How to Make the Initial Call to Tower

Before you key the mic

1. Get the ATIS early. Listen to it well before you need the tower, and write down the letter, the runway in use, the wind and the altimeter. You will tell Tower which letter you have (AIM 4-1-13).
2. Work out where you are. Distance and direction from the airport, or a landmark the tower knows, such as a VFR checkpoint on the sectional chart.
3. Guess the pattern entry. From the runway in use and the direction you are coming from, work out which leg Tower is likely to give you. A reply you expected is easier to catch.
4. Listen first. Wait for a gap on the frequency.

When to call

The AIM suggests making the first call about 15 miles from the airport (AIM 4-3-2). That leaves time for an answer before you reach the airspace: you may not enter Class D airspace until two-way radio communication is established (AIM 3-2-5). The AIM is precise about what counts:

This is the call for a tower in Class D airspace. If the airport sits inside Class C or Class B airspace, your first call goes to Approach, which hands you to Tower, and Class B also needs a clearance (AIM 3-2-3, 3-2-4).

• Tower answers with your callsign, even if it is only “November One Two Three Alpha Zulu, stand by”: communication is established, and you may enter.
• “Aircraft calling Springfield Tower, stand by”: no callsign, so communication is not established. Stay outside.
• “Remain outside the Class Delta airspace”: Tower has your callsign but no room for you yet. Stay outside until they let you in.

How the call is built

Part	Example	Why it is there
Who you are calling	Springfield Tower	The facility you are talking to
Who you are	November One Two Three Alpha Zulu	Your full callsign on first contact (AIM 4-2-4)
What you are flying	Cessna 172	Tells the tower your speed, and how to describe you to other pilots
Where you are	fifteen miles southwest	Distance and direction from the airport, or a known landmark
Your altitude	at three thousand five hundred	Helps the tower spot you and plan your entry
What you have	with information Bravo	The ATIS letter, so Tower can leave out what you already heard (AIM 4-1-13)
What you want	inbound for full stop	Full stop, touch and go, or simply “landing”

What Tower may say back

Tower says	What it means	You say
Enter left downwind runway two seven, report midfield	Join the left downwind for runway 27 and call when you are abeam the middle of the runway	Left downwind runway two seven, will report midfield, (callsign)
Make straight-in runway two seven, report three mile final	Line up with the runway from a distance and call at three miles	Straight-in runway two seven, will report three mile final, (callsign)
Enter right base runway two seven	Join the base leg of a right-hand pattern: you will turn right onto final	Right base runway two seven, (callsign)
(Callsign), stand by	You may enter; wait for instructions	Nothing. Wait for the next call
Remain outside the Class Delta airspace	Do not enter yet	Remain outside, (callsign)

Pattern instructions such as “enter left base” and “straight-in” are part of the landing information a tower gives arriving aircraft (JO 7110.65 3-10-1). They contain a runway assignment, and the AIM asks you to read runway assignments back (AIM 4-4-7).

Common mistakes

• Calling too late. By the time Tower answers, you are at the boundary without established communication.
• No ATIS letter. Tower has to give you the weather and the runway, which costs airtime.
• No altitude, or a vague position. “Southwest of the field” without a distance makes you hard to find.
• Entering after “aircraft calling, stand by”. Without your callsign, communication is not established (AIM 3-2-5).
• Leaving the runway out of the readback. Read it back with the entry (AIM 4-4-7).
• Forgetting the report. Write “midfield” on your kneeboard when you hear it, and make the call when you get there.

FAQ

How far out should I call the tower?

About 15 miles, the AIM suggests (AIM 4-3-2). Whatever the distance, call early enough to hear an answer before you reach the Class D boundary, because you need two-way communication to enter (AIM 3-2-5).

Do I need to say my aircraft type?

Yes, in one form or another. The AIM asks civil pilots to put the type, model or manufacturer's name in front of the registration, as in “Cessna One Two Three Alpha Zulu” (AIM 4-2-4). If you start with “November”, add the type after your callsign, as the example call does, so the tower knows what to look for.

Should I say “student pilot”?

Yes, on your first call. The AIM recommends it on initial contact with each facility, so controllers can give you extra help (AIM 4-2-4).

What happens after I report midfield?

Tower gives you your place in line and a landing clearance, sometimes in the same call. Do not land until you hear “cleared to land”. That is where the traffic pattern calls begin.