1 of 23

Regulations

The primary medium for aeronautical communications in Canada is VHF in the frequency range of 118 to 137 MHz.
Operator’s certificates: In accordance with the Radiocommunication Regulations, a person may operate radio apparatus in the aeronautical service only where the person holds a Restricted Operator Certificate with Aeronautical Qualification, issued by Industry Canada.
To acquire an operators certificate you must demonstrate your competence though testing.
Station Licenses: All radio equipment used in aeronautical services were required to be licensed by Industry Canada.

✈

2 of 23

Language

The use of English and French for aeronautical radio communications in Canada is detailed in sections 602.133, 602.134, and 602.135 of the CARS.
The regulations specify that air traffic services shall be provided in English and sets out the locations where services shall be provided in French as well.
For safety and operational efficiency, once the language to be used has been determined, the pilot should refrain from changing language in the course of communications without formal notification to that effect.
In addition, pilots should endeavor to become thoroughly familiar with the aeronautical phraseology and terminology applicable to the type of service being provided in the official language of their choice.

✈

3 of 23

French towers / terminals

✈

4 of 23

VHF Comm Frequencies--Channel Spacing

The standard VHF A/G channel spacing in Canada is 25 kHz.
A 760 channel transceiver is necessary for operation of 25 kHz channels.
In some areas of Europe, channel spacing has been reduced to 8.33 kHz.
This channel spacing means that some operators with 50 kHz capability will have their access to certain Canadian airspace and airports restricted as 25 kHz channels are implemented for ATC purposes.
Similarly where ATC makes use of 8.33 kHz channels in Europe, restrictions may also apply.

✈

5 of 23

Because the frequency selectors on some 25 kHz transceivers do not display the third decimal place, misunderstanding may exist in the selection of frequencies.
With such transceivers, if the last digit displayed includes 2 and 7, then the equipment is capable of 25 kHz operations.
Example:

Corwall Unicom 122.775 (actual frequency)
ATC Assigned Frequency 122.77 (digit 5 omitted)
Aircraft Radio Display 122.775 or 122.77
In either case, the aircraft radio is actually tuned to the proper frequency.

✈

6 of 23

Use of Numbers

All numbers except whole thousands should be transmitted by pronouncing each digit separately:

572 FIVE SEVEN TWO
11000 ONE ONE THOUSAND

Altitude above sea level is expressed in thousands and hundreds of feet. Separate digits must be used to express flight levels:

2700 TWO THOUSAND SEVEN HUNDRED
FL260 Flight Level TWO SIX ZERO

Aircraft type numbers, wind speed and cloud base may be expressed in group form:

DC 10 DC TEN
Wind 270/10 WIND TWO SEVEN ZERO AT TEN
3400 broken THREE THOUSAND FOUR HUNDRED BROKEN

Time - Co-ordinated Universal Time (UTC)

092OZ ZERO NINE TWO ZERO ZULU
09 minutes ZERO NINE (past the next hour)

✈

7 of 23

Aircraft headings are given in groups of three digits prefixed by the word "Heading". If operating within the Southern Domestic Airspace, degrees are expressed in "magnetic". If operating within the Northern Domestic Airspace, degrees are expressed in "True"

005 degrees HEADING ZERO ZERO FIVE

Aerodrome elevations are expressed in feet, prefixed by the words "Field Elevation".

150 FIELD ELEVATION ONE FIVE ZERO

Transponder codes are preceded by the word SQUAWK

code 1200 SQUAWK ONE TWO ZERO ZERO

Numbers containing a decimal point are expressed with the decimal point in the appropriate sequence by the word DECIMAL except that for VHF frequencies, the decimal point may be omitted if the omission is not likely to cause any misunderstanding.
$137.26 would be expressed as “dollars one three seven decimal two six.”

✈

8 of 23

Call Signs

Civil Aircraft

In radio communications, the registration letters of an aircraft call sign must be expressed in phonetics at all times.
The word "heavy" is used to indicate an aircraft capable of a takeoff weight of 300,000 lbs or more.
After communication has been established and when no likelihood of confusion, the word "heavy" may be omitted and call signs may be abbreviated.
A ”MEDEVAC" is a flight responding to a medical emergency for the transport of patients, organ donors, organs or other urgently needed lifesaving medical material. This can also apply to certain medical flights, generally helicopters, which may be designated as Air Ambulance Flights.

✈

9 of 23

Canadian Air Carriers

Initial contact: The operator's radiotelephony call-sign followed by: the flight number, or the last four characters of the aircraft registration, and the word "heavy" if applicable.

Air Canada 149 Heavy - AIR CANADA ONE FORTY NINE HEAVY

Subsequent communications: No abbreviations permitted except that "heavy" may be omitted.

✈

10 of 23

Canadian Private Civil Registration

Initial contact: The manufacturer's name or the type of aircraft, followed by the last four letters of the registration.
Call signs should be sent at least on the initial call.
Cessna GADT (CESSNA GOLF ALFA DELTA TANGO)
Aztec-FADT (AZTEC FOXTROT ALFA DELTA TANGO)
The words helicopter, glider or Ultralight are an acceptable substitute to the type of aircraft.
Subsequent communications may be abbreviated to the last three letters of the registration, if this abbreviation is initiated by ATS. Cessna GADT becomes "ADT" (expressed: ALFA DELTA TANGO). Aztec-FADT becomes "ADT”(expressed: ALFA DELTA TANGO).

