Communications and Radiotelephony

What this page covers

This unit page collects material on aeronautical radio communication. The quizzes ask about the basics: the main categories of aeronautical communications service, what "broadcast" and "air-ground communication" mean, how an altitude is transmitted, and which frequency to use for a first Mayday call. Others look at radio failure, transponder settings, VHF range and aircraft radio management panels.

Where to start

Begin with the quiz called Communications. It checks the vocabulary that everything else relies on. Then move to the numbered series: COMS TEST PREP 1, COMS TEST PREP2, COMS TEST PREP3 and COMS TEST PREP4. They run in sequence, so the question numbers carry on from one quiz to the next.

1. Take the first quiz and note what you miss.
2. Open a flashcard deck on the same topic, such as PPL Flight Radio or RT Phraseology.
3. Return to the next test prep quiz.

Using quizzes and maps together

The mind maps give you the shape of the topic. Radiotelephony (RTF), DATALINK, ATN and Factors affecting propagation of Radio Waves are good places to see how ideas connect. Read a map first, then take a quiz on the same area. If a question surprises you, go back to the map and find the branch it belongs to.

The flashcard decks suit short sessions. Frequencies, Untowered Radio Calls and 3. Ground Direction Finding break the material into small pieces you can repeat.

Where it sits

This unit belongs to the strand Air Law, Airspace and Communications, within the Aviation subject. Some resources here are in other languages, including German, Spanish and Romanian, so you may find question sets in more than one language.

When you are ready, pick one quiz, work through it once without notes, and see which topic to return to first.