Off the top of my head, I can think of 6 superfluous items in everyday UK radio phraseology:
1. saying the station and frequency changing to (not as a read back, but as an unsolicited action)
2. all the talk about various service levels (“Golf-xx, what service do you require?” “Golf-xx, ah, request a traffic service.” “Golf-XX, traffic service is not possible due to…, basic service you have”. “Golf-xx, roger, basic service”
3. Saying where you took off from when talking to the tower of where you are landing
4. Saying the QNH you are on (not as a readback, but as an unsolicited action)
5. Number of POB (not normally required in civil radio ops)
6. Request radio check and airfield information
I’ve tried to find out what’s the least verbose way I can get everything required across, with minimal round-trips between me and the person at the other end by experimentation:
For 1: I’ve found if I don’t say the frequency I’m going to, whoever I’m talking to will 80% of the time suggest the frequency I go to next. So it saves a bit of radio bandwidth to add it.
For 2: If people say the service level they want in the request (like you should do!), you can get rid of this to-and-fro about service levels. I think the problem is a lot of people say too much stuff that’s not needed then miss the stuff that is needed.
For 3: I’ve found if I don’t say where I took off from, I’ll be asked where I took off from, so to avoid a round-trip communication it should be said unsolicited.
For 4: I’ve found that if I don’t say the QNH unsolicited, there will be an extra round trip as it will be given and I’ll have to read it back. Even if I say the ATIS that I have. I’ve found saying “…. have information X-ray QNH 1013” is the only way to stop ATC telling me the QNH even though it’s implied by me saying “information X-ray” So saying it unsolicited saves some communications bandwidth.
For 5: I never do this! It’s pretty obvious if your radio isn’t working when you try to call for taxi, so the radio check is superfluous. And there’s usually ways of getting airfield information (ATIS, looking at the windsock, watching what the other aircraft are doing, NOTAMs etc) that means you don’t have to ask.
