Appendix B — Flight Test Brevity Codes

This table consists of a couple dozen flight test brevity codes that resolve many of the most common test team communication issues.

Table B.1: Flight Test Brevity Terms
Correct Term Meaning Typical Error Effect of Error Plain English Antidote
“RADIO CHECK” I’m requesting that you tell me how well you can hear my transmission on UHF PRIME Calling from AUX or VHF Aircrew think you’re calling on UHF PRIME but you’re actually on VHF or UHF AUX “How do you hear me on UHF PRIME?”
“RADIO CHECK ON AUX” I’m requesting that you tell me how well you can hear my transmission on the auxiliary (either UHF2 or VHF).
  1. “RADIO CHECK”
  2. Accidentally calling from UHF PRIME
  1. Aircrew think you’re calling on UHF PRIME
  2. Aircrew think you’re calling on VHF or UHF AUX but you’re actually on UHF PRIME
 “How do you hear me on [UHF/AUX/VHF]?”
“RADIO CHECK ON VICTOR” I’m requesting that you tell me how well you can hear my transmission on VHF
  1. “RADIO CHECK”
  2. Accidentally calling from UHF PRIME
  1. Aircrew think you’re calling on UHF PRIME
  2. Aircrew think you’re calling on VHF or UHF AUX but you’re actually on UHF PRIME
 “How do you hear me on VHF?”
“[Control Room Callsign] IS READY [for taxi/takeoff/point X/etc.]” The control room is ready to support test as soon as you get clearance for the next administrative step (taxi, takeoff, etc.), or as soon as you call back with “TEST IS READY”
  1. “CLEARED TO TAXI”
  2. “CLEARED TO TAKEOFF”
  3. “…” (crickets)
  1. Aircrew begin taxi without proper coordination.
  2. Aircrew take the runway without proper coordination.
  3. Aircrew are wondering what’s going on.
  1. “The control room has seen everything necessary before you leave the parking area.”
  2. “The control room has seen everything necessary before you leave EOR.”
  3. Say something/anything.
“CLEARED TO MANEUVER” Initiate action per the brief for this test point
  1. Saying “CLEARED TO MANEUVER” way too early, i.e. prior to setup, instead of clearing the aircrew to a setup flight condition to prepare for the actual maneuver.
  2. Saying “CLEARED TO MANEUVER” way too late, i.e. the aircrew are waiting and burning gas, or they’ve already begun the maneuver without your clearance.
  1. Confusion ensues about if the test point has actually begun, if aircrew are on parameters, or if clearance has already been issued, requiring a conversation.
  2. TC loses control of the mission and the trust/confidence of the aircrew because aircrew have gone rogue, not wanting to burn gas and time waiting for your clearance.
 “We are on test point XX. We show good setup. The control room is ready. You are cleared to maneuver.”
“CONCUR” I have heard your proposed course of action and I agree with it
  1. “…” (crickets)
  2. “CONFIRM”
  3. “AFFIRMATIVE”
  4. “COPY”
  1. Aircrew have no idea why they are waiting, if the radios are broken, and generally if you are still alive and breathing
  2. Answering a proposal with a request.
  3. Answering a complicated proposal with a simple “yes”
  4. Aircrew are left wondering you have any opinion.
 “I agree”
“CONFIRM [declarative statement]” I am requesting that you reply with your understanding of something or with the current status of something. Convoluted verbiage Confusion “Is the [THING] in [STATE]?”
“CONTINUE” I have heard you, but your concern can be addressed later. Keep going.
  1. “…” (crickets)
  2. “HOLD”
  1. Aircrew have no idea why they are waiting, if the radios are broken, and generally if you are still alive and breathing
  2. Aircrew confusion, since they may not be expecting to hold their current flight condition, since they brought up a concern.
  1. Say something/anything.
  2. “Keep doing what you’re doing.”
“AFFIRM” Yes “ROGER” Answering a question with “I heard you” brings things to a halt “Yes”
“NEGATIVE” No See “AFFIRM” See “AFFIRM” “No”
“ROGER” I have heard you
  1. “ROGER, COPY”
  2. “ROGER, WILCO”
  3. “ROGER that”
  1. I have heard you, and I have heard you and recorded what you said.
  2. I have heard you, and I have heard you, and I will comply with your request (even though you probably didn’t request anything)
  3. I have heard you say a thing
 “I understand”
And better “I understand [say what you understand]”
“COPY” I have heard you and have recorded what you said
  1. See “ROGER”
  2. Saying “COPY” but not actually remembering what was said
  3. “COPY that”
 Important information/data gets lost because it wasn’t recorded. Or the speaker assumes too much retention on the part of the hearer. Read back what you just heard
“WILCO” I have heard you and will comply with your request
  1. See “ROGER”
  2. Saying “WILCO” when you mean “AFFIRM”
 Confusion about the status of the request/statement “I will do [the thing you just requested]”
“ACKNOWLEDGE” I have updated something and am requesting verbal acknowledgement from all players. “…” (crickets)
  1. You don’t know that the test team has heard the update
  2. The test team doesn’t know you have heard the update.
  1. Repeat the transmission and request acknowledgement.
  2. Repeat back the transmission verbatim: “The control room copies new floor 10K.”
“WHEN ABLE” It sounds like you’re busy, but I’ve got something to discuss, so get back to me when you can talk Talking over or into a busy pilot’s conversation/thought process Increased frustration “I’ve got a question/piece of information when you have a chance.”
“STANDBY” I have heard you, but I’m unable to reply to your transmission in detail at this time. In a moment, I will say more.
  1. “…” (crickets)
  2. “HOLD”
  1. Aircrew have no idea why they are waiting, if the radios are broken, and generally if you are still alive and breathing. Also waste of gas/resources as aircrew come off conditions.
  2. Aircrew confusion, since they may not be expecting to hold their current flight condition
  1. Say something/anything.
  2. “Wait a moment while we discuss.”
“HOLD” Maintain current conditions until further notice.
  1. “…” (crickets)
  2. “STANDBY”
  1. Aircrew have no idea why they are waiting, if the radios are broken, and generally if you are still alive and breathing
  2. Aircrew confusion, since they may not be expecting to be told to wait for you to get back to them.
  1. Say something/anything.
  2. “Keep doing what you’re doing.”
“…” A pause between transmissions to allow the test team to interject. Often used in countdowns to irreversible events
  1. Holding the transmission key for the duration of the countdown
  2. Too short of a pause
  1. The test team cannot interject to prevent mistaken triggering of the irreversible event
  2. The aircrew don’t have time to listen for interjections
 “…” (waiting long enough to listen for test team inputs)
“[INCREASE/DECREASE] [PARAMETER]” Per the brief and the mission materials, the parameter is about to go out of tolerance/limits unless you comply with this advisory call.
  1. “CHECK/WATCH [PARAMETER]”
  2. “…” (crickets)
  1. Aircrew doesn’t know what you want after they look at the parameter. The parameter probably dropped out of their scan, which necessitated the call in the first place, so they aren’t aware of the corrective action.
  2. Test point needs to be repeated, test limits are exceeded, aircraft limits are exceeded.
  1. “Your [PARAMETER] is approaching [TOLERANCE/LIMIT].”
  2. Say something/anything.

