Chapter 3

Categories of Messages

INTRODUCTION
The Aeronautical Mobile Service handles messages in the following order of priority.

Message Category and Order of Priority Radiotelephony Signal

1. Distress calls, distress message and distress MAYDAY
traffic

2. Urgency messages, including messages PAN PAN or

preceded by the medical transports signal PAN PAN MEDICAL
3. Communications relating to direction finding
4. Flight safety messages
5. Meteorological messages
6. Flight regularity messages

DISTRESS CALLS, DISTRESS MESSAGES,

AND DISTRESS TRAFFIC
See the Distress and Urgency procedures Chapter 11.

URGENCY MESSAGES, INCLUDING MESSAGES

PRECEDED BY THE MEDICAL TRANSPORT SIGNAL
See the Distress and Urgency procedures Chapter 11.

COMMUNICATIONS RELATING TO DIRECTION FINDING

Aircraft normally make the request for a bearing, heading, or position from aeronautical station.
This is achieved by using the appropriate Q code (see definition).

QDM Aircrafts magnetic heading to steer in zero wind to reach the station
QDR Aircrafts magnetic bearing from the station
QTE Aircrafts true bearing from the station
QUJ Aircrafts true track to the station
FLIGHT SAFETY MESSAGES
The following are classed as flight safety messages:

Movement and control messages (clearances and position reports)

Messages originated by an aircraft operating agency or by an aircraft, of immediate
concern to an aircraft in flight
Meteorological advice of immediate concern to an aircraft in flight or about to depart
(individually communicated or for broadcast)
Other messages concerning aircraft in flight or about to depart

METEOROLOGICAL MESSAGES
Meteorological messages are comprised of meteorological information to or from aircraft, other
than the above case.

FLIGHT REGULARITY MESSAGES

These comprise of:

Messages regarding the operation or maintenance of facilities essential for the safety or
regularity of aircraft operation
Messages concerning the servicing of aircraft
Instructions to aircraft operating agency representatives concerning changes in
requirements for passengers and crew caused by unavoidable deviations from normal
operating schedules.

Note: Individual requirements of passengers or crew are not admissible in this

type of message.

Messages concerning non-routine landings to be made by the aircraft

Messages concerning aircraft parts and materials urgently required
Messages concerning changes in aircraft operating schedules

ATSUs will only handle flight regularity messages provided that:

There is no interference to their primary role, and

No other frequency is available for the handling of these messages