Less Is more. “Stop Talking…Stop Talking…”

In a field where communication determines not only what you’re doing but an agreement that you will comply, sometimes a readback of WILCO is all that is needed. As humans we listen to instructions by reading them back in our heads so we can better understand them.

When the information is new, it takes longer to process and therefore longer time to understand. As pilots you are required to listen to ATC’s instruction and read back all necessary control instructions all while flying, setting trim, checking airspeed, ignoring the screaming child in the back seat… you have a lot going on. Like pilots, us controllers also have a lot going on, reading a IFR clearance, taxing an aircraft from the ramp, checking the runway before departing a jet full of passengers, answering the approach controllers call about an aircraft that’s 50 miles away….

You get the point. So how do we know what to say so everyone is happy?

One of the hardest things to hear as a controller when working with student pilots is a readback of the exact same thing I just said. As a controller I’m required to say entire phrases so the lawyers stay happy. Only certain phrases are required by pilots for readback, which leaves the rest what I call “Garbage.”

ATC: Cessna 237, Number 2 follow Citation on 3-mile final report in sight.

Pilot: OK, Cessna 12237, we are number 2 for the runway, we will extend to 3 miles and look for the aircraft on final and report them, Cessna ah 12237.

During a readback of this length, Controllers are standing on the other end saying “Stop talking, Stop talking… because we have 4 other things that need our attention.

In this scenario a simple answer is Cessna 237 WILCO………That’s it!’

If you are one of those people that need more to help with understanding, a response of this will work too.

Cessna 237 number 2, negative traffic.

This informs the controller you know your sequence and you’re looking for the traffic. (Note: this was not a landing clearance, just a sequence.)

If you can learn what is needed and what can be thrown out, you will be better prepared when given an instruction. Like everything, practice makes perfect and, in this case, experience gives you the advantage. When you know what’s about to happen you will be better prepared to respond to ATC. Planes fly every day and a lot of the phraseology used is the same thing over and over. The more you hear it the more you will recognize it and respond accordingly.