ATC both controller and pilot alike use improper phraseology regarding altitudes. For example, “17,000” in professional aviation is said “One Seven Thousand”. Saying “Seventeen thousand” is grossly incorrect as the proper method had been developed to address safety issues and Air Traffic Controllers cannot pass their final examinations unless they demonstrate the ‘correct’ way of verbalizing an altitude assignment.
I go crazy listening to atc and the pilots. The ATC in 2024 is horrible.
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It’s always been terrible
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I have been much enjoying “Career Mode”, so you have to listen to all the ATC comms. I always found it interesting that there are some inconsistencies with “As Real As It Gets”. They could have consulted a professional pilot. Altogether it has been enjoyable.
ATC is even worse than in ms2020.
On departure instructed to climb and maintain 800ft.
And they are reading QNH on hPa like: “1020” as “one zero two zero decimal zero zero” don’t know where did the decimal come frome.
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With it being such an everyday use item for Flight Simulator, they didn’t give this much attention. I am glad though that there is realism in which flight regions use Inches of Mercury and which ones use Hectopascals. They even have the VFR squawk codes correct. I am flying in South East Asia primarily in Career Mode.
I was prepared it would not get any better but that it would get worse - wow. Voices still get lost, pilot is talking very slow, ATC Window cannot be resized anymore…a lot of scrolling involved.
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You should listen to actual ATC communication. It’s not as regimented as you would think.
I was very disappointed to learn that the phraseology and overall capabilities of the ATC have not been enhanced in MSFS 2024. Didn’t they mention at some point that Working Title would work on ATC improvements when they outlined a broad roadmap for WT? Hopefully, a complete overhaul of the ATC is still in the works.
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That’s because some real world pilots haven’t a clue about proper phraseology. I decided to be above average I guess.
Depends where you are, hearing Americans talk on the radio makes me itch usually. In the UK pilots and controllers are very strictly adhering to standard phraseology, same for most of Europe. For a lot of people, English is not their first language, therefore adhering to standard ATC phraseology is paramount.
Phrases like “out of 3 for 4” or “left 180” you won’t hear in most of the world, only in the US, together with nonsense like “with you” 
. It is some kind of slang. Correct ICAO phraseology would be:
- Left heading 180 degrees
- Climb to altitude 3000 ft
- Descent flight level 180
- Reduce speed 200 kts
So always; what (altitude, heading, etc.), number (180, 3000 ft e.g.) and unit (degrees, feet, kts).
Transmissions concerning altitudes or heights: climb / descent “to” immediately followed by the phrase “altitude” or “height”, for flight levels the phrase “to” is omitted.
Degrees after a heading ending with zero is strictly speaking not standard ICAO phraseology, but it is a Eurocontrol recommendation to prevent confusion between headings ending in zero and flight levels.
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Yes, the American cowboy on the radios is loathsome. I have always preached proper radio phraseology, not as only a matter of solid airmanship, but all of it is rooted in safety.
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I find that most glaring use of garbage phraseology would be for flight following requests. And possibly low hanging fruit for enhancement (and increase immersion), as it could take the destination set in the GPS and utilize that for the initial handshake. ATC wants the fields that they need to enter the data said in a specific order…the same order they have to type it in to the system. So the interaction would go something like:
- Pilot: Unicorn Departure, N123SP with a VFR request
- ATC: N123SP - go ahead.
- Pilot: N123SP 3 miles east of XYZ VOR, request flight following to ZZZ, type C182, altitude two thousand five hundered climbing three thousand five hundred.
- ATC: Skyhawk 3SP - radar contact 3.5 miles east of XYZ at two thousand seven hundred. Altimeter 30.00.
- Pilot: Altimeter 30.00, Skyhawk 3SP.
Then if you change the destination in the GPS/2024 tablet, it could drive an option to request a destination change. And as the aircraft is near the destination, ATC could do a point out and ask if the field is in sight. Then initiate the cancellation of flight following exchange.
Also provide an option to advise ATC when leaving altitude with a 1-to-1 response of “Roger Skyhawk 3SP, altitude at your discretion”.
If you hear “with you” on the radio, aren’t you obligated to reply, “and also with you” if the frequency isn’t busy 
I am surprised this doesn’t have enough votes. It needs to seriously be addressed. My favorite line expect ‘‘RNAVY’’ approach 
I have an FAA Phraseology Mod courtesy of a PPL who’s also a wizard coder. He pushed the limits of the Locpak file, but it is much better and AIM compliant. I actually get comments on my videos asking, hey which ATC package do you use, to which I reply “None.” They’re shocked when they learn it’s a file Mod.