Towered · Class D
KPAO Palo Alto
Palo Alto, CA
No METAR available right now.
- Tower
- 118.6
- Ground
- 125.0
- NorCal Approach
- 121.3
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Graded against AIM 4-2 & P/CG · 4,719+ US public-use airports · Live METARs and traffic
You
Boeing Ground, Skyhawk one two three alpha bravo, north ramp with information Alpha, request taxi for a VFR departure to the north.
Boeing Ground
Skyhawk one two three alpha bravo, Boeing Ground, runway one four right, taxi via alpha, hold short runway one four left.
You
Runway one four right, taxi via alpha, hold short one four left, Skyhawk three alpha bravo.
Incorrect callsign abbreviation
Use the full callsign 'one two three alpha bravo' until ATC abbreviates it first.
Model answerBoeing Ground, Cessna one two three alpha bravo, north ramp with information Alpha, request radio check and taxi for a VFR departure.
A real run of the grader on this exchange, 2026-09-10, unedited. Reference: AIM 4-2-4 a 2 (call sign abbreviation), 4-3-18 a 9 (taxi readback).
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Three of the 4,719 airports, with the METAR the controller is using right now. The altimeter you read back is today’s.
Towered · Class D
Palo Alto, CA
No METAR available right now.
Towered · Class D
White Plains, NY
No METAR available right now.
Non-towered · Class G
Half Moon Bay, CA
No METAR available right now.
Every call is assessed against the FAA Aeronautical Information Manual and the Pilot/Controller Glossary, strictly and as an examiner would: phraseology, completeness, order, the mandatory readbacks and the right facility. Each point of feedback carries the paragraph it comes from, so you and your instructor can check it.
| Call | What is checked | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Taxi readback | Taxi readback: runway assignment and hold-short instruction | AIM 4-3-18 a 9 |
| Answering a traffic advisory | Answering a traffic advisory | P/CG: TRAFFIC IN SIGHT; NEGATIVE CONTACT |
| Distress call | Distress call: MAYDAY three times, fuel in minutes, people on board, 7700 | AIM 6-3-1 c; 6-3-2 a 2, a 3; P/CG: FUEL REMAINING |
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Graded against AIM 4-2 & P/CG · 4,719+ US public-use airports · Live METARs and traffic
Any of the 4,700+ public-use airports in the FAA data. Opens Virtual ATC on towertalk.co.uk; free to start.
TowerTalk is a training aid, written in our own words from the FAA Aeronautical Information Manual (Change 3, 7/9/26), the Pilot/Controller Glossary and Order JO 7110.65, with paragraph references. It is not approved or endorsed by the FAA and does not replace those documents, your instructor or your examiner. Frequencies, weather and traffic are for training, not operational use. TowerTalk is a UK company; prices are shown in US dollars.