RT brush-up

[riverrock]

Also, I found listening to liveatc.net and reading the Pilot's Radio Communications Handbook useful, but need to watch out for some American specifics and short-forms which don't always go down so well in non-English speaking places.

I would be VERY wary of using liveatc.net or that suggested book if you are going to be operating in the UK. liveatc doesn't include any UK listening locations (due to UK law) and that book is highly USA specific (from the few snippits I've read using Amazon's preview. Radio use in the USA is different from the rest of the world and uses many phrases specific to the US. UK phraseology is very similar to the international standard (although there are a few quirks). If using liveatc, try dublin or maybe some of the places in Australia, although I have no idea what Australia's phraseology is like.

I like the idea of templates though. I have a few key ones for clearances in and out of our control zone as well as for the ATIS on my knee board.

[Keef]

The USA has a very simple process for clearances, which I've not heard in the UK. My plogsheet for over there has spaces headed C R A F T:
Clearance
Route
Altitude
Frequency
Transponder
- and the information always comes in that order. It works well, and I know immediately if a bit's missing.

In Europe, I have a largeish piece of paper on my kneeboard (see separate dozens of threads) on which I write what I'm told in the order I hear it, and then read it back as required.