How we write our radio call guides

Radio phraseology is not a matter of style. It is prescribed by the FAA, and a wrong word in the wrong place matters. This page explains where our guides come from and how we check them.

Our sources

Every radio call in our guides is written from FAA publications:

• the Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM),
• the Pilot/Controller Glossary,
• FAA Order JO 7110.65, Air Traffic Control,
• Advisory Circular 90-66C, for airports without an operating control tower.

These are works of the United States Government and are in the public domain. Each guide names the paragraph its phraseology comes from and links to the FAA's own page, so you can read the source yourself.

How a guide is made

1. We start from the call as it appears in the PilotSpeak app and the FAA paragraph behind it.
2. A first draft is written with the help of AI tools.
3. A person checks every radio line against the cited paragraph, reads the exchange out loud and verifies every number: runways, altitudes, codes and frequencies.
4. The page shows the date it was last checked. When the AIM changes, affected guides are checked again.

We do not copy text from other training products, forums or reviews.

Found a mistake?

Tell us through the contact page. We correct confirmed errors within a day and update the date on the page.

What these guides are not

They are a practice aid for radio phraseology. They do not replace instruction from a certificated flight instructor, they are not connected to real air traffic control, and they are not for navigation.

The PilotSpeak team