User manual
Table Of Contents
Antarctica Vol. 1 - British Rothera and Beyond
Aerosoft GmbH 2021
22 23
English
Typical Phrases
…on a Twin Otter flight from Rothera to Fossil Bluff.
Aircraft: „Rothera Radio, this is Victor Papa Foxtrot Bravo Bravo 
requesting radio check and airfield information.“
Rothera Ops Tower: „Roger Victor Papa Foxtrot Bravo Bravo, this is 
Rothera Radio reading you strength five, are you ready to copy the 
latest weather?“
Aircraft: „Roger Rothera, go ahead.“
Rothera: „The latest weather ob (abbreviation for observation) at time 
1100 zulu (note zulu is the aeronautical term for Greenwich Mean 
Time, which is the time set on the aircraft clock, and which is entered 
in the aircraft papers, log, tech log, etc.) is wind 360 at 12 knots, 
visibility 8 km, cloud few at 1000 feet, temperature zero, dew point 
minus 8, QNH 1012.
Aircraft: „Roger weather copied, QNH 1012“
Note it is not necessary to read back all of the weather, but it is 
mandatory to read back any altimeter pressure setting – QNH value.
Aircraft: „This is VP-FBB ready for start“.
Rothera: „Roger V-BB, start at your discretion, time check 1101 zulu.”
Aircraft engines are now started, and the after start check-list is 
carried out from memory using a panel scan technique and then 
backed up with reading and confirming from a paper checklist, 
stowed in the map pocket just inside the pilots cockpit door.
Once the generators are brought online and the aircraft is self-po-
wered, the signal is given for the ground crew to disconnect the 
ground powers supply and a radio check is made on the other radios.
Aircraft: „This is V-BB radio check on fives“ – this is referring to the 
HF frequency on the number one HF radio box selected to 5080.
Rothera: „Roger V-BB , reading you strength five“
Aircraft: „This is V-BB radio check on sevens“ - this is the radio 
frequency selected to 7775.
Rothera: „Roger V-BB reading you strength five“
Radio strength is graduated in five increments from one being the 
weakest and barely audible to five being the loudest and clearest 
radio signal.
There is no measure of this in the cockpit and is purely a subjective 
assessment done by the pilot.
Aircraft: „Rothera Traffic this is VP-FBB entering and backtracking 
runway three six“.
Rothera: „V-BB, roger, there is no known traffic to affect you, report 
ready for departure.“
Aircraft: „Roger, wilco“
The aircraft now enters and backtracks the runway. Whilst taxying, 
the pilot does some of the pre-take-off checks and at the end of the 
runway turns around and lines up along the take-off runway direc-
tion. He now does a few checks, flight controls, power run up, and 
checks that the auto feather and beta-back-up propeller systems are 
functioning correctly. See a Twin-otter specific manual for exact 
details of how this is checked.
Aircraft: „Rothera traffic this is V-BB ready for departure“.
Rothera: „Roger, V-BB, surface wind now 350 12 gusting 15 knots, 
take-off at your discretion.
Aircraft: „Roger, V-BB rolling runway 36“
The flight begins once the 
pre-flight walk around has 
been completed, the fuel uplift 
has been entered in the aircraft 
technical log, and a copy of 
the load sheet has been 
handed to the ground crew.
Before engine start, a check of 
the VHF radio is made:










