What to do when you don't hear what the name of the frequency you're changing to is?

Posted by YourLeaderSays@reddit | aviation | View on Reddit | 38 comments

I did another cross country a week or two back but during the flight, the controller had an accent and was talking quickly. I heard what frequency to change to but I couldn't for the life of me hear what the name of the controlling agency was (I believe it was something like Indie, but when I planned the cross country I was expecting to switch to Indianapolis Approach. Maybe they just say Indie as shorthand?). So I asked like 3 times if he could repeat, but at the third time he was clearly annoyed with me and I didn't want to make his job harder than it had to be so I just said I'll switch over to the frequency number. Once I switched I just omitted the name of the frequency I was calling to and just said my tail number and what altitude I was at.

What should I do in situations like these where I can't understand what the controller is saying? I mean it all worked out in the end but I feel like it could have gone smoother.

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the1stAviator@reddit

Just say "SAY AGAIN"

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80KnotsV1Rotate@reddit

But also know when something is important, or when you’re just cluttering up the freq when you’re asking for pointless information. Having another back and forth just to get the name of a center? Thats the pointless kind.

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the1stAviator@reddit

Is it??? Perhaps it'll encourage the controller to speak more clearly and not rush or the pilot to listen more carefully in the future. Who would be to blame for cluttering up the frequency (if its busy). Most pilots just don't want to admit that they didn't catch the message properly. Its an ego thing. I dont want to sound like an idiot over the radio.

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80KnotsV1Rotate@reddit

You fly to a place like Boston or New York, they ain’t slowing down because you didn’t catch the controlling agencies name. Of course they’ll be annoyed if you have 3 back and forths trying to ascertain that information. It’s not pertinent.

Another factor may be experience level. As you fly more and more you know what the next center area will be. Ok I’m headed south from NYC? Wash center is next. It’s style points, the actual freq is all the matters though. Nobody cares if you call them by the wrong name or nothing at all other than “hey center”.

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the1stAviator@reddit

Please, l dont need you to teach me how to suck eggs. Your talking about one route. If they are that busy, one needs to talk clearly but US controllers do have a tendency do talk very rapidly regardless of the airline they are talking to. European controllers cater for all nationalities of those aircraft flying through their airspace to ensure clarity and understanding. However, its true, one should be aware of the next controlling authority.

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80KnotsV1Rotate@reddit

I don’t care about Europe or anywhere else. I didn’t talk about the speed or how they cater to every nationality. I don’t care. The point is if you need to ask for them to repeat an instruction so you can get the name of a controlling agency instead of just changing frequencies and moving on, you’re the one clogging the airways.

CapeGreg767@reddit

If I miss the name of the controlling agency and it is an ARTCC, then I just say "Center, UPSXX checking in FL350". They then usually respond with who they are and saves you having to make multiple radio calls. Its not that big a deal, they will correct you if you call them the wrong name.

Stocomx@reddit

I use to just mumble what ever center name if I didn’t know it lol. “Bbblllllaaahh center …Skyhawk n737gu level 5500”.

oshunluvr@reddit

Faking static works too "pssfffssh center..."

paid_shill_3141@reddit

“Seattland Apprenter”

Corvalistix@reddit

I can't count the number of times I've missed which center I've just been switched to. No one cares if you just say center instead of Minneapolis center, or just a generic approach/departure instead of a specific one. As long as you got the frequency correct just switch freqs and use your normal check in sans location and you'll be right on track.

VillageIdiotsAgent@reddit

Just to add context for new pilots:

Controllers have the benefit of knowing that if someone is talking, it’s for them. Only in very rare cases will two aircraft talk to each other directly on an ATC frequency. Their default state when hearing a transmission is “it’s for me, better listen.”

Pilots, on the other hand, are the opposite. Usually, when someone else is talking, it’s NOT for them. We miss calls all the time on busy frequencies because we have been hearing other transmissions that are not for us for several minutes, then one sneaks in that is for us.

So, not only does it not matter what you call them, it doesn’t even really matter if you call them anything at all. I frequently, when checking in on a busy frequency, just say my call sign and altitude. And that’s it. And that’s all they need.

This is a very good point. Terse communication can be helpful on the ATC side if you're busy.

bp4850@reddit

Listening in at my local major airport, tower basically doesn't get called tower by anyone on the ground. It's simply "Qantas 703 ready" when switching from ground

I've had pilots check in with "ATC..." and that never bothered me. I was supposed to (and did) say my facility on initial contact anyway so if they were unsure of the facility, they got the update immediately.

