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Towered · Class D surface area

Alpena County Regional (KAPN) radio calls

Alpena, MIICAO KAPN · FAA APN

Alpena County Regional is a towered airport in Alpena, MI. You will taxi with Ground on 121.9 and work Alpena Tower on 121.35, after listening to the ATIS on 120.675. The approach control is Alpena Approach on 128.425, which is who you call for VFR flight following. The tower operates 0800-1600 WKDAYS; EXCP HOLS (ANG). local.

The airport has a Class D surface area: two-way radio communication with the tower must be established before entering. Published hours: CLASS D SVC 0800-1600 MON-FRI EXC HOL; OTHER TIMES CLASS E.

Frequencies

ATIS120.675
GroundAlpena Ground121.9
TowerAlpena Tower121.35
CTAF121.35
UNICOM122.95
Approach / DepartureAlpena Approach128.425

Airport

Runways
01 · 19 · 07 · 25
Elevation
690 ft
Tower hours
0800-1600 WKDAYS; EXCP HOLS (ANG). local
Position
45.078, -83.560

Towered airport with a Class D surface area

Sample calls at KAPN

Alpena County Regional has a Class D surface area: establish two-way communication with the tower before entering (AIM 3-2-5 b 3). A reply that uses your call sign, even "standby", establishes it; "aircraft calling, standby" does not. The calls below use runway 01; the tower assigns the runway in use on the day.

The aircraft is the AIM’s own example, Cessna Three One Six Zero Foxtrot; the squawk codes, altitudes and headings are illustrative. Frequencies, station names and runway numbers are this airport’s, from the FAA data.

  1. Listen to the ATIS on 120.675 first and note the letter; "with Information (letter)" on your first call lets the controller skip the weather (JO 7110.65 3-10-1).
  2. YouAlpena Ground, Cessna Three One Six Zero Foxtrot, at the ramp with Information Alpha, request taxi, VFR departure to the north.
  3. ATCCessna Six Zero Foxtrot, Alpena Ground, runway zero one, taxi via Alpha, hold short of runway zero one.
  4. YouRunway zero one, taxi via Alpha, hold short of runway zero one, Cessna Six Zero Foxtrot.
  5. The runway, any clearance onto a runway and every hold-short instruction are read back (AIM 4-3-18 a 9). Stay on Ground through the run-up and switch to Tower when ready (AIM 4-3-14 a).
  6. YouAlpena Tower, Cessna Six Zero Foxtrot, holding short runway zero one, ready for departure, northbound.
  7. ATCCessna Six Zero Foxtrot, Alpena Tower, runway zero one, cleared for takeoff.
  8. YouRunway zero one, cleared for takeoff, Cessna Six Zero Foxtrot.
  9. ATCCessna Six Zero Foxtrot, contact Alpena Approach one two eight point four two five.
  10. Youone two eight point four two five, Cessna Six Zero Foxtrot.
  11. YouAlpena Approach, Cessna Three One Six Zero Foxtrot, two thousand climbing four thousand five hundred, request VFR flight following to the north.
  12. ATCCessna Six Zero Foxtrot, Alpena Approach, radar contact, altimeter three zero zero one.
  13. YouAltimeter three zero zero one, Cessna Six Zero Foxtrot.
  14. Inbound: call the tower about 15 miles out, before the Class D boundary (AIM 4-3-2 a).
  15. YouAlpena Tower, Cessna Three One Six Zero Foxtrot, one five miles north, three thousand, with Information Bravo, landing Alpena.
  16. ATCCessna Six Zero Foxtrot, Alpena Tower, enter left downwind runway zero one, report midfield downwind.
  17. YouEnter left downwind runway zero one, report midfield, Cessna Six Zero Foxtrot.
  18. YouAlpena Tower, Cessna Six Zero Foxtrot, midfield left downwind, runway zero one.
  19. ATCCessna Six Zero Foxtrot, runway zero one, cleared to land, wind two seven zero at eight.
  20. YouRunway zero one, cleared to land, Cessna Six Zero Foxtrot.
  21. The wind is information: acknowledged, not read back. Exit at the first available taxiway or as told, taxi clear of the hold-short markings, and change to Ground only when the tower says (AIM 4-3-21).
  22. ATCCessna Six Zero Foxtrot, exit at the next taxiway, contact Alpena Ground one two one point niner.
  23. YouExit next taxiway, one two one point niner, Cessna Six Zero Foxtrot.
  24. YouAlpena Ground, Cessna Six Zero Foxtrot, clear of runway zero one, taxi to the ramp.

If things change. The tower operates 0800-1600 WKDAYS; EXCP HOLS (ANG). local. Outside those hours the airport is a non-towered field: self-announce on the CTAF, 121.35 with the airport name first and last, and the surface area reverts to Class E or Class G as published in the Chart Supplement.

Phraseology from AIM 4-2-3; 4-3-18 a 9; 4-3-14; 4-3-21; 4-4-7 b; 4-1-18 a 3; 3-2-5 b 3; 4-3-2 a. What TowerTalk grades against →

The calls you will make here

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Frequencies, runways and airspace from the FAA National Airspace System Resources (NASR) 28-day subscription, cycle effective Oct 29, 2026. Training use only. Always verify against a current Chart Supplement and sectional chart before flight; frequencies change. TowerTalk is not affiliated with the FAA. Report a discrepancy.