Lesson 3 of 8 — Module 3: Building a radio call

Initial contact — ADDPAA

Your initial message, after the station name and callsign: Aircraft type, Departure, Destination, Position, Altitude, Additional (request). A learning aid, not a phrase to recite mechanically.

Listen to this lesson (~1 min)

Initial contact — ADDPAA — narrated, hands-free

Initial contact — ADDPAA

Your opening message to a station, after their name and your callsign. A memory aid for what to include — not a phrase to recite mechanically, and not every item fits every call.

ADDPAAHow to structure your initial message (after the station name + your callsign).

AAircraft type
DDeparture (where you came from)
DDestination (where you're going)
PPosition
AAltitude
AAdditional information — a request or the service you want

Norwich Approach, G-ABCD, Cessna 152, from Beccles to Norwich, overhead Bungay, 2000FT, request Basic Service

Practise & test

Practise: Exercise A: Requests5 graded calls · spoken or typed, marked against CAP 413

Finished this lesson?

Next lesson: Pass your message — CARPAI →

Study aid only — always defer to CAP 413 and current official publications, and to your instructor and examiner.

Course map

Lesson 3 of 8 — Module 3: Building a radio call

Initial contact — ADDPAA

Your initial message, after the station name and callsign: Aircraft type, Departure, Destination, Position, Altitude, Additional (request). A learning aid, not a phrase to recite mechanically.

Listen to this lesson (~1 min)

Initial contact — ADDPAA — narrated, hands-free

Initial contact — ADDPAA

Your opening message to a station, after their name and your callsign. A memory aid for what to include — not a phrase to recite mechanically, and not every item fits every call.

ADDPAAHow to structure your initial message (after the station name + your callsign).

AAircraft type
DDeparture (where you came from)
DDestination (where you're going)
PPosition
AAltitude
AAdditional information — a request or the service you want

Norwich Approach, G-ABCD, Cessna 152, from Beccles to Norwich, overhead Bungay, 2000FT, request Basic Service

Practise & test

Practise: Exercise A: Requests5 graded calls · spoken or typed, marked against CAP 413

Finished this lesson?

Next lesson: Pass your message — CARPAI →

Study aid only — always defer to CAP 413 and current official publications, and to your instructor and examiner.