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Have You Heard These 11 ATC Phrases?

Thanks to Bose for making this story possible. Check out the full series here. And if you want to know why we fly with Bose, learn more about their headsets here.

Yes, these are real terms, and you can find them in the Pilot/Controller glossary.

1) CATCH POINT

A catch point is a fix or waypoint that is a transition from a high altitude waypoint to a STAR (Standard Terminal Arrival Route) or a low-altitude navigation aid.

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2) BLIND SPOT

Blind Spot is used to describe portions of the airport that aren't visible from the control tower.

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3) FLAMEOUT PATTERN

A flameout pattern is an approach flown by a single-engine military aircraft that has lost engine power. The pattern is flown over top of the runway, with continuous 180 degree turns.

4) MACH TECHNIQUE

Mach technique is a technique used by Air Traffic Controllers to assign speeds to jets that are at the same altitude. By assigning specific Mach numbers, ATC can keep equal spacing between the jets, or if they need, they can get them closer or further apart.

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5) FUSED TARGET

A fused target is a computer-generated symbol representing an aircraft's position, based on a primary return or radar beacon reply, and shown on ATC's digital display.

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6) NORDO

NORDO (no radio) is a term assigned to aircraft that can't communicate, or aren't communicating when they are supposed to be.

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7) PITCH POINT

A pitch point is a fix or waypoint that is a transition point from a low-altitude NAVAID to a high altitude waypoint.

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8) SKYSPOTTER

A skyspotter is a pilot who has received special training in observing and reporting inflight weather. You might hear someone end a pilot report with 'skyspotter'.

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9) STOP STREAM

You probably won't hear this one over the radio, but if you do, it's an ATC request for a pilot to stop using their electronic jamming equipment.

10) TETRAHEDRON

Is this a geometry quiz? Nope. It's kind of like a windsock. Except it's a tetrahedron.

11) WORDS TWICE

Say again? Say again? 'Words twice' is used when communication between ATC and a pilot is difficult, usually due to a language barrier. Basically, it means that you want the other person to say every phrase twice.

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So now the next time you hear one of these from ATC, you'll know what they're talking about.


Curious about the new Bose A30 headsets? Learn more and read the reviews here.


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