: MONITORING (frequency). | You listen out; you do not call. |
| CONTACT (unit call sign) (frequency) | Establish communications with the named unit. | You make the call. |
Describe this figure
A table groups ten words and phrases into five pairs. ROGER means all of the last transmission was received, while WILCO means understood and will comply. AFFIRM means yes, while CORRECT means true or accurate. SAY AGAIN asks the other station to repeat, while I SAY AGAIN is the speaker repeating for clarity or emphasis. STANDBY means wait and I will call you, while STAND BY FOR a named unit and frequency means that unit will call soon. MONITOR means listen out on the frequency, while CONTACT means establish communications with the named unit.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| AFFIRM | Yes. |
| NEGATIVE | No, permission not granted, not correct, or not capable. |
| ROGER | I have received all of your last transmission. |
| WILCO | I understand and will comply. |
| UNABLE | I cannot comply. |
| STANDBY | Wait and I will call you. |
| CORRECT | True or accurate. |
| CORRECTION | An error was made, the correct version follows. |
| SAY AGAIN | Repeat all or part of what you said. |
| I SAY AGAIN | I am repeating, for clarity or emphasis. |
| MONITOR | Listen out on the frequency. |
| CONTACT | Establish communications with the unit named. |
| CANCEL | Annul the previous clearance. |
| READ BACK | Repeat all or the specified part back exactly. |
| REPORT | Pass me the information. |
| REQUEST | I would like to know, or to obtain. |
Five pairs need extra care. The table shows only these pairs, not every procedure word.
ROGER says only that your message was received. It is never a valid answer to a question that needs a read back or a direct yes or no. "Roger" does not mean you will comply; WILCO does.
STANDBY is neither approval nor denial. If the wait is long, the caller would normally call again.
UNABLE is normally followed by a reason.
OVER and OUT are not normally used on VHF.
CHECK is used only in the sense of examining a system or procedure, and no answer is normally expected.
Two pairs look alike but are different. SAY AGAIN asks the other station to repeat, while I SAY AGAIN means you are the one repeating. MONITOR means you listen on a frequency without calling, while CONTACT means you call the unit.
Read-back requirements and conditional clearances are taught on the air traffic control service page; here you only need to know that runway instructions are read back.
The reserved word: take-off
The word "take-off" is protected. You may use it on the radio only when an aircraft is cleared for take-off, or when a take-off clearance is cancelled. At any other time you say "departure".
"TAKE-OFF" is used on the radio only in a take-off clearance or in its cancellation. Otherwise use "DEPARTURE", for example "READY FOR DEPARTURE" or "ARE YOU READY FOR DEPARTURE?".
The likely reason is safety. If "take-off" could appear in any sentence, a listener could mistake a question or a request for a clearance. Keeping the word for the clearance means that hearing it signals that something is happening on the runway.
A VFR flight, phase by phase
This section follows one circuit flight. The phrases are quoted exactly because the exact words are the standard. Items in brackets are optional or to be filled in. Check with your ATO and the aerodrome's procedures, because this lesson does not replace ATO instruction.
Describe this figure
The map shows an apron at the top, a taxiway leading to a runway-holding position, and a runway with a left-hand circuit flown below it. Eight numbered badges mark the stages: 1 taxi request on the apron, 2 holding short at the runway-holding position, 3 line up, 4 take-off clearance on the runway, 5 downwind report, 6 long final and final on the approach, 7 landing clearance on short final, 8 runway vacated beyond the second holding position. Choosing a stage shows the pilot and ATC lines for it, using the example call sign CS-ABC (Portuguese register format) and the fictional unit TOWNVILLE TOWER. Without scripts, the same exchanges are printed as text under the map.
Imagine the circuit from above. Along the bottom of your mental picture is the runway, with the holding point at its side. The circuit runs around it in a rectangle: upwind, crosswind, downwind, base and final. Each stage has its own phrases.
Start-up and taxi
At start-up the pilot asks "[aircraft location] REQUEST START-UP". ATC can answer "START-UP APPROVED", "START-UP AT (time)", "EXPECT START-UP AT (time)" or "START-UP AT OWN DISCRETION".
