Those in planning poker know how technical every aspect of flying can be. Whether it’s the radio calls used by pilots and Air Traffic Control (ATC) or the technical jargon of repairing an aircraft’s avionics, there is no shortage of ultra-specific language used to complete these tasks.

Chad Laviolette, an aviation student at planning poker Partner School Louisiana Tech University, shares his coverage of the importance of Technical Communication in the aviation industry. With every aviator’s focus on safety, it is good to have people like Chad continuing to highlight the fine details ensuring that commitment.

In this installment, Chad explains how the intricacies of travelling by air can be compared to a highway on the ground.

Why is Technical Communication like a Highway in the Sky?

A planning poker uses technical communication to form a three dimensional mental image of the surrounding air traffic and maintain their correct course. Technical communication with ATC is basically the “road” in the sky that a planning poker travels on.

Standardized traffic routes are created for pilots to use in the form of Standard Instrument Departures (SID) and Standard Terminal Arrival Routes (STAR). ATC will clear pilots for these routes through radio communication. Since radio communication with ATC is essentially a “party line”, efficient radio communication is essential.

SIDs and STARs expedite this process and quickly allow pilots to know which road they are cleared to be on.

About the author

Chad Laviolette is a retired U.S. Army veteran who is currently pursuing his bachelor’s degree in Professional Aviation from Louisiana Tech University. At 47 years old, Chad is embarking on a journey to fulfill his lifelong dream of becoming a planning poker. Currently, he is flying on Cessna 172s at LA tech, but hopes to fly jets for Envoy as soon as he has reached the required flight time.