By Stephen Pradarelli
The student instrument pilot has trimmed the airplane, she’s carefully studied the approach plate, and the instruments look good. She requests approach clearance for Sugar Land Regional Airport in Texas.
Then the controller speaks.
“Skyhawk Seven Three Four Five Papa, turn left heading one seven zero, vectors for the ILS Runway Three Five approach. Descend and maintain one thousand eight hundred. Verify you have Sugar Land information Mike.”
The student freezes. Um…what did he say? Turn Seven Zero? And was it information Lima, or….?
Lots of instrument student pilots likely have a story like this. They’ve memorized the approach briefings and spent a fair amount of time practicing under the hood. But that first time a controller fires off a full clearance at normal speed, their brain freezes for a few seconds.
Students often try to interpret each word of a transmission separately. Experienced pilots instead recognize the structure behind the message.
Radio communication is one of the easier parts of IFR flying—or can be, once you understand what’s happening.
Radio proficiency is about more than knowing what to say to ATC. It requires a pilot to anticipate, listen actively, and organize information quickly.
Speaking of Safety
A missed, or misunderstood, call may not seem as dangerous as, say, a wing falling off midair. But communication breakdowns present a significant safety problem in aviation, both general and commercial.
Miscommunication contributed to 37,908 aviation accidents between 1999 and 2019, according to a 2024 study by Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University graduate students. The types of miscommunications ranged from number confusion (headings, altitudes, speeds, runways) and language barriers, to failure to follow standard phrasing/terminology.
An older study, a 1981 analysis of the NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System, found that incorrect or incomplete pilot-controller communication plays a role in a large majority of reported aviation incidents. While there have been significant improvements in technology and training in the intervening decades, the study found that as many as 70% to 80% of reported incidents were linked to pilot-controller communications.
The research points to the problem being less about speaking than about listening. In the NASA study, 45% of the aviation incidents were related to listening errors, compared to 30% for speaking errors and 25% for reading/writing errors, which is why radio discipline is so important.
Conditions that Confound Comms
Three things tend to trip up instrument students when handling radio calls: speed, workload, and a lack of pattern recognition.
Speed
Controllers often speak quickly and concisely, especially in busier airspace. They’re working multiple aircraft, sequencing arrivals, and managing spacing. To a new or student instrument pilot, the cadence can feel overwhelming, less like helpful information than a tsunami of sounds.
Practice builds confidence. So while a student or newer IFR pilot is on the ground, they can use the PlaneEnglish ARSim’s rich bank of IFR radio scenarios to actively practice radio calls, or listen to real-time controller transmissions on LiveATC, taking much of the mystery--and surprise--out of communications.
As time and attention allow, listening to pilot-controller transmissions between busy phases of flight can provide insight into what you might expect, including which runway is in use, how aircraft are being sequenced, and what altitudes other pilots are receiving.
Workload
The most complex radio instructions often arrive at the busiest phases of flight, when a pilot already has a lot to think about and accomplish, like descending to an unfamiliar airport while configuring the airplane and briefing an approach.
Human-factors research shows a correlation between pilot workload and pilots’ ability to tend well to all the tasks involved in flying a plane in instrument conditions safely, including their ability to accurately hear and respond to radio communications.
Remember the rule: aviate, navigate, and then communicate. At the same time, if you’re in a critical phase of flight in busy airspace, you have a number of options for dealing with radio overwhelm.
You can ask ATC to “say again.” Controllers would rather repeat an instruction than watch an aircraft descend to the wrong altitude.
You can also request a hold, delaying vectors, a straight-in approach if available, or a visual approach if conditions allow. If you have a heading or gyro issue, you can request no-gyro vectors.
As the Stoic philosopher Marcus Aurelius said, "Don't be ashamed to need help. Like a soldier storming a wall, you have a mission to accomplish. And if you've been wounded and you need a comrade to pull you up, so what?"
Lack of pattern recognition
Students often try to interpret each word of a transmission separately. Experienced pilots instead recognize the structure behind the message. They don’t decode each word individually. Instead, they understand the patterns behind many of ATC’s radio interactions. An obvious example is the IFR takeoff clearance, which follows the “CRAFT” acronym:
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Clearance limit (usually the destination airport or some fix)
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Route
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Altitude (initial and expected subsequent)
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Frequency for departure control, and
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Transponder
Similarly, during an approach sequence, a pilot will most likely hear:
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A vector
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An altitude assignment
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A turn to intercept
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The approach clearance
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A handoff to tower
When pilots anticipate the pattern, the instructions feel familiar instead of overwhelming.
More Anticipation=Less Perspiration
Legendary aviation writer Wolfgang Langewiesche once wrote in his seminal book on flying, Stick and Rudder, “Flying is done largely with the imagination.”
This applies to radio communication as well.
The best IFR pilots don’t just hear words. They’re building a mental picture of what the controller is doing and how their airplane fits into the plan.
Once that picture becomes clear, the radio stops sounding like the calls at a cattle auction and starts sounding like a conversation about a shared plan.
That way, when the controller finally says, “Cleared for the approach,” you’ll be ready for whatever comes next.
The Debrief: Knowing the standard patterns ATC uses to gather and transmit information critical to safe flight--especially in active airspace. Practicing on the ground can go a long way toward making communications the least stressful aspect of your IFR flying career.
Have an idea for a Left Seat? Interested in being interviewed for one? Email Stephen at spradarelli@gmail.com. Here are some upcoming articles we’d love to include you in:
Tower Talk 101: What Controllers Wish Pilots Would Stop Doing: This one is for the people working day and night to keep pilots and passengers safe in the air and on the ground. We want to hear from ATC staff (current or retired) about pilot communication habits they’ve experienced that make their jobs more challenging, the skies less safe, or that are simply annoying.
Why Staying Sharp on the Mic Is Part of Staying Current and Proficient: For some people, currency training focuses on solid takeoffs and landings, emergency procedures, and navigation. But effective—and confident—communication skills are just as important to ensuring safe and successful flights. What modules of the Plane English ARSim have you found especially helpful to keep on top of your communications game?