For taxi, the pilot asks "[aircraft type] [aircraft location] REQUEST TAXI [intentions]". ATC answers with something like "TAXI TO HOLDING POINT [number] [RUNWAY (number)] [VIA ...]". When ATC says "GIVE WAY TO (...)", the pilot replies "GIVING WAY TO (traffic)". The reply to "EXPEDITE TAXI" is "EXPEDITING". If you cannot comply, say "UNABLE" and give the reason.
Holding and crossing
ATC may tell you to stop on the ground with "HOLD POSITION", "HOLD SHORT OF (position)", "HOLD (direction) OF (position)" or "HOLD (distance) FROM (position)". These need a specific acknowledgement. ROGER or WILCO is not enough; you reply "HOLDING", or "HOLDING SHORT" if you were told to hold short.
To cross a runway you ask "REQUEST CROSS RUNWAY (number)". ATC may say "CROSS RUNWAY (number) [REPORT VACATED]". You then report "RUNWAY VACATED", but only when the entire aircraft is beyond the relevant runway-holding position. Having the nose wheel clear is not enough.
Treat a hold-short instruction like a locked door: do not move until you hear something that opens it, and say "HOLDING SHORT" so the controller knows you heard the instruction.
Ready, line up and take-off
When you are ready, you say "READY". ATC may ask "ARE YOU READY [FOR DEPARTURE]?" or say "REPORT WHEN READY [FOR DEPARTURE]". You never say "ready for take-off".
To move you onto the runway, ATC says "LINE UP [AND WAIT]". Where several runways could cause confusion, it adds the runway: "LINE UP RUNWAY (number)". A conditional version exists, in which the condition comes first. The controller says "(condition) LINE UP (brief reiteration of the condition)". You reply "(condition) LINING UP (brief reiteration of the condition)". The controller then confirms with "[THAT IS] CORRECT" or corrects with "NEGATIVE [I SAY AGAIN] ...".
For take-off, the clearance puts the runway first, then the clearance: "RUNWAY (number) CLEARED FOR TAKE-OFF [REPORT AIRBORNE]". If you do not act on a clearance, ATC may say "TAKE OFF IMMEDIATELY OR VACATE RUNWAY" or "TAKE OFF IMMEDIATELY OR HOLD SHORT OF RUNWAY".
Two phrases stop a take-off. Before the roll, ATC says "HOLD POSITION, CANCEL TAKE-OFF I SAY AGAIN CANCEL TAKE-OFF (reasons)", and you reply "HOLDING". If you are already rolling, ATC says "STOP IMMEDIATELY", and you reply "STOPPING".
After take-off, you may ask "REQUEST RIGHT (or LEFT) TURN". ATC can say "RIGHT (or LEFT) TURN APPROVED" or "WILL ADVISE LATER FOR RIGHT (or LEFT) TURN". Other instructions include "CONTINUE RUNWAY HEADING" and "CLIMB STRAIGHT AHEAD".
Circuit, approach and landing
Joining the circuit, you call "[aircraft type] (position) (level) FOR LANDING", adding the ATIS letter if you have it. A tower controller answers with "JOIN [(direction of circuit)] (position in circuit) RUNWAY (number) [SURFACE] WIND ... QNH (or QFE) ... [TRAFFIC (detail)]", or "MAKE STRAIGHT-IN APPROACH, RUNWAY (number) ...".
In the circuit you report your position, for example "DOWNWIND" or "FINAL". The controller may ask "REPORT (position in circuit)", give "NUMBER ... FOLLOW (aircraft type and position)", or pass "TRAFFIC (detail)". Approach instructions include "MAKE SHORT APPROACH", "MAKE LONG APPROACH (or EXTEND DOWNWIND)", "REPORT BASE (or FINAL, or LONG FINAL)" and "CONTINUE APPROACH [PREPARE FOR POSSIBLE GO-AROUND]".
The final report depends on distance. You report LONG FINAL when you turn onto final more than 7 km (4 NM) from touchdown, or when you are on a straight-in approach and 15 km (8 NM) from touchdown. In both cases you then report FINAL at 7 km (4 NM) from touchdown.
