Free ATC radio lesson · intermediate · 10 radio calls
Full Flight: ATIS to Parking — practice this radio call with an AI controller at KRAL
One closed-pattern flight at Riverside Municipal in ten radio calls: copy the ATIS, start up, taxi, take off, fly the pattern, land and taxi back to the FBO. The complete radio workload of a local training flight.
The RadialCoach ATC Communication Simulator is a free, browser-based trainer where student pilots practice radio calls with an AI air traffic controller that answers in a real voice and grades every call on phraseology, timing and completeness.
The radio calls in this lesson
- Listen to the ATIS broadcast and copy the runway, wind, altimeter and information letter before calling anyone.
- Make the initial call to Riverside Ground: who you are, where you are, that you request start-up, and that you have the ATIS information.
- With the engine running, tell Ground you are ready to taxi and that you will stay in the traffic pattern.
- Read back the taxi clearance; hold-short instructions must always be read back.
- Run-up complete and holding short of Runway 27, switch to Tower and report ready for departure, staying in the pattern.
- Read back the takeoff clearance, then line up and go.
- Climbing out on left crosswind, acknowledge the position report Tower asks for.
- Abeam midfield on left downwind at pattern altitude, make the report Tower asked for and say this will be a full-stop landing.
- Read back the landing clearance; after landing, Tower tells you where to exit and when to call Ground.
- Clear of the runway on taxiway Alpha, call Ground and request taxi back to the FBO.
What you learn
- Copying the ATIS
- Start-up and taxi requests
- Hold-short and takeoff readbacks
- Pattern position reports
- Landing clearance readback
- Taxi back to parking
How a session works
- Pick a lesson, from a single ATIS copy to a full ten-call flight around the pattern.
- Read the briefing: airport, ATIS letter, weather, your callsign and the frequencies you will use.
- Listen to the ATIS broadcast and copy the runway, wind, altimeter and information letter.
- Make each radio call yourself, by voice or by typing, exactly as you would in the aircraft.
- The AI controller replies in a realistic radio voice; a hint panel and the airport diagram show where you are.
- Every call is graded instantly; a major error gets a "say again" and a retry, and the debrief shows your score.
Other free lessons
- Copy the ATIS (1 call, beginner): Listen to the ATIS recording at Riverside Municipal and identify the key information: active runway, wind, altimeter setting and information letter. The first skill every pilot needs before keying the mic.
- Contact Ground (2 calls, beginner): Make your initial call to Riverside Ground, request taxi to the active runway, and read back the taxi clearance including the hold-short instruction.
- Ready for Takeoff (2 calls, beginner): Contact Riverside Tower at the hold-short line, report ready for departure, and read back your takeoff clearance correctly.
- Departure: ATIS to Crosswind (7 calls, beginner): The first half of the flight in seven radio calls: copy the ATIS, request start-up and taxi, read back the hold-short, get your takeoff clearance and climb out to crosswind.
- Arrival: Downwind to Parking (3 calls, beginner): The second half of the flight in three radio calls: report midfield downwind, read back your landing clearance, then call Ground and taxi to the FBO.
Pro lessons continue with departing the pattern, inbound arrivals, traffic-pattern work, touch-and-goes and a full cross-country flight.
Key facts
- Airport
- KRAL — Riverside Municipal, Class D, field elevation 816 ft MSL
- Frequencies
- Tower 121.00 MHz · Ground 121.60 MHz · ATIS 124.50 MHz
- Your aircraft
- Cessna 172, callsign N456RC
- Input
- Voice (push-to-talk microphone) or typed text
- Grading
- Phraseology, timing and completeness, with a pass threshold per lesson
- Languages
- English, Spanish and Portuguese (interface and controller voice)
- Price
- The hub and all KRAL beginner lessons are free with a free account; Pro unlocks the advanced pattern-work lessons
- Platform
- Any modern browser on desktop or phone, nothing to install
Frequently asked questions
What is the RadialCoach ATC Communication Simulator?
The RadialCoach ATC Communication Simulator is a free, browser-based trainer where student pilots practice radio calls with an AI air traffic controller that answers in a real voice and grades every call on phraseology, timing and completeness. It runs at radialcoach.com/atc and uses the real layout and frequencies of Riverside Municipal Airport (KRAL) in California.
Is the ATC simulator free?
Yes. The simulator and all of the KRAL beginner lessons, including the full ten-call flight, are free with a free account. A Pro subscription unlocks the advanced pattern-work lessons. There is nothing to download: it runs in the browser on a computer or a phone.
Do I need a microphone to practice radio calls?
No. You can speak your calls with a push-to-talk microphone, which is the closest thing to the real cockpit, or type them. Both are graded the same way, and the controller always answers in voice.
How is each radio call graded?
The AI controller checks every call for phraseology, timing and completeness: callsign, position, request, ATIS letter and the mandatory readbacks such as hold-short, takeoff and landing clearances. A major error gets a "say again" and a chance to retry; the debrief at the end shows an overall score and what was missing.
Which phraseology and airport does it use?
The lessons follow standard FAA phraseology for a towered Class D airport, with the Ground, Tower and ATIS frequencies of Riverside Municipal (KRAL). The aircraft is a Cessna 172 with callsign N456RC, and the briefing gives the ATIS letter, wind, visibility, ceiling and altimeter for each lesson.
Can I practice ATC communication in Spanish or Portuguese?
Yes. The interface, the briefing and the controller voice are available in English, Spanish and Portuguese, which makes the simulator a practical way for non-native English speakers to build confidence before talking to a real tower.
Does it connect to real air traffic control?
No. The controller is an AI simulation, so you can make mistakes, repeat a call and retry as often as you like without blocking a real frequency. Nothing you say is transmitted on an aviation radio.
Who is the ATC simulator for?
Student pilots before their first solo or their first towered-airport flight, certificated pilots returning after a break, pilots whose first language is not English, and flight-simulator enthusiasts who want their radio work to sound like a real pilot.