Planned call
Choose what you want from this unit.
Extra details and wording
1. INITIAL CALL
They'll likely say:
PLANNED TRANSMISSION
WHAT YOU MAY HEAR BACK
Your likely response / action:
Also listen for:
LEFT SEAT CULTURE PILOT TOOLS
VFR radio call planner
Turn your planned route into a clear sequence of radio prompts, with guidance for services, transits, MATZ penetration and joining calls.
UK VFR RADIO PLANNING
Version 1.14Build the calls you expect to make
Set up your aircraft and route, add each station in order, then create a compact kneeboard prompt. The planner helps you organise the information likely to be needed; it does not replace listening, judgement or the current CAP 413.
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Aircraft and flight
These details are reused across each planned call.
A few habits worth checking against CAP 413
Instructors and self-taught habits vary a lot, and some common ones aren't actually CAP 413. Nothing on this list is a big deal in itself, but if any of it looks familiar, it's worth checking against the actual document rather than just this note.
- "Over" at the end of a transmission: not used in current UK R/T procedure. The end of your transmission is understood without it.
- "Roger" as an answer to a yes/no question: "Roger" only means you received the last transmission, not "yes". Use "Affirm" or "Negative" to actually answer a question.
- "Roger" and "Wilco" used interchangeably: "Roger" means received; "Wilco" means you will comply. They're not the same thing.
- "Copy" instead of a readback: "copy"/"copied" isn't standard UK R/T phraseology, and it doesn't fulfil a readback requirement for a clearance or instruction — actually read the item back.
- Abbreviating your own callsign before it's been used back to you: use your full callsign until the ground station shortens it first, then match what they use.
- Non-standard phonetics: always the ICAO phonetic alphabet (Alpha, Bravo, Charlie...) for your callsign and anything spelled out, not an invented alternative.
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Stations in route order
Add the calls you expect. You can reorder, duplicate or remove them.
Not sure what to request here?
Don't guess from what kind of place it is. Civil vs military, busy vs quiet, "I've heard of it" — none of that reliably tells you what to ask for. Check your chart and the current AIP for exactly what's there, every time you plan a route, even somewhere you've flown before.
Classic trap: it's tempting to assume a busy military aerodrome needs a MATZ penetration call because it's military. But plenty of them — Brize Norton is a good example — also have their own controlled airspace (a CTR, typically Class D). If your track goes through that, you need a zone transit clearance, not a MATZ call, regardless of whose airfield it is.
Match what your chart actually shows for the area you're planning to fly through or into:
- Solid boundary with a class letter (CTR/CTA, e.g. Class D): controlled airspace — you need a clearance before entering. That's "Request controlled airspace transit" in the list below.
- Dashed MATZ boundary, no class letter: advisory only — no clearance needed, but you're strongly advised to call. That's "Request MATZ penetration".
- Both shown for the same area: check whether your planned track actually enters the CTR/CTA itself. If it does, the zone transit clearance governs, even though you're also crossing the MATZ. If your track only clips the MATZ and stays outside the CTR/CTA, the MATZ call is what's expected.
- Neither — just an aerodrome you're passing near or joining: a Basic or Traffic Service call fits best, or the inbound/departure calls if you're actually landing or taking off there.
Still not sure? Don't fly through it on a guess — check the current AIP (ENR 2 for controlled airspace, or the unit's own AIP entry) or ask before you go. This note and the chart symbols are a memory aid, not a substitute for current aeronautical information.
Route reversed for the return leg.
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SkyDemon PLOG helper
Upload your PLOG PDF, or paste copied PLOG text, to identify named units, frequencies and likely conversations. Review the suggested route before using it.
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Designed to prepare you, not replace the conversation
The generated wording is a planning prompt. Radio calls should be concise and appropriate to the live situation, and the receiving unit may ask for information in a different order. Do not continue reading a prepared script when the response or circumstances have changed.
This tool is based on the structure and principles in the current UK CAA CAP 413 Radiotelephony Manual and CAP 774 UK Flight Information Services. Always verify current frequencies, unit hours, airspace and local procedures before flight.
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