Picture two aircraft approaching the same runway. The first flies a wide circuit and turns onto final 5 NM out. It says "LONG FINAL", then "FINAL" at 4 NM. The second joins from far out in a straight line and says "LONG FINAL" at 8 NM, then "FINAL" at 4 NM. Both end with the same FINAL call, at the same 4 NM point.
Describe this figure
A runway sits at the left with a distance scale below it: touchdown, 7 km (4 NM) and 15 km (8 NM). Path A, a dashed line, comes from the circuit and turns onto final beyond 7 km (4 NM); the pilot reports LONG FINAL at that turn. Path B, a solid line, is a straight-in approach and reports LONG FINAL at 15 km (8 NM). Both paths then report FINAL at 7 km (4 NM) from touchdown. The drawing is not to scale.
The landing clearance is "RUNWAY (number) CLEARED TO LAND". For other work the controller may say "CLEARED TOUCH AND GO", "MAKE FULL STOP", "CLEARED LOW APPROACH" or "CLEARED LOW PASS". To hold an aircraft back, ATC uses "CIRCLE THE AERODROME", "ORBIT (RIGHT, or LEFT) [FROM PRESENT POSITION]" or "MAKE ANOTHER CIRCUIT".
If the landing cannot be completed, the controller says "GO AROUND" and you reply "GOING AROUND".
Warnings the controller or FIS unit may pass include "CAUTION WAKE TURBULENCE", "CAUTION JET BLAST", "CAUTION SLIPSTREAM" and "TRAFFIC (details)". After landing you may hear "CONTACT GROUND (frequency)", "WHEN VACATED CONTACT GROUND (frequency)" or "EXPEDITE VACATING".
Other phrases a VFR pilot may meet
Traffic information comes as "TRAFFIC (information)" or "NO REPORTED TRAFFIC". You acknowledge with "LOOKING OUT", "TRAFFIC IN SIGHT" or "NEGATIVE CONTACT [reasons]". With a surveillance system, traffic is described as a clock position, for example "TRAFFIC (number) O'CLOCK (distance) (direction of flight)". Imagine the nose of your aircraft at twelve o'clock. A call of three o'clock means the traffic is to your right.
Clearances into or out of controlled airspace use "ENTER CONTROLLED AIRSPACE (or CONTROL ZONE) [VIA ...] AT (level)" and "LEAVE CONTROLLED AIRSPACE (or CONTROL ZONE) ...". Other VFR-relevant phrases include "MAINTAIN OWN SEPARATION AND VMC", "MAINTAIN VMC" and "HOLD VISUAL [OVER] (position)". To tell you your radar status, a controller may say "RADAR CONTACT", "IDENTIFIED" or "NOT IDENTIFIED".
When ATC must change your level it uses CLIMB or DESCEND. MAINTAIN is not used in place of CLIMB or DESCEND when ATC instructs a level change. Levels are spoken as "FLIGHT LEVEL (number)", "(number) FEET" and so on.
The tables also cover areas outside this page, such as data link, RVSM, instrument procedures and de-icing.
ATC and FIS: who may say what
This distinction is easy to miss and easy to examine. FIC and AFIS units may only give information, and relay clearances and instructions on behalf of ATC units. They do not clear you.