The MAIN reason - IMO - it's important to say the facility name on initial contact is JUST IN CASE you dialed the frequency wrong. If I was LA Center and I heard something else, I double checked right away to verify I was supposed to be talking to you. Sometimes, at least in the old days before the SoCal TRACONs merged, there was a crap ton of freq. changes if you were low and going N-S or S-N.

JT-Av8or@reddit

You can do a few things. When I teach new first officers how to deal with international accents (Japanese, etc) the main thing is that you need to know where you are, where you’re going and what’s in your flight plan. So for your example, you should have seen on the chart Indianapolis Center was next, so “indiesmdhcyejndn skdhter” is likely Indy Center. Next is that as long as the frequency is correct you can just do it too, and say “odyehehd center N12456 level 17,000” or whatever. They’ll come back with their name and you can get it.

littlelowcougar@reddit

I’ve called Kennedy Tower “New York Approach”, they didn’t care. Even let fly under their Bravo.

Marklar0@reddit

North Americans usually say "center" or "approach" when they dont know the unit name, and Europeans and Asians usually say "control". Happens every day

EmergencyTime2859@reddit

You honestly don’t even really need to say anything. I’ve had plenty of pilots just check in “N12345 5000” doesn’t bother me

ValeoRex@reddit

Just wait and listen for a few seconds and someone will most likely talk on frequency. Other than that, just say Center. If its actually Approach they will say "Cessna 1234, Indy Approach, expect.... ATIS X is current" when you check-in and will most likely not acknowledge or even think twice about you calling them Center.

yyz_barista@reddit

When I was learning to fly, our local ATC fluctuated between "Other City" Center and "City" Terminal. I think it was due to staffing, my instructor had no clue which one it would be at the time. We just picked one and they went along with it. They'd just say their actual name and proceed with the instructions, so not a huge deal from the receiving side.

rob_s_458@reddit

Squawk 7500 and ask the fighter pilot when he shows up

YourLeaderSays@reddit (OP)

free airshow!

spacecadet2399@reddit

First, you kind of get to expect who you're going to be switched to. Yes, they say "Indie" instead of "Indianapolis" a lot. If you were expecting Indianapolis Approach, and he said anything even close to that, I would just assume it was Indianapolis Approach when I contacted them. You can say Indie or Indianapolis; doesn't really matter. Just a lot of people say Indie just like "Jacks" instead of Jacksonville, "LA" instead of "Los Angeles" or "Albuq...", er, I wish someone would come up with a shorthand for Albuquerque... I always trip over it. Maybe "Querq", like "Kirk". "Kirk Center". Sounds good to me. I may have even heard that once or twice but it's not common like "Indie" or "Jacks".

Anyway, if you got the frequency but you aren't sure what to call them, just say "Center" or "Approach". They'll come back and tell you who they are.

JJohnston015@reddit

If you call it "Kirky", it'll sound like you started talking just before you pressed your PTT button, and nobody will ever know.

OptiGuy4u@reddit

If I ever flew into ABQ....it would be some version of this. And if you know you know.

Yo yo yo. 148-3 to the 3 to the 6 to the 9, representing the ABQ, what up, biatch?!

FlyingSpectacle@reddit

Called Boston Center Cleveland once. They said “At least you didn’t call me New York”

DDX1837@reddit

Now that's funny!

TallDR@reddit

I work in an approach control facility in the US and half the time, the carriers call us “center” instead of “approach” and leave out the ATIS. No biggie

AviatorCFI@reddit

"Ground, 23AK FL350 direct Kennedy."

I'm doing this next time.

cofonseca@reddit

Just say “center” or “approach”. The name isn’t that important.

spitfire5181@reddit

It does not matter, in the US just call them "center" around the world I just call them "control."

No-Celebration8588@reddit

I’ve been calling them all “center” for well over 20 years and have had no problems. CPDLC makes it easier because I can read their name right off of it, but we don’t have many of those.

Liberator1177@reddit

Just say "center" if switching to a center or "approach" if switching to an approach. Nobody really cares if you say the city name or not. If you're being handed off, the other controller knows you're coming. If you happen to get the frequency wrong, they will just tell you to go back to your last frequency.