Aerocircus | Communication Breakdown

Aero Circus is run by a small group of pilots who are independent of airlines, employers, flying schools or other industry associations. They attempt to write unbiased articles with the aim of helping pilots of any experience level get more out of aviation. Check them out at aerocircus.com.au.

As part of ab initio flight training, pilots will be shown how to deal with a range of potential in-flight emergencies. One of these is a radio communications failure in the air. This usually involves pretending that the radio is not working and making broadcasts using special terms like ‘transmitting blind’. Which doesn’t mean what I first thought it did.

When it hits the fan

Bear in mind that when this training is done, the pilot may never have seen – or even heard of – the En Route Supplement Australia, or ERSA.