General Operating Procedures — Page 66, Lesson 53

I want to walk you through radar procedures — specifically how air traffic control identifies and then vectors aircraft using radar. This is a core part of general operating procedures that you'll use throughout your flying career. Let's start with radar identification. Before a controller can give you any radar service, they must first positively identify which blip on their screen is your aircraft. The primary method is to assign you an SSR code — that's Secondary Surveillance Radar — and tell you to squawk it. "Squawk" simply means set that code into your transponder so the controller's system can tag your return. But if SSR isn't available, the controller will instead tell your target — that's you — to turn so they can recognise your movement on the raw radar screen and confirm which blip is yours. Now, a critical point: identification itself is not a service. The pilot is told when they have been identified and when they actually have a radar service — for example, the controller might say "Radar Control". Only then do you acknowledge receipt of that service. So identification is the prerequisite; the service is what follows. Once identified, you may receive radar vectoring. This means the controller tells you to fly specific headings. You might be told the reason for the vector, but not always. Common situations where you might request radar vectors include being vectored to the ILS for a final approach, avoiding severe weather ahead, or being guided to your next position or airfield. When the controller wants to change your heading, they'll often first ascertain what heading you're currently flying. Then they'll issue a clearance like this: "Oxford 30 turn left heading 300". Notice the format — callsign first, then the instruction. You must read that back: "Left heading 300 Oxford 30". The heading comes first in the readback, then the callsign. When vectoring is complete and the controller no longer needs to guide you, you'll be instructed to resume own navigation. At that point, if necessary, you'll also be given your position and appropriate instructions. For example: "Oxford 30, resume own navigation for Gloucester, position is 10 miles north of Brize Norton". Your response is simply "Wilco, Oxford 30" — meaning "will comply". Now let's cover SSR instructions. Every SSR instruction must be followed and read back. Here's an example: the controller says "Oxford 34, squawk 6411 ident". Your readback is "6411 ident, Oxford 34". You repeat the code and the instruction, then your callsign. Let me run through the specific SSR phrases and what each one means: "Squawk (code)" means set the Mode A code as instructed. Mode A is the standard transponder mode that transmits your four-digit identity code. "Confirm Squawk" means the controller wants you to confirm what Mode A code is currently set on your transponder. "Reset (code)" means reselect the assigned Mode A code — perhaps you've changed it and need to go back to the one you were given. "Squawk Ident" means operate the special identification feature — that's pressing the ident button on your transponder, which makes your blip flash distinctively on the controller's screen for a few seconds. "Squawk Standby" means switch your transponder to standby mode — it's powered but not transmitting. "Squawk Mayday" means select the emergency code 7700. This is the universal emergency code that tells every controller watching that you're in distress. Every one of these instructions must be read back fully. That's non-negotiable — it confirms you've understood and set exactly what was requested.