Understanding Radio Communications

There is a lot of important equipment that heliski guides must always have stowed in their rather large – and often heavy – backpacks; avalanche rescue equipment, first aid kits and snow science tools to name a few. But there’s one piece of kit that on the guide that keeps the whole operation working; the VHF radio.

Sometimes referred to by the old-school name “walkie talkie,” the modern VHF (Very High Frequency) portable 2-way radio is a tool that allows direct communication in both urban and wilderness environments. Maintaining communication is essential in day-to-day guiding operations, as well as responding to incidents such as injured skier.

Radio communications may seem a tad bewildering at first, but it’s not that complicated once you learn the protocols and procedure words (pro words). Let’s take a look at some common terms you may hear over the radio during a day of heliskiing.

Guide: Dispatch from Michael. Radio check.
Dispatch: Five by five, Michael.

Notice that the guide’s first word is directed to whom he’s calling, followed by identifying himself. This is not only so both those in the conversation know whom they are talking to, but also so other staff listening know what’s going on between which people.
The 5×5 response confirms the clarity and volume of the call at the receiving end. 5×5 is another way to say “loud and clear,” but in some cases the call may be full of static, in which case the receiver may say “you are one by five, repeat.” That means the call is loud enough, but the receiver can’t understand much of what is being said.

Guide: Chet from Michael, Chet.
Pilot: Go ahead, Michael, en route to pickup.
Guide: We have regrouped at the bottom of Kahuna and are awaiting pickup.
Pilot: 10-4 Michael. Standby, I should be there in another five minutes. Is Jamie’s group with you?
Guide: Affirmative, they’re skiing down to us right now.
Pilot: 10-9 Michael? I didn’t catch that.
Guide: Affirmative, Jamie’s group is skiing down to us right now.
Pilot: 10-4. Be there shortly.

When making the initial call, the guide needs a confirmation that his call is being heard before he starts relaying information. The pilot responds with a quick “go ahead.” In a heliski guiding operation, it’s also important for staff to say where they are when making  calls. Effective radio communications use the least amount of words, so this way the receiver doesn’t have to ask another question to ascertain the caller’s location. Note that the words “yes” and “no” are never used as they can be easily misunderstood. “Affirmative” and “negative” are used to make sure yes/no answers are never misinterpreted. The 10-9 call is a common term when the receiver doesn’t hear or understand the call properly.

There may come a time when you need to operate a VHF radio yourself. Learning the basics  of radio communications can make the first time on a radio a lot easier for you, and everyone listening.