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An open tandem gyroplane parked at an airfield

Ground school lesson

Radio calls at a non-towered field

At a field with no tower, the radio is not for permission. It is for painting a picture of where you are, so the pilot you cannot see can see you in their head.

My Hangar

Lesson 18 of 27 · 3 steps · about 6 minutes · ends with a quiz

What you will be able to do

  • Use the who-where-what shape every advisory call follows.
  • Know the standard positions to announce in the pattern.
  • Understand what CTAF is and what it is not.

  1. Step 1 of 3

    One frequency, no controller

    A non-towered airport has a CTAF, a common traffic advisory frequency, printed on the chart. Nobody on it clears you to do anything. Pilots announce position and intention, listen, and build a picture of the traffic from what they hear.

    The sentence shape, every time

    • Who you are calling: the airport name, said first, because several fields share a frequency.
    • Who you are: type and callsign. Say gyroplane: it warns others you are slower than they expect.
    • Where you are and what you intend: position, altitude if useful, intention.
    • Airport name again to close.

    “Centennial traffic, gyroplane one-two-three-alpha-bravo, left downwind runway one-seven, full stop, Centennial.” That is the whole art. Airport, who, where, what, airport.

  2. Step 2 of 3

    Where in the circuit you announce

    Standard advisory calls around the traffic pattern The rectangular pattern with radio calls marked: departing the runway, crosswind, downwind, base, final, and clear of the runway after landing. 1. departing 2. crosswind 3. downwind 4. base 5. final 6. clear of runway
    Announce entering, each leg, and when you are down and clear. Over-announcing beats silence.

    Inbound from away, announce about 10 miles out, then joining the pattern. The AIM's advisory practices are the reference your instructor will drill; the positions above are the backbone.

  3. Step 3 of 3

    What the radio does not do

    It does not steer for you

    Announcing base does not make base yours. Eyes outside remain the primary instrument; some aircraft have no radio at all and are still perfectly legal in Class G.

    It does not require an answer

    Nobody acknowledges an advisory call. Silence back is normal. You are broadcasting a position, not requesting a service.

    Gyroplane specifics

    • Say the word gyroplane in every call. Faster traffic plans around you better when it knows.
    • Your pattern may be tighter and lower than the airplanes'. Announcing that honestly (“short final”) prevents the surprise.
    • Radio work is part of training: your instructor will have you making these calls solo-ready long before solo.

Check yourself

3 questions. Pick an answer to see whether it is right and why.

  1. On CTAF at a non-towered field, who gives you clearance to land?

  2. What is the correct shape of an advisory call?

  3. Why say the word "gyroplane" in your calls?

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FAA Aeronautical Information Manual, chapter 4 advisory practices (public domain). Your field's CTAF is on the sectional chart and in the chart supplement.