| Situation | Tower (ATC) may say | FIS unit may say |
|---|---|---|
| Joining Pilot: CS-ABC, (aircraft type) (position) (level) FOR LANDING |
ClearanceJOIN [(direction of circuit)] (position in circuit) RUNWAY (number) [SURFACE] WIND … QNH (or QFE) … [TRAFFIC (detail)] or MAKE STRAIGHT-IN APPROACH, RUNWAY (number) … |
Information only[(direction of circuit)] RUNWAY (number) [SURFACE] WIND … QNH (or QFE) … [TRAFFIC (detail)] No JOIN. No MAKE STRAIGHT-IN APPROACH. |
| In the circuit Pilot reports, for example DOWNWIND or FINAL |
InstructionNUMBER … FOLLOW (aircraft type and position) BothREPORT (position in circuit) |
BothREPORT (position in circuit) No NUMBER … FOLLOW (ATC only). |
| Landing | ClearanceRUNWAY (number) CLEARED TO LAND | No clearanceAn FIS unit only gives information and relays clearances on behalf of ATC. CLEARED TO LAND is ATC only. |
| Traffic information | BothTRAFFIC (detail) | BothTRAFFIC (detail) |
| Runway use information | BothRUNWAY (number) OCCUPIED [or BLOCKED BY] (details) [REPORT INTENTIONS] "NO REPORTED TRAFFIC RUNWAY" is not marked for ATC. |
FIS onlyNO REPORTED TRAFFIC RUNWAY (number) BothRUNWAY (number) OCCUPIED [or BLOCKED BY] (details) [REPORT INTENTIONS] |
Describe this figure
Five situations are compared in two columns, tower (ATC) and FIS unit. For joining, the tower may say JOIN or MAKE STRAIGHT-IN APPROACH, while the FIS unit gives only the runway, wind, QNH and traffic details. In the circuit, NUMBER FOLLOW is ATC only, while REPORT (position in circuit) and TRAFFIC (detail) are for both. For landing, only the tower says CLEARED TO LAND. The runway-use information row is marked for review, and tags such as Clearance, Information only and Both carry the meaning in words.
The clearest example is the joining call. A tower controller replies "JOIN ...". An FIS unit does not say "JOIN"; its reply is information only: the runway, the wind, the QNH and the traffic. "JOIN" and "MAKE STRAIGHT-IN APPROACH" belong to ATC only.
When an FIS unit relays an ATC clearance, it says "(ATC unit) CLEARS (or INSTRUCTS) (or INFORMS) (details)". The pilot's read back is then confirmed with "[THAT IS] CORRECT" or corrected with "NEGATIVE [I SAY AGAIN ...]".
Given: you call an aerodrome served by an AFIS unit, "CS-ABC, 5 miles north, 2 000 feet, for landing." Method: decide which phrase types an AFIS unit may use. It gives information, not clearances. Working: the reply gives the runway in use, the wind, the QNH and any traffic. It does not contain "JOIN" or "CLEARED TO LAND". Answer: the AFIS unit replies with information only. It gives no JOIN instruction and no clearance.
In the real world
At night, a Shorts 330 was told to line up and wait from an intersection taxiway while an MD-83 was cleared for take-off from the threshold of the same runway. The two collided. The Shorts first officer was killed, its captain was injured, and the MD-83's crew and passengers were unhurt.
Among the findings: the MD-83 crew worked the tower in French while the Shorts crew worked in English, so neither crew fully understood the other's clearance. The report also found that the line-up instruction did not say which taxiway the Shorts was on.
For you, the lesson is about the two ideas of this page. Use standard, unambiguous wording. As good practice drawn from this accident, a shared language on a runway frequency lets each crew follow the other's clearances.
Exam traps
"I said ROGER, so I agreed to comply." Wrong. ROGER only means you received the whole message. WILCO means you understood and will comply. And ROGER is never a valid answer to a question needing a read back or yes or no.
"ROGER or WILCO is a fine reply to a hold-short instruction." Wrong. Hold instructions need the specific replies "HOLDING" or "HOLDING SHORT".
"READY FOR TAKE-OFF." Wrong word. The word "take-off" is kept for the clearance and its cancellation, so you say "READY" or "READY FOR DEPARTURE".
"The AFIS operator can clear me to land or tell me to join downwind." Wrong. FIS and AFIS units give information and relay ATC clearances; their joining reply has no "JOIN".
"If a phrase is not in the tables, I must not say anything." Wrong. The tables are a core set, not an exhaustive list, and plain language is correct when no standard phrase fits. The reverse also fails: plain language is not acceptable when a standard phrase exists.
"Report FINAL as soon as I turn onto final." Wrong. Beyond 7 km (4 NM) you report LONG FINAL, and FINAL comes at 7 km (4 NM) from touchdown.
Explain it back
Imagine a student pilot says "ROGER" after being told to hold short of a runway. In your own words, explain what is wrong with that reply, what the correct reply is, and why the controller needs that specific word.
This content is educational. It does not replace ATO instruction or the procedures published for your aerodrome.
