FWIW, as a drop zone support team leader, I often speak over the radio to both Air Force and Army aircraft. Army pilots are much more likely to use words like Roger, WILCO, etc. Air Force pilots on the other hand, speak over military nets just like they speak to civilian ATC.
If I tell an Army aircraft to “Enter left downwind and report base”, I will often get “WILCO” as the response, especially if this is the dozenth or so time this pilot has entered the pattern that day.
An Air Force pilot, given the same instruction, would be more likely to respond with something like, “Left downwind and report the base, Polar Six One”, a read back followed by their call sign as confirmation.
Similarly, giving Army aircraft clearance to enter the airspace usually gets a “Roger”. Whereas the Air Force gives a read back:
Me: Cleared to enter [restricted airspace], cleared to drop. Winds 2-2-0 at 9
Army: Roger
Air Force: Cleared to enter; cleared to drop. 2-2-0 at 9, Polar Six One.
I have never been involved in radio traffic. I always assumed that “over and out” had a specific meaning, which I assumed was a holdover from ship’s radio and from the telegraph days: “my transmission is over and I am out (of the radio room, telegraph shack, range) and don’t expect to hear from me again”. Over was just the first half. It was mostly not used for aircraft-unless the pilot knew he was leaving the range of the ground station/other radio.
I don’t know where this understanding came from-perhaps I made it up. But it always seemed reasonable to me. Especially in the really early days, extra words were a significant cost and not used unnecessarily.
I learned to use WilCo from my PP & IR instructor who was a curmudgeonly old Navy pilot. Of course he also used “Tally Ho” instead of “Traffic in sight.” A bit archaic but ATC understood him which is the important thing.
“Over” is “I’m done talking for now; your turn and I expect a response.”
“out” is “goodbye; as far as I’m concerned this conversation is over.”
The point also being, since radio is a party line, that “over” means any third party listening in needs to keep silent, whereas “out” means the channel is now free for third party(ies) to contact whichever fourth party they want.
“Over and out” is from Dick Tracy. As is “Six, two, and even.”
Military aviation has, unsurprisingly, a whole glossary of short code words with specific defined meanings. All above and beyond the standard FAA / ICAO stuff.
“Tally ho” is official mil radio-speak for “I see the target we’re talking about.” That might be a tanker you’re trying to rendezvous with, or an enemy you intend to shoot.
There’s other magic words for “I see my formation mate”, “You’re released to fire”, “I’m in position to support your attack.”, “Look behind you for incoming missile”, etc. Even “squawk” in the context of radar transponders comes from official mil radio-speak. The military had transponders & IFF decades before the civilians did.
Some of these phrases have made it into the ICAO or FAA official lexicon. “Squawk” has. Others, like “tally ho” are not in fact legit FAA / ICAO phraseology. But are still commonly used by ex-military types and understood by controllers, a sizeable fraction of whom are themselves ex-military. And that usage is picked up by other purely civilian folks.
But yes, AIUI, “Tally Ho” was originally the cry when the huntmaster has sighted the fox and is about to give chase.
IIRC from my Canadian private pilot training, the procedure when I first learned in the late 70’s was to use the last two letters of the aircraft registration - i.e. CF-ABC, reply to tower calls (which would be addressed to the call sign) with “BC” (“bee-see”) which says “that’s me and I got it”. To avoid confusion this was changed to - first time talking to tower, use full three letters “ABC” then use shorthand “BC” just in case there was a phonetically close other aircraft. Not sure whether this was ever a good idea with US registration (digits, not letters). I also recall somewhere that large commercial aircraft used the flight number instead (which makes sense)?
Another discussion before and during the Tenerife situation was that certain trigger words should not be used - i.e. “Cleared” should not be used unless the flight was cleared for takeoff; not to say “I’m waiting to be cleared”, or the tower to say “I will clear you for takeoff in a minute”. This way would ensure no misunderstanding due to static or overtalking.
I haven’t flown for 16 years, so some details may be hazy…
I haven’t flown since my biennial two years ago. When I learned to fly (mid-'80s) we’d use the full registration on initial contact, and then the last three characters after that. e.g, Grumman Five-Eight-Zero-One-Lima, then ‘Zero-One-Lima’.
When last I flew, acknowledging directions had changed. ‘Cleared to taxi to the runway’ would be acknowledged by the last-three of the registration. Now it’s the full registration, followed by a readback of the instructions. (e.g., ‘Eight-Four-Five-Seven-Three, roger cleared to taxi, runway Three-Four via Foxtrot, Alpha, Golf.’)
Right now so-called “runway incursions” are the biggest area of safety emphasis. It’s just a matter of time before we put two jets on one runway at the same time with a multi-hundred fatality outcome. Tenerife was the original wake-up call, but 40 years later there’s a continuous drumbeat of close calls and “but for one last check” incidents averted. As traffic increases every year and nobody is building more airports, this risk only increases unless offsetting countermeasures are continuously improved.
As such this has become a really big deal and lots of procedures and processes have been tweaked to minimize the possibility. There are new automated radar systems connected to automated stop lights in the pavement and to warning displays in the towers. If the tower controller says “go” but the lights say “stop”, we stop. If the tower controller says “cleared to land” but the lights say “runway occupied”, we go around. etc.
Within the area of voice radio procedures, we’ve had for several years now a requirement for a complete readback of all parts of all taxi clearances involving crossing or approaching a runway. Including the aircraft call sign. No matter how busy it gets.
And as md2000 said, certain magic words like “clear” and “takeoff” are never used except in the specific context of an actual approval to enter a runway and promptly take off from it.
Ironically, my comment up-thread about non-blocking radios is the one thing they’ve refused to countenance. And which would, IMO, greatly reduce one of the more likely causes for a disaster.
Right now the vast majority of events are caused by airport ground vehicles, not by aircraft. Those events are the most common, but also the least serious in terms of headcount at risk. But blocked radio calls contribute to an inordinate fraction of the “two jets in one place” risk.