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Towered · Class C surface area

Boise Air Trml/Gowen Field (KBOI) radio calls

Boise, IDICAO KBOI · FAA BOI

Boise Air Trml/Gowen Field is a towered airport in Boise, ID. You will taxi with Ground on 121.7 and work Boise Tower on 118.1. The approach control is Big Sky Approach on 126.9, which is who you call for VFR flight following. The tower operates 24 hours.

The airport has a Class C surface area: two-way radio communication with the approach control must be established before entering, and a transponder with altitude reporting is required.

Frequencies

Clearance Delivery125.9
GroundBoise Ground121.7
TowerBoise Tower118.1
UNICOM122.95
Approach / DepartureBig Sky Approach126.9

Airport

Runways
10L · 28R · 10R · 28L
Right-hand pattern
Runway 28R, 10R
Elevation
2,872 ft
Tower hours
24 hours
Position
43.564, -116.223

Towered airport with a Class C surface area

Sample calls at KBOI

Boise Air Trml/Gowen Field has a Class C surface area: establish two-way communication with the approach control before entering, and keep it (AIM 3-2-4 c 3). A reply with your call sign, even "standby", establishes it. The calls below use runway 10L; 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. There is no ATIS frequency in the FAA data for this airport, so ask Ground for the numbers on your first call: they will give the runway, wind and altimeter.
  2. YouBoise Clearance, Cessna Three One Six Zero Foxtrot, at the ramp with Information Alpha, VFR to the north, request clearance.
  3. ATCCessna Six Zero Foxtrot, Boise Clearance, maintain VFR at or below two thousand five hundred, departure frequency one two six point niner, squawk four six one two.
  4. YouAt or below two thousand five hundred, departure one two six point niner, squawk four six one two, Cessna Six Zero Foxtrot.
  5. YouBoise 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, Boise Ground, runway one zero left, taxi via Alpha, hold short of runway one zero left.
  7. YouRunway one zero left, taxi via Alpha, hold short of runway one zero left, 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. YouBoise Tower, Cessna Six Zero Foxtrot, holding short runway one zero left, ready for departure, northbound.
  10. ATCCessna Six Zero Foxtrot, Boise Tower, runway one zero left, cleared for takeoff.
  11. YouRunway one zero left, cleared for takeoff, Cessna Six Zero Foxtrot.
  12. ATCCessna Six Zero Foxtrot, contact Big Sky Approach one two six point niner.
  13. Youone two six point niner, Cessna Six Zero Foxtrot.
  14. YouBig Sky 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, Big Sky Approach, radar contact, altimeter three zero zero one.
  16. YouAltimeter three zero zero one, Cessna Six Zero Foxtrot.
  17. Inbound: call the approach control before the Class C boundary; a reply with your call sign establishes communication and you may enter (AIM 3-2-4 c 3).
  18. YouBig Sky Approach, Cessna Three One Six Zero Foxtrot, one five miles north, three thousand five hundred, squawking one two zero zero, with Information Bravo, landing Boise, request Class Charlie service.
  19. ATCCessna Six Zero Foxtrot, Big Sky Approach, squawk four six one two, ident.
  20. YouSquawk four six one two, ident, Cessna Six Zero Foxtrot.
  21. ATCCessna Six Zero Foxtrot, radar contact, altimeter three zero zero one, contact Boise Tower one one eight point one.
  22. YouAltimeter three zero zero one, one one eight point one, Cessna Six Zero Foxtrot.
  23. YouBoise Tower, Cessna Six Zero Foxtrot, five miles north, three thousand, with Bravo.
  24. ATCCessna Six Zero Foxtrot, Boise Tower, enter left downwind runway one zero left, report midfield downwind.
  25. YouEnter left downwind runway one zero left, report midfield, Cessna Six Zero Foxtrot.
  26. YouBoise Tower, Cessna Six Zero Foxtrot, midfield left downwind, runway one zero left.
  27. ATCCessna Six Zero Foxtrot, runway one zero left, cleared to land, wind two seven zero at eight.
  28. YouRunway one zero left, cleared to land, Cessna Six Zero Foxtrot.
  29. 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).
  30. ATCCessna Six Zero Foxtrot, exit at the next taxiway, contact Boise Ground one two one point seven.
  31. YouExit next taxiway, one two one point seven, Cessna Six Zero Foxtrot.
  32. YouBoise Ground, Cessna Six Zero Foxtrot, clear of runway one zero left, taxi to the ramp.

If things change. The tower operates 24 hours. If you cannot raise it, check the frequency and volume, then squawk 7600, remain outside the Class D until you have the traffic flow, and watch for light signals (AIM 4-2-13).

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; 3-2-4 c 3. What TowerTalk grades against →

The calls you will make here

Nearby in Idaho

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.