Customer Reviews

Say Again, Please: Guide to Radio Communications with Map (Focus Series)

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I was always comfortable speaking with ATC, but on occassions I found myself stuck for the right words or confused by listening to too many words.

What I needed was more exposure to a broader range of ATC expressions, a script if you would like. I found what I was looking for in several books but opted to purchase this one after reviewing it in the local bookstore.

I found this book to have very clear walkthroughs of each situation you can expect to encounter. It covered each class of airspace and talking to other sources such as FSS, Weather briefers, etc and I found this extra information to be invaluable.

This book is especially useful to me whenever I review a flight I am about to make and wish to clarify what I can expect to be hearing at unfamiliar airports. It helps me to walkthrough and review the challenges ahead of me, and improves my own confidence dramatically. I've found this a great help in managing the energy I'm spending on flying the airplane, as opposed to thinking about what it is I want to say.

There are also many great tips in this book, some of which I have not seen covered elsewhere or heard from an instructor yet have helped me understand why we say things in a certain way and when it's perhaps better to deviate from recommendations and work with ATC for better results.

This is probably a cheaper and handier alternative to communication simulations software. I thought about getting such software just so I could practice each scenario and I am sure there are benefits in doing that but I'm glad I spent less money on this book instead. I don't think that software would have offered much more than the book and the cost savings make this a more economical purchase. The cost difference is an hours flying and I know what I'd rather do. This book was more than good enough.

This is a very handy book for student and low hours pilots to have. I'm sure as I gain more experience I'll probably continue to use this as reference.

I loved this book. Plain and simple. My instructor was completely wowed by the improvement in my radio calls and my ability to think clearly and respond intuitively after reading this book. No pilot should be without this book, especially no beginning pilot. You want this book. I'm not kidding. Really, you do. ;-)

Okay, I admit it: I'm afraid of the microphone. My tounge used to swell to twice it's size and my brain would to freeze whenever I pressed the push-to-talk switch. I came to the realization that this behavior stems from my lack of communications confidence. I just wasn't sure of what I should say and what to expect as a reply. After one reading of this small book, my level of confidence with the radio has grown tremendously. I barely even stutter when I talk to the Big Guys in ATC now. It would be exceedingly difficult to write a book that covers all aspects of radio communications but Bob has somehow managed to cover most of the bases in a book that can be read in a couple of hours yet doesn't insut my intelligence. I am on my second reading now and am picking up more and more useful tidbits this time around. Bob has also been willing to answer quesitons on just about any other aviation topic in a newsgroup called rec.aviation.student. His book is a is not meant to cover everything you'll ever need to know about communications. For me, it has been a great foundatation-builder for effective radio communications.

Excellent book but it does require that the student pilot have some stick and radio time. Otherwise there will be information that simply doesn't make much sense.

My one early beef with the book is that he doesn't talk about the essential mnemonic for radio communication with a tower: 1) Who are you calling? 2) Who are you? 3) Where are you? 4) What do you want? and, possibly, if you're taxiing, or inbound for landing 5) what ATIS information do you have?

He does address these issues in a piecemeal fashion but I found the above memory device from my instructor extremely helpful.

Say Again Please was enjoyable to read because it establises scenarios relevant to communications in various situations. Bob Gardner shares practical experience that you don't find in a strict text. Communication skills are further rounded with suggestions on how to employ cockpit assets, such as radio hardware and communications reference materials.

As a student pilot, this book clearly and logically laid out the purpose, requirements, and a mind set for aviation communications for me, and as a result, I had a very smooth transition into controlled airspace. I'd recommend it to anyone going for their private.

I am a new pilot, and this book is amazing. It clearly explains all aspects of talking on the radio, from untowered airports, to complex Class B hubs, and everything in between. I recently read chapter 10 on the flight service station system and used that to great effect on my solo cross country flights. It boosts confidence and explains all the ins and outs from the pilot's view and more inportantly, gives insight to what the Controllers are dealing with. This is an exceptional book, highly recommended for all types of pilots.

I've been working with _Say Again, Please_ while studying for my US private pilot certificate, and it's been great. I live in a rural area, and there are no towered fields nearby for frequent radio practice. The book makes the different types of radio interaction much easier to understand.

Gardner breaks down communications by airspace class, which seems pretty sensible. One thing I liked was its discussion of how to interact with Flight Watch, restricted areas, Military Operations Areas, etc. It has a chapter on IFR communications, though I'm not ready for it yet.

The book explains clearly the reasons for saying things a particular way, and gives examples of correct practice. It's easy to understand, and well worth the price.

Bob Gardner does an excellent job of explaining and demonstrating aviation radio communication. There's even a sample chart included to help describe specific situations and what should be said to the various agencies en route.

The only thing that could make this book better would be an audio CD-ROM so one could hear real-world examples of things that are described in the book.

This book has helped me immensely. Radio communication sounded like a completely different language to me when I first started, but this book helped changed that. Now, in order for the book to work, you have to not just read it, but study it. I highlighted things, ear-marked pages, and jumped around as needed. I gave it 4 stars only because it is very long and has too much information, if that is possible. I think it needs 2 volumes.