Have you ever heard this?
RAF Pilot: “Oi’ve got 109’s on me tyle!”
Yank Pilot: “Angels?”
RAF Pilot: [Pitch increasing] “No, not Oinjels, one-oh-noine’s! “
Aussie Pilot: “He manes, “Wot’s your altitude, mate.”
Yank Pilot: “Why does he want to know my altitude?”
Aussie Pilot: “Not your altitude, Yank… his altitude”
Yank Pilot: “I don’t know his altitude… Hey Spitty, what’s your altitude?”
….Silence
Yank Pilot: “Spitty with the 109 on your tail, what’s your altitude?”
RAF Pilot: [Pitch now Soprano] “Oi’m in an Hurrycane, at two thousand with three 109’s on me tyle”
Aussie Pilot: “Where are you? “
RAF Pilot: “Over this rivah near the city….”
Bud Abbot: “Who’s on first?”
Lou Costello: “I don’t know!”
Etc., etc.!
You could sell some of our radio communications here at Cliffs of Dover (CLoD) to the late night Jimmy Fallon show. But, every goof at CLoD that I’ve heard on TeamSpeak has always been a repeat performance of mistakes that happen in the real world by pilots at every level. You’ve done it, I’ve done it, but it doesn’t need to continue that way!
A recent forum post by a new recruit to CLoD asking for guidance with the jargon used in our simulator has inspired me to start this thread soliciting ways to effectively and realistically use our TeamSpeak radios like the RAF/RN did during the Battle of Britain. My personal experience is in the procedures and techniques used since the 1970’s, but I know that some of us (you) have learned the actual RAF and RN language of the 1940-1941 period. Please share it (and your sources) with us here as long as it is authentic and not simply “Cool”, or “the way you like to say it.”
Radio Basics
There is an order that aviators use when transmitting on the airplane’s radio. It has developed over many years, and while there is no requirement here that you speak this way, it does make a lot of sense. I must reemphasize that CLoD has no procedures for you to follow, other than the no Politics, no Religion and no Profanity rules, so this thread is just a way to present the historically correct radio techniques.
What comes first? “Joe, Fidget…”
Example: ”Fidget”, wants to talk to “Joe” and tell him that he’s waiting for him at Dover at 3000 feet to escort him in his Blenheim to the war zone in France.
Think about it; the first thing you want to do is “Dial the number and announce who’s calling.” In other words, call the specific person to whom you wish to speak. It can be as simple as “Joe, Fidget…”. For emphasis, use “Joe, this is Fidget…”. or “Joe, Fidget calling…” (If you feel particularly British that day). The Important things to remember is that you speak the recipient’s name first, not the sender’s. It gets receiver’s attention and if it’s his name, he’ll then listen up. If it’s not his name, he can ignore the call and continue to evade the three 109’s trying to kill him in his Hurrycane. The second name is of course, your own. This is the “Caller ID” element and is essential. Properly done, the caller should precede his call sign with the aircraft model in the very first call up... Example: Spitfire Fidget, Blenheim Joe, etc.
Movies and TV shows have given us the venerable, “ London Calling Spitfire group 42,etc.” which has, over time, confused the sequence for some of us. Calls like this are made “in the clear” to designated listeners and are usually weather or intelligence reports requiring no reply. Example: “Sky King, Sky King, message follows: Alpha, Zulu, Golf…” type coded reports may be sent this way.
What’s next after contact is established? “Dover, Angels Three (or three thousand).”
Next, include your position. In aviation, position is always three-dimensional, so it includes your altitude (Height in 1940’s England), following a point over the earth (Dover). You might as well include it in your initial call up because it’s the next thing someone will ask you if you don’t.
Finally, state your message in clear, well thought out language. “Ready to escort you. Please advise when you have me in sight. ‘Ovah’ [included for British emphasis]”
So, there you have it; instead of a sixty second question and answer exercise, you have a five second message by saying:
“Joe, Fidget. Dover, Angels Three, Ready to escort you. Advise when you have me in sight. Ovah!
A few Example Call outs:
To get someone’s attention: “Joe, Fidget…” Joe will then respond, “Go ahead, Fidget” [Starts chit-chat]
To announce traffic pattern activity, simply address the station’s air traffic as “Traffic”:
“Hawkinge Traffic, Spitfire Fidget taking off across the grass to the east.” [Get out of my way…]
“Manston Traffic, Blenheim Fidget , left base , landing to the east.” [Don’t let them shoot me down…]
For immediate assistance, simply generalize the call recipient name such as:
“RAF Fighters, Fidget calling from ovah Dovah at Angels three. Two BF-110’s east bound, climbing through Angels four point five. Request assistance. Ovah!”
For a general report to everyone, you may omit the receiver from the call up, but you should ID yourself:
“Fidget’s reporting a northbound 109 at five hundred over the allied ships.”
In the heat of battle, always at least say who you are, where you are, and your Height. (Altitude)
“Fidget’s in a terrible fix ovah Dovah at three thousand! Help!”
Unrealistic Callouts:
A fundamental rule in inflight communications is that the less said over the radio, the better. In the game environment however, there is always a tradeoff between realism and recreation, so unless the mission is briefed to be authentic, be gentle with those pilots that do a lot of Polish chit-chatting.
Play-By-Play Combat: “I see him… he’s coming around… ooo, ooo, now I’ve got him… good hits… turning right… ooo, ooo, ” Can be replaced by, “Down”, if you win or “@$#T”, if you don’t. Use a “Push-to-talk switch and don’t monopolize the radio. Save the bragging for after the fight! We all like a good re-cap.
Position reports with no tactical information should be avoided. No one cares if you are over Deal at 9000 and going to Ramsgate (unless you are responding to a call for help). Ask yourself if this radio call you’re about to make does anyone any good? If not, remain silent.
The plane has no voice interface. In real life, Gear Up, Throttle, Prop, Radiators, Bombsight settings, etc., are never called out over the air unless it’s for training or operational necessity. This is not, nor should it be a prohibition in CLoD, but it’s just not done when practicing authentic military aviation. However, Flaps and Gear are frequently reported down for landing, depending on the controlling authority’s procedures at the airport.
After takeoff, leader should fly normally, except with reduced power, to provide a thrust advantage to his wingmen. Wingmen are simply expected to maintain position; therefore turns are not typically called out by leader. However, since inflight checks and large changes in attitude or power are typically hand-signaled between ships, we CLoD’ers have no choice but to use the radio for these events. If a wingman cannot keep up, he should ask the flight leader for a specific power reduction.
Example of wingman requesting a 500 RPM cut: “Fidget Lead, this is two, give me 500 RPM”
Normal CLoD leader call outs: “Reducing Power”, “Levelling off”, “Climb check”, etc.
The job of a good wingman is to say “Two”, “Bingo”, and be there!
Reply With Quote
What he makes of my attempts in my harsh Belfast accent is beyond me
Originally Posted by 9./JG52 Meyer
Re: Basic Radio Procedures and Techniques
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