RADIOTELEPHONE PROCEDURES


This list of ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) PROCEDURAL WORDS AND PHRASES for RADIOTELEPHONE communications has been around a long time.  It is used by skilled radio amateurs on a daily basis.  It wouldn't hurt, however, for each of us to periodically review these terms.  It is especially important to know and use them in EMCOMM situations.

As personal radio operators, we never know when we may be called upon to handle an EMERGENCY call.  It may be via HF phone or a local VHF or UHF repeater.   It is rare that personal radio operators will be called upon to handle an aeronautical emergency...but maritime distress calls are not uncommon.


Also all radio operators should know and use ITU PHONETICS on a regular basis.  (Yes, I realize that DXers like their own set of phonetics...fine with me...I only hope that if they ever have to handle an INTERNATIONAL DISTRESS CALL, other EMERGENCY traffic, or even some health and welfare traffic, that they will be able to communicate efficiently and quickly.  As we all know, TIME MAY BE A CRITICAL FACTOR.  Propagation or other factors can cut a signal off without warning!

                     PROCEDURE WORDS AND PHRASES

Acknowledge: "Let me know that you have received and understood this message."
Affirmative: "Yes" or "permission granted."
Break: "I hereby indicate the separation between portions of the message." (To be used when there is no clear distinction between the text and other portions of the message.)
Correction: "An error has been made in the transmission (or message indicated). The correct version is..."
Go Ahead: "Proceed with your message."
How Do You Read:  

Unreadable, readable now and then, readable but with difficulty, readable, perfectly readable.
I Say Again:  Self-explanatory.
Negative:  "No" or "permission not granted" or "That is not correct."
Over: "My transmission ended, and I expect a response from you."
Out:  "This conversation is ended and no response is expected."
Read Back:   "Repeat all, or the specified part, of this message back to me exactly as received."
Roger:   "I have received all of your last transmission." (Under no circumstances to be used as an affirmative."
Say Again: "Repeat all, or the following part, of your last transmission."
Speak Slower: Self-explanatory
Standby: Self-explanatory
That Is Correct: Self-explanatory
Verify: "Check coding, check text with the originator and send correct version."
Wilco: "Your last message (or message indicated), received, understood, and will be complied with."
Words twice: (1) As a request: "Communication is difficult. Please send every word twice." 
(2) As information: "Since communication is difficult, every word in this message will be sent twice."