AIM 

4/20/23

 

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Radio Communications Phraseology

3.

Civil aircraft pilots should state the aircraft type, model or manufacturer’s name, followed by the

digits/letters of the registration number. When the aircraft manufacturer’s name or model is stated, the prefix “N”
is dropped; e.g., Aztec Two Four Six Four Alpha.

EXAMPLE

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1.

Bonanza Six Five Five Golf.

2.

Breezy Six One Three Romeo Experimental (omit “Experimental” after initial contact).

4.

Air Taxi or other commercial operators 

not

 having FAA authorized call signs should prefix their normal

identification with the phonetic word “Tango.”

EXAMPLE

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Tango Aztec Two Four Six Four Alpha.

5.

Air carriers and commuter air carriers having FAA authorized call signs should identify themselves by

stating the complete call sign (using group form for the numbers) and the word “super” or “heavy” if appropriate.

EXAMPLE

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1.

United Twenty

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Five Heavy.

2.

Midwest Commuter Seven Eleven.

6.

Military aircraft use a variety of systems including serial numbers, word call signs, and combinations of

letters/numbers. Examples include Army Copter 48931; Air Force 61782; REACH 31792; Pat 157; Air Evac
17652; Navy Golf Alfa Kilo 21; Marine 4 Charlie 36, etc.

b. Air Ambulance Flights.

Because of the priority afforded air ambulance flights in the ATC system, extreme discretion is necessary when
using the term “MEDEVAC.” It is only intended for those missions of an urgent medical nature and to be utilized
only for that portion of the flight requiring priority handling. It is important for ATC to be aware of a flight’s
MEDEVAC status, and it is the pilot’s responsibility to ensure that this information is provided to ATC. . . . .

1.

To receive priority handling from ATC, the pilot must verbally identify the flight in radio transmissions

by stating “MEDEVAC” followed by the FAA authorized call sign (ICAO 3LD, US Special, or local) or the
aircraft civil “N” registration numbers/letters.

EXAMPLE

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If the aircraft identification of the flight indicates DAL51, the pilot states “MEDEVAC Delta Fifty One.”
 
If the aircraft identification of the flight indicates MDSTR1, the pilot states “MEDEVAC Medstar One.”
 
If the aircraft identification of the flight indicates N123G or LN123G, the pilot states “MEDEVAC One Two Three Golf”.

2.

If requested by the pilot, ATC will provide additional assistance (e.g., landline notifications) to expedite

ground handling of patients, vital organs, or urgently needed medical materials. When possible make these
requests to ATC via methods other than through ATC radio frequencies.

3.

MEDEVAC flights may include:

(a)

Civilian air ambulance flights responding to medical emergencies (e.g., first call to an accident scene,

carrying patients, organ donors, organs, or other urgently needed lifesaving medical material).

(b)

Air carrier and air taxi flights responding to medical emergencies. The nature of these medical

emergency flights usually concerns the transportation of urgently needed lifesaving medical materials or vital
organs, but can include inflight medical emergencies. It is imperative that the company/pilot determine, by the
nature/urgency of the specific medical cargo, if priority ATC assistance is required.

4.

 When filing a flight plan, pilots may include “L” for MEDEVAC with the aircraft registration

letters/digits and/or include “MEDEVAC” in Item 11 (Remarks) of the flight plan or Item 18 (Other

 

Information)

of an international flight plan. However, ATC will only use these flight plan entries for informational purposes
or as a visual indicator. ATC will only provide priority handling when the pilot verbally identifies the
“MEDEVAC” status of the flight as described in subparagraph b1 above.