Self-check
-
You need to tell the tower something for which the phraseology tables have no standard phrase. What is the correct approach?mcq · easy
Show answer
Plain language is correct when no standard phrase can carry the message, and it should be clear and concise. The tables are a core set, not a complete list, so staying silent is wrong. Bending a standard phrase to a different meaning breaks the point of having defined phrases. Switching language is not a procedure for this situation.
Reference: SERA.14001; GM2 Appendix 1 to AMC1 SERA.14001
-
The tower says: 'CS-ABC, hold short of runway 27.' What is the correct reply?mcq · medium
Show answer
Hold-short instructions need a specific acknowledgement, 'HOLDING SHORT' (or 'HOLDING' for a hold position instruction). Roger only says you received the message. Wilco says you will comply but is not the required reply here. Affirm means yes and answers a question, which this is not.
Reference: Appendix 1 to AMC1 SERA.14001, 1.4.8
-
You are on a straight-in approach and 8 NM from touchdown. Which report fits the standard phraseology?mcq · medium
Show answer
On a straight-in approach LONG FINAL is reported at 15 km (8 NM) from touchdown, and FINAL is then reported at 7 km (4 NM). FINAL at 8 NM uses the wrong word and distance. BASE does not apply to a straight-in approach. The last option halves the distances.
Reference: Appendix 1 to AMC1 SERA.14001, 1.4.15 Note
-
You call an aerodrome with an AFIS unit: 'Request joining instructions, 3 000 feet, 5 miles south.' Which reply could the AFIS unit correctly give?mcq · hard
Show answer
An AFIS unit gives information and relays ATC clearances only, so its joining reply has no 'JOIN' and no clearance: runway, wind, QNH and traffic information. The other three options all contain instructions or clearances (join, make straight-in approach, cleared to land) that only an ATC unit gives.
Reference: Appendix 1 to AMC1 SERA.14001, 1.4.13; Appendix 1 to AMC1 SERA.14001, 1.2.5 Note
-
You are at the holding point and ready to go. Which call follows standard phraseology?mcq · easy
Show answer
The word 'take-off' is reserved for the take-off clearance and its cancellation, so you say 'READY' or 'READY FOR DEPARTURE'. 'Ready for take-off' and 'request take-off clearance' use the reserved word at the wrong time. 'Ready to roll' is plain language where a standard phrase exists.
Reference: SERA.14045(c); Appendix 1 to AMC1 SERA.14001, 1.4.10
Key concepts
Written with ASD-STE100 writing principles: short sentences, one topic per sentence, active voice, one word for one meaning.
Standard (standardised) phraseology
Standard (standardised) phraseology is a fixed set of words for one situation. Where standard phraseology exists for a situation, the pilot must use it. Pilots use plain language only when no standard phraseology can carry the intended message.
Rule: SERA.14001
Where the phrase tables are
The phrase tables are in an appendix to the AMC, not in the regulation text. The tables form part of an AMC, which is an accepted way to meet the rule. Do not confuse them with the other Appendix 1, which lists the signals.
Rule: AMC1 SERA.14001
ATC and FIS columns
The ATC and FIS columns show whether a phrase belongs to an ATC unit, a FIS unit, or both. Clearances and instructions, such as JOIN or CLEARED TO LAND, are for ATC only. A FIS unit can only give information and relay clearances on behalf of an ATC unit. A FIS unit replies to a call to join with information, not the word JOIN.
Rule: Appendix 1 to AMC1 SERA.14001, 1.2.5 Note
Procedure words
Pilots must use procedure words with their defined meanings. ROGER means that the speaker received the last transmission in full. ROGER is never a valid answer to a question that needs a readback, AFFIRM or NEGATIVE.
Rule: SERA.14045(b)
TAKE-OFF and DEPARTURE
Pilots and ATC use TAKE-OFF on the radio only with a take-off clearance or its cancellation. At other times, use DEPARTURE, for example READY FOR DEPARTURE.
Rule: SERA.14045(c)
Holding on the ground
ATC gives ground holding instructions, such as HOLD SHORT OF a position. The pilot must answer HOLDING or HOLDING SHORT, not ROGER or WILCO.
