MTTP/ATC/EXAMPLE FLOWS

How to use this page

Each flow below is one complete flight, from first radio call to shutdown, written as a transcript. Find the flow that matches what you are about to fly and read it straight down. That is the whole method.

This page shows the flight that goes to plan. There are no failures in it, no weather deviations, no lost communications and no emergencies. That is deliberate, and it is what keeps the page short enough to read before a sortie. The moment something departs from the normal case, go up one level to the ATC Radio Handbook, which has the call you need, indexed by the facility you are talking to.

About the numbers. Every call sign, airport, runway, frequency, altitude and fix name on this page is a placeholder. Within each flow they have been made consistent so the transcript reads as one continuous flight, but none of them is a real or SOURCE-published value. Fly the shape of the call and substitute your own details.

Where the text is italic and unquoted, there is no standard call for that beat. Say it in your own words. Nothing is being withheld from you.

The pointers in brackets after a call, like (5.9.b), link straight to the paragraph of the ATC Communication Contract that call comes from. You will not normally need them. They are there so that nothing on this page has to be taken on trust.

Flow 1 · IFR, towered field to towered field

The backbone flight. Reach Three One, IFR from Aeroville to Example City.

1 · Clearance Delivery

Call not more than 10 minutes before your proposed taxi time.

You: "Aeroville Clearance, Reach Three One, IFR to Example City, ready to copy."

Clearance: "Reach Three One, Aeroville Clearance, cleared to Example City Airport as filed, climb and maintain three thousand, expect flight level two three zero, one zero minutes after departure, departure frequency one two six point one five, squawk four five one two."

You (readback): "Cleared to Example City as filed, climb and maintain three thousand, expect flight level two three zero, one zero minutes after departure, departure frequency one two six point one five, squawk four five one two, Reach Three One." (5.9.b)

2 · Ground

You: "Aeroville Ground, Reach Three One, ready to taxi, information Bravo."

Ground: "Reach Three One, Aeroville Ground, taxi to runway two seven via Alpha, Alpha three."

You (readback): "Taxi to runway two seven via Alpha, Alpha three, Reach Three One." (5.9.c)

Read back the runway assignment, any clearance to enter a runway, and every HOLD SHORT or LINE UP AND WAIT instruction. (4.26.c)

3 · Tower

Tower: "Reach Three One, Runway Two Seven, Line Up and Wait."

You (readback): "Runway Two Seven, Line Up and Wait, Reach Three One." (5.11.a)

LINE UP AND WAIT is not a takeoff clearance. Do not begin the roll until you get an explicit one. (5.11.a)

Tower: "Reach Three One, fly runway heading, climb and maintain three thousand, cleared for takeoff."

You (readback): "Runway heading, climb and maintain three thousand, cleared for takeoff, Reach Three One." (4.2)

4 · Handoff to Departure

Stay on Tower until Tower sends you. (5.13.g)

Tower: "Reach Three One, contact Departure, One Two Six Point One Five."

You: "One Two Six Point One Five, Reach Three One." (5.13.g)

Departure: "Reach Three One, Aeroville Departure, radar contact, fly heading two seven zero, climb and maintain four thousand." (5.14.b)

5 · Center

Departure hands you off as you leave the terminal area.

You: "Example Center, Reach Three One, level, flight level two three zero."

Center: "Reach Three One, Example Center, ROGER." (4.1)

Center: "Reach Three One, contact Example Center one three three point five at PILOX."

Keep monitoring the old frequency until the time, fix, or altitude named in the instruction — then call the new controller. (5.15.f)

6 · Descent on the arrival

Center: "Reach Three One, descend via the Eagul Five arrival."

You (readback): "Descend via the Eagul Five arrival, Reach Three One." (5.21.k)

Once established on the arrival you must meet every published or assigned altitude and speed restriction on it. (5.21.k)

Center: "Reach Three One, contact Example Approach one two five point three five."

You: "One two five point three five, Reach Three One." (5.22.d)

7 · Approach

Checking in under a DESCEND VIA clearance, report your altitude leaving and the procedure by name — every time.