◬ This code is often in contention and the test team needs to define and brief deviations from this code.
  • “TERMINATE”
  • “ABORT”
  • “KNOCK-IT-OFF”

Ex.

  • Project: “Quell Terminate”
  • Quell 1: “Quell 1 Terminate”
  • Quell 2: “Quell 2 Terminate”
  • Project: “Project Terminate, [REASON]”

Ex.

  • Test: “Terminate, Test Terminate”
  • Chase: “Chase Terminate”
  • Project: “Project Terminate”
  • Test: “[REASON]”
 Per the brief and the mission materials, stop what you’re doing and take corrective action.
  1. Not reacting per the brief
  2. The originator not saying the reason for the call.
 Confusion
  1. Because of the urgent nature of these calls, it’s better to say the wrong thing than to say nothing. The best this is to practice the calls in the brief and over the radio prior to beginning test execution.
  2. Say something/anything.
“POINT COMPLETE” The test point was executed within the success criteria per the brief and mission materials
  1. Saying “POINT COMPLETE” before you know if it was executed successfully.
  2. Saying “POINT COMPLETE” before the maneuver and/or recovery are finished.
  3. Saying “POINT COMPLETE” when what you really mean is “TERMINATE.”
  4. “…” (crickets)
  1. Either you’re lucky and the point was actually complete, or you have to eat your words and call for a repeat because the point was not, in fact, complete.
  2. The aircrew cease test point execution prior to completion, negating the data and wasting millions of dollars of taxpayer money.
  3. The aircrew aren’t aware that something is wrong and continue with the test, possibly repeating the mistake.
  4. Bueller?… Bueller?… Bueller?
  1. “Standby while we look at the data.”
  2. Say nothing until the test point is complete.
  3. “Mach/airspeed/altitude out of parameters. We’ll need to repeat that point.”
  4. “The control room is satisfied with this test point.”
“NEXT [POINT/CARD/FLIGHT CONDITION]” The next thing is… “…” (crickets)

Two effects, depending on aircrew.

  1. Either the aircrew wait and wonder what’s next, or
  2. the aircrew declare what’s next and the control room loses control of the mission.
 “Next point is X, at X feet and X Mach.”
“MISSION COMPLETE” The data, fuel, aircraft, or formation requires that the test portion of the mission must conclude.
  1. “…” (crickets) or generally success-ambiguous comm
  2. “CLEARED TO RTB”
  1. Aircrew ask questions, trying to determine if the mission is going to continue or not.
  2. ATC hears “RTB” and begins coordination before the aircrew are ready.
  1. Say something/anything
  2. “The control room shows there is no more testing to be accomplished.”