Definition
An information field shown on a Multi-Function Display (MFD) Nearest Airports page that lists the radio frequencies associated with a given airport along with what each frequency is used for, such as tower, ground, approach, ATIS, AWOS, or Common Traffic Advisory Frequency (CTAF).
Plain English
A list on the cockpit screen showing the radio channels for a nearby airport and what each channel is for, such as talking to the tower, ground crew, or getting weather.
Context Anchor
Seen on cockpit display pages that list nearby airports, especially when selecting an airport and reviewing its available radio information.
Derivation
Communication comes from a Latin idea meaning “to share.” Frequency originally means how often something happens; in radio use, it means the specific wave setting a radio uses to send or receive. Type means the kind or category. Together, the phrase means the shared radio channel and the kind of service on that channel.
Why Pilots Care
Knowing both the frequency and its type lets the pilot select the correct channel for the current phase of flight without having to guess or look up additional information.
Intuition Check
Do not read frequency here as “how often pilots talk.” In this context, frequency means the specific radio channel, and type tells you what that channel is used for.
Example Sentence 1
After selecting the nearest airport, the pilot scrolled to the communication frequency and type field to find the tower frequency before making the initial call.
Example Sentence 2
Before calling, the pilot checked the communication frequency and type column to confirm which frequency was used for ground operations.