You: "Example Approach, Reach Three One, leaving flight level one niner zero, descending via the Eagul Five arrival, runway two-seven transition." (5.21.l)

Approach: "Reach Three One, expect the ILS Runway Two Seven approach." (5.23.a)

That advisory is a planning aid, not a clearance. (5.23.a)

Approach: "Reach Three One, five miles from the outer marker, turn right heading three three zero, maintain two thousand until established on the localizer, cleared ILS Runway Two Seven approach."

You (readback): "Right heading three three zero, maintain two thousand until established on the localizer, cleared ILS Runway Two Seven approach, Reach Three One." (5.26.h)

8 · Tower, landing

Approach: "Reach Three One, contact Tower, one one niner point one."

You: "One one niner point one, Reach Three One." (4.3.b)

You: "Traffic in sight, Reach Three One."

Tower: "Reach Three One, cleared to land, runway two seven." (4.2)

9 · Off the runway and in

Tower: "Reach Three One, exit left at Bravo, contact Ground point niner."

You (readback): "Left at Bravo, Ground point niner, Reach Three One." (4.27.a)

Ground: "Reach Three One, taxi to parking via Alpha, Bravo."

You (readback): "Taxi to parking via Alpha, Bravo, Reach Three One." (4.27.c)

Flow 2 · VFR, towered field to towered field

Cessna Three Four Bravo, VFR from Springfield to Example Municipal.

1 · Ground

State who you are, where you are on the field, VFR or IFR, and your point of first intended landing. (4.26.d)

You: "Springfield Ground, Cessna Three Four Bravo at hangar eight, ready to taxi, VFR to Example Municipal."

Ground: "Cessna Three Four Bravo, Springfield Ground, runway two seven, taxi via taxiways Charlie and Delta, HOLD SHORT of runway three three left."

You (readback): "Cessna Three Four Bravo, runway two seven, HOLD SHORT of runway three three left." (4.26.d)

2 · Tower, departing

Tower: "Cessna Three Four Bravo, runway two seven, make right traffic, cleared for takeoff."

You (readback): "Right traffic, runway two seven, cleared for takeoff, Cessna Three Four Bravo." (4.21.d)

Stay with Tower until you are clear of the surface area. (4.20.a)

3 · Arriving — the entry call

Call far enough out that you will not enter the airspace before two-way communication is established. Give position, altitude, what you want, and the ATIS code. (3.7.d)

You: "Example Municipal Tower, Cessna Three Four Bravo, one four miles west at three thousand five hundred, landing, with information Alpha."

Tower: "Cessna Three Four Bravo, Example Municipal Tower, standby." (3.7.d)

Two-way communication is established the moment Tower answers using your call sign — that reply alone lets you enter. If the reply is "Aircraft calling Example Municipal Tower, standby," it is not established and you must stay out. So must you if Tower says "remain outside the Class Delta airspace and standby." (3.7.d, 3.7.e)

4 · Tower, into the pattern

Tower: "Cessna Three Four Bravo, enter left downwind, runway two seven."

You: acknowledge by call sign. (4.20.a)

You: "Traffic in sight, Cessna Three Four Bravo."

Tower: "Cessna Three Four Bravo, cleared to land, runway two seven." (4.2)

5 · Off and in

Tower: "Cessna Three Four Bravo, exit left at Bravo, contact Ground point niner."

You (readback): "Left at Bravo, Ground point niner, Cessna Three Four Bravo." (4.27.a)

Ground: "Cessna Three Four Bravo, taxi to parking via Alpha, Bravo."

You (readback): "Taxi to parking via Alpha, Bravo, Cessna Three Four Bravo." (4.27.c)

Flow 3 · Uncontrolled field, out and back

Cessna Eight Zero One Tango Foxtrot at Frederick. Nobody is controlling you — you are telling the other traffic what you are doing. Say the airport name at the start and the end of every transmission. (4.4.g(11))

1 · Before taxi

You: "Frederick UNICOM, Cessna Eight Zero One Tango Foxtrot, (location on airport), taxiing to runway one niner, request wind and traffic information, Frederick."

UNICOM: states wind and traffic information. (4.4.h)

2 · Departing

You: "Frederick traffic, Cessna Eight Zero One Tango Foxtrot, departing runway one niner, departing the pattern to the (direction), Frederick." (4.4.h)

3 · Inbound

You: "Frederick UNICOM, Cessna Eight Zero One Tango Foxtrot, ten miles southeast, descending through (altitude), landing Frederick, request wind and runway information, Frederick."

