Under R, several important items — Page 163, Lesson 146

This is the index of the Communications textbook — a map of the topics we’ll cover. Let me walk you through the entries starting with the letter O, then P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, and W. Under O, we have Orbit on page 67 — that’s a reference to satellite orbits, which we’ll study later. Under P, PAPIs on page 10 — Precision Approach Path Indicators, the lights that help you judge your glidepath on approach. Pushback Procedures on page 84 — the radio calls and coordination for pushing an aircraft back from the gate. Under Q, Q Codes on page 62 — three-letter codes like QNH and QFE that compress standard information into a short signal. Under R, several important items. Radar Approach on page 8 — an approach where ATC uses radar to guide you. Radar Identification on pages 8 and 66 — how ATC positively identifies your aircraft on their radar screen. Radar Vectoring on pages 8 and 66 — ATC giving you headings to steer. Radio Check on page 64 — the procedure to test your transmitter and receiver. Radio Test Procedures on page 63 — the full process for testing radios. RA — Resolution Advisory — from ACAS, on page 41; that’s the traffic avoidance instruction your collision-avoidance system gives you. RAS on page 41 — that stands for Resolution Advisory System, another ACAS term. Readability Scale on page 63 — the 1-to-5 scale for how well you hear a transmission. Read Back on pages 8 and 59 — repeating critical instructions back to ATC to confirm. Readback of Clearances on page 64 — specifically repeating clearances. Recleared on page 59 — when ATC changes your clearance after you’ve already received one. Reporting Point on page 8 — a geographic fix where you must report your position. RIS on page 42 — Radar Information Service, a type of radar advisory. Roger on page 59 — the word meaning “I have received your transmission.” Runway Visual Range on page 8 — RVR, the horizontal distance you can see down the runway. RVR also appears on page 10. Under S, Say Again on page 59 — the standard phrase asking ATC to repeat. SELCAL on pages 10 and 126 — Selective Calling, a system that alerts you on the flight deck without you having to monitor the radio continuously. SID on page 10 — Standard Instrument Departure, the published departure route. Squawk Ident on page 66 — pressing the IDENT button on your transponder so ATC can positively identify your return. SSR Instructions on page 66 — Secondary Surveillance Radar instructions, like setting a specific squawk code. SSR Phraseology on page 100 — the exact words used for SSR communications. Standby on page 59 — the phrase meaning “wait, I’ll call you back.” Starting Procedures on page 83 — the radio calls for engine start. Under T, TACAN on page 11 — Tactical Air Navigation, a military navigation system. Take-off Clearance on page 88 — the specific clearance to depart. Taxi Procedures on page 85 — the radio calls for taxiing. Traffic Information on page 67 — ATC advising you of other aircraft. Transmission of Time on page 58 — how to state time in radio communications, using UTC. Under U, UHF on page 11 — Ultra High Frequency, used mainly for military and some ATC communications. Universal Time (UTC) on page 58 — the standard time reference for aviation. URGENCY on page 114 — the urgency condition, one step below distress. Urgency (PAN PAN) on page 12 — the spoken word for an urgency situation. Under V, VDF on page 11 — VHF Direction Finding, a ground station that can give you a bearing. VFR Flight on page 8 — Visual Flight Rules flight. VHF on pages 5 and 11 — Very High Frequency, the primary voice communication band for civil aviation. VHF DF (VDF) on page 62 — same VHF direction finding. VHF Range on page 13 — the typical coverage distance of VHF signals. Visual Meteorological Conditions on page 8 — VMC, the weather conditions that allow VFR flight. VOLMET on page 11 — continuous broadcasts of meteorological information for airports. Under W, Wilco on page 59 — meaning “I will comply.” Words Twice on page 59 — the phrase used when conditions are poor and you ask the other station to say each word twice. That’s the index from O through W — a quick reference to where each topic lives in the book.