Subchapter 10.7 – Speed and Accuracy Under Pressure

Key Techniques for Accuracy Under Pressure

1. Aviate, Navigate, Communicate—in that order. Your first responsibility is to fly the aircraft. Don't let radio pressure interfere with flying. Maintain altitude, heading, and speed.

2. Write down EVERYTHING immediately. Even if it's a quick scribble, get it on your notepad. You can organize it later. Missing a critical element because you tried to remember it is worse than struggling to write and read it back.

3. Read back immediately after writing. Don't wait. Confirm that ATC heard you and agreed with your readback.

4. If you miss something, ask for clarification. Phrase it professionally:

"Munich Approach, OE-DMS, say again the descent altitude." (Clear and direct)
Do NOT say "huh?" or "what was that?" or "I didn't copy that."

5. Use standard phraseology. Don't improvise. Stick to the words and structure ATC expects. This reduces errors.

6. Slow down your speech. Speak at a moderate pace, enunciating clearly. Fast speech increases the likelihood of misunderstanding.

7. Listen actively. Don't wait for your turn to talk. Listen to other aircraft's readbacks. This gives you context and advance warning of what might come next.