UNICOM: states wind and the runway in use. (4.4.h(2))

4 · In the pattern

Make this call entering downwind, again on base, and again on final.

You: "Frederick traffic, Cessna Eight Zero One Tango Foxtrot, entering downwind [then: base / final] for runway one niner, full stop, Frederick." (4.4.h(3))

5 · Down

You: "Frederick traffic, Cessna Eight Zero One Tango Foxtrot, clear of runway one niner, Frederick." (4.4.h(4))

Flow 4 · Overhead recovery

Falcon One Two, IFR inbound in VMC, recovering to a field with an established overhead pattern. Ask for it; it is not automatic. (5.32.d)

1 · The request

You: "Example Tower, Falcon One Two, request overhead maneuver."

Tower: "Falcon One Two, cleared overhead maneuver, pattern altitude two thousand five hundred, left turns, break at midfield, report initial."

You (readback): "Cleared overhead maneuver, pattern altitude two thousand five hundred, left turns, break at midfield, report initial, Falcon One Two." (5.32.h)

Read back the pattern altitude, the turn direction, and the break point. Where those are standard for the field, Tower may leave them out of the clearance entirely — then the readback is just: "Cleared overhead maneuver, wilco, Falcon One Two." (5.32.d, 5.32.h)

2 · Initial

You: "Falcon One Two, initial."

Tower: "Falcon One Two, report break." (5.32.h)

At a field with a working tower, reaching the INITIAL POINT turns the flight VFR and closes your IFR flight plan automatically. No cancellation call. (5.32.h)

3 · The break

You: "Falcon One Two, break." (5.32.h)

4 · Landing and in

Tower: "Falcon One Two, cleared to land, runway two seven." (4.2)

Tower: "Falcon One Two, exit left at Bravo, contact Ground point niner."

You (readback): "Left at Bravo, Ground point niner, Falcon One Two." (4.27.a)

If the field has no established overhead pattern, or Tower does not approve the request, fly the standard rectangular pattern instead. (5.32.d)

Flow 5 · Radar approach (PAR)

Viper Two One, precision radar approach. You need no equipment beyond a working transmitter and receiver — the controller flies you down by voice. (5.27)

1 · Asking for it

Ask Approach for the PAR. There is no scripted request; say what you want. (5.27.b)

Approach may decline a requested ASR absent an operational reason. That limit does not apply to the PAR. (5.27.b)

2 · Decision height

Approach will not state DH unless you ask. If you want it on frequency:

You: "Example Approach, Viper Two One, request the decision height for this approach." (5.27.d(2))

3 · The talk-down

Speaker	Transmission
Approach	"Viper Two One, decision height two hundred, three miles from touchdown, on course, prepare to descend."
Approach	"Viper Two One, on course, slightly above glidepath, coming down slowly."
Approach	"Viper Two One, one mile from touchdown, on course, on glidepath."
Approach	"Viper Two One, over landing threshold, contact tower one-one-niner-point-seven."

Adjust pitch and heading as advised, and change frequency on the last call. No readback of course or glidepath advisories is required beyond normal acknowledgment. (5.27.d)

What the words mean. Deviation is called as "slightly" or "well." A trend term — "rapidly" or "slowly" — may be added. Range from touchdown comes at least once per mile. About 10 to 30 seconds before glidepath intercept you are told to anticipate it and to begin descent. (5.27.d, 5.27.d(3))

Guidance is continuous to DH. After DH, Approach keeps giving advisory course and glidepath information until you pass the threshold, then calls any drift off centerline. Radar service ends by itself when the approach is complete — there is no closing call. (5.27.d(6))

When the sortie stops going to plan

Everything that is not the normal case is deliberately absent from this page: holding, missed approaches, go-arounds, declining or changing an approach, visual and contact approaches, VFR flight following, special VFR, flight plan filing and closing, position reports, lost communications, and every other non-routine call.

Those all live one level up, in the ATC Radio Handbook, arranged by the facility you would be talking to. Behind that, the ATC Communication Contract holds the exact rule and its limits.

Three habits carry across every flow above:

Read back every runway assignment, every hold-short instruction, and every LINE UP AND WAIT.
Do not switch frequency until you are told to.
When a clearance is not clear, ask on frequency at the time. Never act on a guess and sort it out afterwards.