Pilot-Controller Communications - A Controller's Perspective

Pilot/Controller communications form the basis for an efficient and safe National Airspace System. However, the enormous growth of air traffic in recent years, compounded by peak traffic congestion at hubs, has caused effective communications to suffer. The severity of the communications problem appears to be substantiated by recent data collected from the Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS), details of FAA enforcement actions against crewmembers, and even a recent uncomplimentary report on ATC communications by British pilots flying into U.S. airspace. The problems seem to be concentrated in two main areas: physical (equipment) influences on communications, and mental attitudes influencing how and why we communicate.