Grand Prairie Municipal (KGPM) radio calls

Towered airport with a Class D surface area

Sample calls at KGPM

Grand Prairie Municipal 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 18; 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. YouGrand Prairie 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, Grand Prairie Ground, runway one eight, taxi via Alpha, hold short of runway one eight.
4. YouRunway one eight, taxi via Alpha, hold short of runway one eight, 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. YouGrand Prairie Tower, Cessna Six Zero Foxtrot, holding short runway one eight, ready for departure, northbound.
7. ATCCessna Six Zero Foxtrot, Grand Prairie Tower, runway one eight, cleared for takeoff.
8. YouRunway one eight, cleared for takeoff, Cessna Six Zero Foxtrot.
9. ATCCessna Six Zero Foxtrot, contact Lone Star Approach one three five point niner seven five.
10. Youone three five point niner seven five, Cessna Six Zero Foxtrot.
11. YouLone Star 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, Lone Star 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. YouGrand Prairie Tower, Cessna Three One Six Zero Foxtrot, one five miles north, three thousand, with Information Bravo, landing Grand Prairie.
16. ATCCessna Six Zero Foxtrot, Grand Prairie Tower, enter left downwind runway one eight, report midfield downwind.
17. YouEnter left downwind runway one eight, report midfield, Cessna Six Zero Foxtrot.
18. YouGrand Prairie Tower, Cessna Six Zero Foxtrot, midfield left downwind, runway one eight.
19. ATCCessna Six Zero Foxtrot, runway one eight, cleared to land, wind two seven zero at eight.
20. YouRunway one eight, 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 Grand Prairie Ground one two one point one five.
23. YouExit next taxiway, one two one point one five, Cessna Six Zero Foxtrot.
24. YouGrand Prairie Ground, Cessna Six Zero Foxtrot, clear of runway one eight, taxi to the ramp.

If things change. The tower operates 0700-2100 DALGT TIME; 0800-1800 STANDARD TIME local. Outside those hours the airport is a non-towered field: self-announce on the CTAF, 128.55 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

• How to call Ground for taxi →
• Calling the tower inbound →
• Line up and wait, cleared for takeoff, cleared to land →
• First time flying into a Class D airport →
• How to request VFR flight following →

Nearby in Texas

• KGKYArlington Municipaltowered
• KRBDDallas Executivetowered
• KDFWDallas-Fort Worth Internationaltowered
• T56Eagle's Nest Estatesnon-towered
• KDALDallas Love Fieldtowered
• KFWSFort Worth Spinkstowered