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Towered · Class D surface area

Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International (KAZO) radio calls

Kalamazoo, MIICAO KAZO · FAA AZO

Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International is a towered airport in Kalamazoo, MI. You will taxi with Ground on 121.9 and work Kalamazoo Tower on 118.3, after listening to the ATIS on 127.25. The approach control is Great Lakes Approach on 121.2, which is who you call for VFR flight following. The tower operates 0600-2300 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 0600-2300; OTHER TIMES CLASS G.

Frequencies

ATIS127.25
Clearance Delivery121.75
GroundKalamazoo Ground121.9
TowerKalamazoo Tower118.3
CTAF118.3
UNICOM122.95
Approach / DepartureGreat Lakes Approach121.2

Airport

Runways
05 · 23 · 09 · 27 · 17 · 35
Elevation
874 ft
Pattern altitude
800 ft MSL (published TPA)
Tower hours
0600-2300 local
Position
42.234, -85.551

Towered airport with a Class D surface area

Sample calls at KAZO

Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International 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 05; 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 127.25 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. YouKalamazoo Clearance, Cessna Three One Six Zero Foxtrot, at the ramp with Information Alpha, VFR to the north, request clearance.
  3. ATCCessna Six Zero Foxtrot, Kalamazoo Clearance, maintain VFR at or below two thousand five hundred, departure frequency one two one point two, squawk four six one two.
  4. YouAt or below two thousand five hundred, departure one two one point two, squawk four six one two, Cessna Six Zero Foxtrot.
  5. YouKalamazoo Ground, Cessna Three One Six Zero Foxtrot, at the ramp with Information Alpha, request taxi, VFR departure to the north.
  6. ATCCessna Six Zero Foxtrot, Kalamazoo Ground, runway zero five, taxi via Alpha, hold short of runway zero five.
  7. YouRunway zero five, taxi via Alpha, hold short of runway zero five, Cessna Six Zero Foxtrot.
  8. 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).
  9. YouKalamazoo Tower, Cessna Six Zero Foxtrot, holding short runway zero five, ready for departure, northbound.
  10. ATCCessna Six Zero Foxtrot, Kalamazoo Tower, runway zero five, cleared for takeoff.
  11. YouRunway zero five, cleared for takeoff, Cessna Six Zero Foxtrot.
  12. ATCCessna Six Zero Foxtrot, contact Great Lakes Approach one two one point two.
  13. Youone two one point two, Cessna Six Zero Foxtrot.
  14. YouGreat Lakes Approach, Cessna Three One Six Zero Foxtrot, two thousand climbing four thousand five hundred, request VFR flight following to the north.
  15. ATCCessna Six Zero Foxtrot, Great Lakes Approach, radar contact, altimeter three zero zero one.
  16. YouAltimeter three zero zero one, Cessna Six Zero Foxtrot.
  17. Inbound: call the tower about 15 miles out, before the Class D boundary (AIM 4-3-2 a).
  18. YouKalamazoo Tower, Cessna Three One Six Zero Foxtrot, one five miles north, three thousand, with Information Bravo, landing Kalamazoo.
  19. ATCCessna Six Zero Foxtrot, Kalamazoo Tower, enter left downwind runway zero five, report midfield downwind.
  20. YouEnter left downwind runway zero five, report midfield, Cessna Six Zero Foxtrot.
  21. YouKalamazoo Tower, Cessna Six Zero Foxtrot, midfield left downwind, runway zero five.
  22. ATCCessna Six Zero Foxtrot, runway zero five, cleared to land, wind two seven zero at eight.
  23. YouRunway zero five, cleared to land, Cessna Six Zero Foxtrot.
  24. 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).
  25. ATCCessna Six Zero Foxtrot, exit at the next taxiway, contact Kalamazoo Ground one two one point niner.
  26. YouExit next taxiway, one two one point niner, Cessna Six Zero Foxtrot.
  27. YouKalamazoo Ground, Cessna Six Zero Foxtrot, clear of runway zero five, taxi to the ramp.

If things change. The tower operates 0600-2300 local. Outside those hours the airport is a non-towered field: self-announce on the CTAF, 118.3 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.