Full flight: Abbotsford to Chilliwack and back
A cross-country in one go, sixteen calls: a departure out of a busy zone, an uncontrolled field and back, with a hold on the way in (NAV CANADA VFR Phraseology guide).
The situation
You are the pilot of C-GABC, a Cessna 172, holding short of runway 01 at Abbotsford (CYXX) with information Kilo. You have filed a VFR flight plan to Chilliwack (CYCW) and back: out on the published GREENHOUSE departure (runway heading to 1,500 feet, then direct KILGARD, then GREENHOUSE), a full stop at Chilliwack, then home. Chilliwack has no tower: you broadcast on its mandatory frequency, 122.7.
Practise this call →Sources
- NAV CANADA VFR Phraseology guide (v3 2022), 'Initial Clearance/Clearance To or Out of the Zone' (p. 20): if departing on a cross country, inform ATC; if on a flight plan, state this; if using a specific routing out of the airspace, inform ATC
- Guide, 'Departure Instructions' (p. 26): ATC '(aircraft call sign) (instruction)', pilot '(instruction) (aircraft call sign)', example 'after departure, right turn to Laberge when able, not above three thousand three hundred feet'; 'Takeoff' (p. 26): CLEARED FOR TAKEOFF RUNWAY (number)
- Guide, 'Frequency Change' (p. 35): example 'surveillance service terminated, change to enroute frequency at your discretion', pilot '(aircraft call sign)'
- Guide, 'Mandatory Frequency (MF) - Arrival/Circuits' (p. 51, CARs 602.97-602.103): report at least five minutes before entering an MF area, with position, altitude and intentions; circuit and landing reports
- Guide, 'MF - Start Up/Taxi/Takeoff' (pp. 54-55): report intentions before entering the manoeuvring area (e.g. 'taxiing ... runway three-one, northbound departure'), before takeoff ('taking off runway three one, ... right turn out, northbound'), and when departing the circuit ('clear of circuit, northbound'); 'ATF' (p. 57): calls in the form (aerodrome TRAFFIC) (call sign) (position) (intention)
- Guide, 'Arrival/Approach' (p. 39): pilot '(ATS unit identification) (aircraft call sign) WITH INFORMATION (ATIS identifier) (intentions)'; ATC '(aircraft call sign) NUMBER (number in sequence) (approach instructions)'; example 'cleared to left base runway three-two, you are number two, follow the Katana on base', readback 'three-zero-one-four, number two left base three-two, traffic in sight'
- Guide, 'VFR Hold' (p. 40): ATC '(aircraft call sign) ORBIT NORTH/EAST/SOUTH/WEST OF (location/checkpoint) (instructions e.g. left/right turn) (expected length of hold)', example 'orbit north of Champlain Bridge, left turns, expect three minute delay'
- Guide, 'Basic Circuit Pattern' (p. 29) and 'Landing' (p. 41): final report; '(aircraft call sign) (wind) CLEARED (land) RUNWAY (number)', read back with the runway
- Guide, 'Taxi Instructions After Landing' (p. 45): frequency change read back '(frequency) when off, (call sign)'
- Guide, 'Standard Words and Phrases' (p. 6): NEGATIVE, SAY AGAIN, READ BACK
- Canada Flight Supplement, Abbotsford: GREENHOUSE departure rwy 01 (VFR Terminal Procedures Chart), Ground 121.8, RIGHT-hand circuits rwy 01, departures not above 1500 until cleared higher, runway 01
- Canada Flight Supplement, Chilliwack: MF 122.7, RIGHT-hand circuits rwy 07