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PlaneEnglish Develops Radio Skills

If you worry about your skill using an aviation radio, a group of Purdue University graduates has developed an app that can reduce your anxiety and develop your proficiency.  PlaneEnglish is an app-based aviation radio simulator that helps pilots become more proficient in communication by developing advanced skills in more realistic environments.

To accompany the app, the folks at PlaneEnglish prepared a new training manual that provides a detailed breakdown of aviation radio communications for Visual Flight Rules (VFR).  The manual also can be used as a guide so users can get the most out of the app.  The manual offers greater detail, helpful illustrations; a glossary of phrases and aviation terms; standard radio procedures; and examples of common communication exchanges between pilots and air traffic control.

“Aviation communication is one of the biggest sources of anxiety for pilots, especially those who train at smaller airports,” said Muharrem Mane, one of the co-founders.  “What our PlaneEnglish simulator has demonstrated is that learning effective radio communication is easy and actually fun if you break the process up into small steps and provide scenarios for practicing.  Coupled with our new manual, PlaneEnglish not only builds up pilots’ confidence in radio communication, it helps keep our aviation community safe.”

The technology’s simulator is used in dozens of airports across the U.S., and the team developed a version of the technology for civilian pilots.  PlaneEnglish lessons guide users through simple and complicated interactions with air traffic control on every phase of flight from taxi out, to takeoff, to airspace entrance, to approaches, to taxi in.