LEFT SEAT CULTURE PILOT TOOLS
Morse code & phonetic alphabet reference
Two fixed, internationally standard references pilots lean on constantly: the ICAO phonetic alphabet for spelling callsigns and reporting points clearly over the radio, and Morse code for identifying an NDB or VOR from its audio ident.
ICAO phonetic alphabet
Used to spell out a callsign, registration or reporting point letter-by-letter so it can't be misheard — always say the full word, not just the letter.
Morse code
Most relevant for identifying an NDB or VOR from its continuous audio ident — a short group of one to three letters, repeated on a loop. "." is a short tone (dit), "-" is a tone three times as long (dah).
Letters
Numbers
Worth knowing
Both of these are long-established international standards (ICAO phonetic alphabet; standard Morse code), so unlike a lot of the content on this site they carry essentially no currency risk — they aren't expected to change.
In the UK, NDB idents are typically a two-letter group and VOR idents a two- or three-letter group, transmitted in Morse at a slow, deliberate pace specifically so they can be read by ear against a chart, without needing to transcribe every dit and dah in real time.
SUPPORT LEFT SEAT CULTURE
Help keep the tools and videos coming
These tools take time to research, build and maintain. Watching, subscribing, becoming a member or buying a coffee all help support the channel.