Rule: Appendix 1 to AMC1 SERA.14001, 1.4.8
Do not: answer a holding instruction with ROGER or WILCO.
LONG FINAL report
The pilot reports LONG FINAL when the aircraft turns onto final more than 7 km (4 NM) from touchdown. On a straight-in approach, the pilot reports LONG FINAL at 15 km (8 NM) from touchdown. FINAL is then reported at 7 km (4 NM) from touchdown.
Core set, not a full list
Standard (standardised) phraseology is a core set for usual situations, not a full list. When circumstances differ, pilots use plain language that is as clear and concise as possible.
Flashcards
Print them: A6 landscape cards (PDF, front and back) · 4 cards per A4 landscape sheet (PDF, cut lines) · Key figures deck (PDF, 3 figures)
Print double-sided, flip on the short edge.
010-07-05-01Where standard phraseology exists for a situation, what must the pilot do?
Use it. Use plain language only when no standard phraseology can carry the intended message.
010-07-05-02Is standard phraseology a full list of every radio exchange?
No. It is a core set for usual situations. When circumstances differ, use clear and concise plain language.
010-07-05-03Where are the ATS phraseology tables published?
In an appendix to the AMC, not in the regulation text itself.
010-07-05-04What is the status of the phraseology tables?
They form part of an AMC, which is an accepted way of complying with the rule.
010-07-05-05Which Appendix 1 holds the phraseology tables?
The appendix to the AMC. The other Appendix 1 lists the signals.
010-07-05-06What do the ATC and FIS columns show?
Whether a phrase belongs to an ATC unit, a FIS unit, or both.
010-07-05-07Are clearances and instructions for ATC only, or for both units?
ATC only. Information items are marked for both ATC and FIS units.
010-07-05-08What can a FIS unit do with clearances from an ATC unit?
Relay them on behalf of the ATC unit. A FIS unit cannot issue them itself.
010-07-05-09A pilot calls a FIS unit to join the circuit. Does the reply say JOIN?
No. The reply gives information only, such as runway, wind, QNH and traffic.
010-07-05-10What does ROGER mean?
I have received all of your last transmission.
010-07-05-11Is ROGER a valid answer to a question?
No. ROGER is never valid where a readback, AFFIRM or NEGATIVE is needed.
010-07-05-12What does WILCO mean?
I understand and will comply.
010-07-05-13What does STANDBY mean?
Wait, and I will call you.
010-07-05-14What does CORRECTION mean?
An error was made, and the correct version follows.
010-07-05-15What does NEGATIVE mean?
No. Permission is not granted, the statement is not correct, or the aircraft is not capable.
010-07-05-16When is the word TAKE-OFF used on the radio?
Only with a take-off clearance, or when a take-off clearance is cancelled.
010-07-05-17At other times, which word is used instead of TAKE-OFF?
DEPARTURE, for example READY FOR DEPARTURE.
010-07-05-18Which reply is needed to a HOLD SHORT OF instruction on the ground?
HOLDING SHORT. ROGER or WILCO is not enough.
010-07-05-19Which reply is needed to a HOLD instruction on the ground?
HOLDING. ROGER or WILCO is not enough.
010-07-05-20You turn onto final from the circuit. Beyond what distance from touchdown do you report LONG FINAL?
7 km (4 NM). FINAL then follows at 7 km (4 NM).
010-07-05-21On a straight-in approach, at what distance is LONG FINAL reported?
15 km (8 NM) from touchdown.
010-07-05-22After a LONG FINAL report, at what distance is FINAL reported?
7 km (4 NM) from touchdown, in both cases.
Sources
- Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 923/2012 (SERA): SERA.14001–SERA.14100, Table S14-4; AMC1 SERA.14001 and its Appendix 1 (ATS phraseologies); GM to SERA.14001 — via EASA Easy Access Rules for Standardised European Rules of the Air (SERA), August 2025.
- BEA (France), report on the accident on 25 May 2000 at Paris-Charles de Gaulle to F-GHED (MD-83) and G-SSWN (Shorts 330), English edition: bea.aero.
This page is educational. It does not replace instruction at your ATO or your aircraft's POH/AFM. Rules change: check the regulation in force.