✈

11 of 23

Standard Radio Telephony - General

The Radiocommunication Regulations specify that aeronautical radio communications are restricted to communications relating to the safety and navigation of an aircraft; the general operation of the aircraft;and the exchange of messages on behalf of the public.
In addition, a person may operate radio apparatus only to transmit a non-superfluous signal or a signal containing non-profane or non-obscene radiocommunications.
Pilots should (a) send radio messages clearly and concisely using standard phraseology whenever practical; � (b) plan the content of the message before transmitting; and � (c) listen out before transmitting to avoid interference with other transmissions.

✈

12 of 23

Radiotelephony traffic generally consists of four parts:

the call-up, the reply, the message and the acknowledgement.

REGINA TOWER, (THIS IS) CESSNA FOXTROT BRAVO CHARLIE DELTA (OVER).
FOXTROT BRAVO CHARLIE DELTA, REGINA TOWER.
REGINA TOWER, FOXTROT BRAVO CHARLIE DELTA, TEN SOUTH THREE THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED FEET VFR LANDING INSTRUCTIONS
BRAVO CHARLIE DELTA, REGINA TOWER, RUNWAY TWO SIX, WIND TWO THREE ZERO AT TEN, ALTIMETER TWO NINE NINE TWO, CLEARED TO THE CIRCUIT
Pilot: BRAVO CHARLIE DELTA.
The terms "this is" and "over" may be omitted, and if no likelihood of confusion exists, the call sign for the agency being called may be abbreviated as follows: TOWER, BRAVO CHARLIE DELTA, CONFIRM RIGHT TURN.

✈

13 of 23

Message Acknowledgement:

Pilots should acknowledge the receipt of all messages directed to them, including frequency changes.
Such acknowledgement may take the form of a transmission of the aircraft call sign, a repeat of the clearance with the aircraft call sign or the call sign with an appropriate word(s)
VICTOR LIMA CHARLIE, CLEARED TO LAND
VICTOR LIMA CHARLIE�or
VICTOR LIMA CHARLIE, CONFIRM YOU ARE AT FIVE THOUSAND
VICTOR LIMA CHARLIE, AFFIRMATIVE
The clicking of the microphone button as a form of acknowledgement is not an acceptable radio procedure.

✈

14 of 23

Communications checks

The readability scale from one to five has the following meaning:

1. unreadable;
2. readable now and then;
3. readable with difficulty;
4. readable; and
5. perfectly readable.

The strength scale from one to five used in HF communications has the following meaning:

1. bad;
2. poor;
3. fair;
4. good; and
5. excellent.

✈

15 of 23

Communications checks

Communications checks are categorized as follows:

Signal Check - if the test is made while the aircraft is airborne.
Pre-flight Check - if the test is made prior to departure.
Maintenance Check - if the test is made by ground maintenance.

THOMPSON RADIO, CESSNA FOXTROT ALFA BRAVO CHARLIE, RADIO CHECK ON FIVE SIX EIGHT ZERO.
FOXTROT ALFA BRAVO CHARLIE, THOMPSON RADIO, READING YOU STRENGTH FIVE, OVER.
For test transmissions listen to ensure no harmful interference will be caused to on-going communications on the frequency then make the test transmission, with does not exceed ten seconds

✈

16 of 23

Emergency Communications

An emergency condition is classified in accordance with the degree of danger or hazard present.
(a) Distress is a situation when safety is being threatened by grave and imminent danger and requires immediate assistance. The spoken word for distress is MAYDAY and is pronounced 3 times.
(b) Urgency is a situation where the safety of an aircraft or other vehicle, or of some person on board or within sight is threatened, but does not require immediate assistance. The spoken word for urgency is PANPAN and is pronounced 3 times.
The first transmission of the distress call and message by an aircraft should be on the air-to-ground frequency in use at the time. If the aircraft is unable to establish communication on the frequency in use, the distress call and message should be repeated on the distress frequency (121.5 MHz), or any other frequency available, such as 5680 kHz, in an effort to establish communications with any ground or other aircraft station.
The UHF emergency frequency is 243.0 MHz

✈

17 of 23

Examples

The distress call shall have absolute priority over all other transmissions. All stations hearing it shall immediately cease any transmission which may interfere with it and shall listen on the frequency used for the distress call.
Example of a Distress Message from an Aircraft: �MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY, THIS IS CFZXY, CFZXY, CFZXY, FIVE ZERO MILES SOUTH OF YELLOWKNIFE AT ONE SEVEN TWO FIVE ZULU, FOUR THOUSAND, NORSEMAN, ICING, WILL ATTEMPT CRASH LANDING ON ICE, CFZXY, OVER.
Example of An Urgency Message Addressed to All Stations:�PANPAN, PANPAN, PANPAN, ALL STATIONS, ALL STATIONS, ALL STATIONS, THIS IS TIMMINS RADIO, TIMMINS RADIO, TIMMINS RADIO, EMERGENCY DESCENT AT TIMMINS AIRPORT, ATC INSTRUCTS ALL AIRCRAFT BELOW SIX THOUSAND FEET WITHIN RADIUS OF ONE ZERO MILES OF TIMMINS NDB LEAVE EAST AND NORTH COURSES IMMEDIATELY, THIS IS TIMMINS RADIO OUT.

✈

18 of 23