One of the biggest adjustments student pilots face is switching between towered and non-towered airports. The communications are fundamentally different, and mixing them up can be dangerous.
This guide clarifies exactly what changes and what stays the same.
The fundamental difference
Towered airports - **You communicate WITH:** Ground, Tower, specific controllers - **They tell YOU:** Where to go, when to go, what to do - **You respond:** Following their instructions - **Clearances required:** Yes, for almost everything
Non-towered airports - **You communicate TO:** "Traffic" (everyone listening) - **You tell THEM:** Where you are, what you're doing - **Self-announce:** Your positions and intentions - **Clearances:** None - you sequence yourself
Ground operations comparison
Towered airport
Request taxi: "Oakland Ground, Cessna 1234 Bravo, north ramp with Information Delta, VFR to Hayward, request taxi."
Wait for instructions: "Cessna 34 Bravo, taxi to runway 27 via Alpha, Bravo."
Read back: "Taxi runway 27 via Alpha, Bravo, Cessna 34 Bravo."
Non-towered airport
Announce taxi: "Livermore Traffic, Cessna 1234 Bravo, taxiing from transient parking to runway 25 for VFR departure to the east, Livermore."
No response expected - you're just announcing for situational awareness of others.
Takeoff comparison
Towered airport
At run-up complete: "Oakland Tower, Cessna 1234 Bravo, runway 27, ready for departure, southeast departure."
Wait for clearance: "Cessna 34 Bravo, runway 27, cleared for takeoff, right turn approved."
Read back: "Cleared for takeoff runway 27, right turn approved, Cessna 34 Bravo."
Non-towered airport
Before entering runway: "Livermore Traffic, Cessna 1234 Bravo, departing runway 25, straight out departure, Livermore."
Enter and take off - no clearance needed.
Pattern work comparison
Towered airport
Downwind: "Oakland Tower, Cessna 34 Bravo, left downwind, runway 27."
Wait for landing clearance (base or final): "Cessna 34 Bravo, runway 27, cleared to land."
Read back: "Cleared to land runway 27, Cessna 34 Bravo."
Non-towered airport
Every leg gets a call:
Downwind: "Livermore Traffic, Cessna 1234 Bravo, left downwind, runway 25, full stop, Livermore."
Base: "Livermore Traffic, Cessna 34 Bravo, left base, runway 25, Livermore."
Final: "Livermore Traffic, Cessna 34 Bravo, final, runway 25, full stop, Livermore."
No clearance - you're self-sequencing with other traffic.
Post-landing comparison
Towered airport
After crossing hold short line: "Oakland Tower, Cessna 34 Bravo, clear of runway 27."
Tower may respond: "Cessna 34 Bravo, contact Ground point nine" or "Cessna 34 Bravo, taxi to parking via Bravo."
Non-towered airport
After clearing: "Livermore Traffic, Cessna 34 Bravo, clear of runway 25, taxiing to transient parking, Livermore."
The "Traffic" call structure
At non-towered airports, every position report follows this pattern:
"[Airport] Traffic, [Callsign], [Position/Action], [Runway if applicable], [Intentions if applicable], [Airport]."
Notice: - Start with airport name + "Traffic" - End with airport name - This "bookending" helps pilots monitoring multiple CTAFs
Common mistakes when switching
Mistake #1: Using "Traffic" at towered
- ☐"Oakland Traffic, Cessna 34 Bravo, downwind..."
- ✅"Oakland Tower, Cessna 34 Bravo, left downwind, runway 27."
Mistake #2: Requesting clearance at non-towered
- ☐"Livermore Tower, Cessna 34 Bravo, request clearance to land."
- ✅"Livermore Traffic, Cessna 34 Bravo, final, runway 25, full stop, Livermore."
Mistake #3: Not announcing at non-towered
Some pilots think silence is okay at non-towered. It's not.
- ☐Silent pattern work
- ✅Announce every position
Mistake #4: Over-communicating at towered
- ☐Announcing every turn, altitude, etc.
- ✅Only speak when Tower asks or you need something
When frequencies overlap
Some towered airports share CTAF with nearby non-towered airports.
At towered airport: Use standard towered communications with Tower.
At nearby non-towered: Use traffic pattern calls on same frequency.
Listen carefully to distinguish between Tower instructions and Traffic announcements.
Transition tips
Towered to non-towered: - Remember to announce positions (not wait for clearances) - Use "Traffic" format - Monitor CTAF before entering pattern - Sequence yourself with other traffic
Non-towered to towered: - Stop announcing every position - Wait for instructions before acting - Use proper facility names (Ground, Tower) - Read back all clearances
Practice scenarios
To build confidence transitioning between both:
- Plan a cross-country from towered to non-towered
- Write out ALL communications for both airports
- Practice with your CFI doing role-play
- Use apps like ATC One that offer scenarios at both types of airports
Conclusion
Towered and non-towered airports require completely different communication styles. The good news: both follow predictable patterns.
At towered: ATC controls, you respond At non-towered: You announce, traffic responds
Master both, and you can fly confidently anywhere.
Action item: This week, fly to one towered and one non-towered airport. Notice the communication differences. Practice both until they're natural.