IFR or VFR, use the minimum number of words and minimum number of back and forth cycles. When busy it drives ATC crazy to get an initial call saying nothing of substance.
In Germany, FIS prefers initial calls from VFR traffic…
No, never. There are some other social opportunities than ATC to practice. Listen to the pros, very few indulge in this kind of civilities.
An eventual good whatever period of the day directly followed by the request is all it takes. Concise, efficient, clear.
Enroute, the worst ist to hear: “ATC name (example London), callsign (D-E… or whatever), request”… ATC eventually responds with “go ahead”, or “pass your message”, at which point said pilot finally lays down his request, which could have been placed directly, as in “D-Exxx request descent” or whatever. Total waste of bandwidth and non ICAO standard phraseology.
Firstly, I would give them extra time while they peel themselves off the floor after hearing your callsign 
The first call depends on how busy the place is. Yesterday I was in Guernsey EGJB (some airline traffic) and the first call is “Guernsey Nxxxxx request start and ready to copy departure clearance”. Pencil in hand and already got the ATIS and studied all the likely SIDs. This one works just about everywhere I remember going to recently. Frequently, when you request start they read you the DC so you need to be ready for it anyway.
But if you are at some machine-gun place then just request start, and anyway the DC might be on a “delivery frequency” and you should get that before requesting start in case of a delay. I recall places in Spain, lots of Ryanairs tearing their hair out at the incompetent ATC… one said “welcome to Africa” on the air! Not many places like that with GA, although small IFR-capable airfields (e.g. my base) can get like that. Athens LGAV was also busy as hell, and with poor English.
FIS in UK (would need to confirm with CAP413) starts with call sign and a request for type of service eg Basic. Then the peculiarly British ‘pass your message’ :) whether ICAO or not it is in CAP413.
Yes, but FIS is VFR stuff.
ch.ess wrote:
In Germany, FIS prefers initial calls from VFR traffic…That has changed for those how fly with a flightplan. In case you have one, they will directly identify you. Only when you have multiple flight plans for one day, they might ask which flight you’re on. This counts also for Austria, otherwise they want to hear an initial call with “negative flightplan”.
Cttime wrote:
Would like to add on to the question here. When making initial contact on the ground do you blind call (eg. “Tower/Ground/Clearance Delivery, D-ILDO” …wait… “D-DO go ahead”) before passing your request for departure info/clearance/etc?
Generally (not only on ground), only if there is doubt that they will hear me, or doubt that they will hear me well. And also on second/third call if they didn’t answer. On the ground, if calling ground or tower frequency, there is no doubt I’m well into their coverage area, but the doubt could e.g. stem from it being within a few minutes of their opening/closing time, or an AFIS that is active HX.
Another UK quirk you can be IFR OCAS using FIS – in fact from non ATZ airfields FIS will coordinate the airways join.
“Contact xxx control xxx.xxx with heading” is typical UK stuff.
