Definition
Verbal reports made by a pilot to Air Traffic Control (ATC) stating the aircraft's current location, time over that location, altitude, and estimated time of arrival at the next reporting point. Required at compulsory reporting points when operating on an IFR flight plan in non-radar environments, and on request in radar environments.
Plain English
A radio call telling ATC where you are right now, when you got there, how high you are, and when you expect to reach the next checkpoint.
Context Anchor
Seen in ADS-B discussions, traffic display systems, and air traffic control surveillance, where an aircraft’s location is shared automatically.
Derivation
Position comes from a Latin word meaning “placement” or “location.” Report comes from Latin words meaning “to carry back.” Together, position reports are location information carried back to someone or something that needs to know where the aircraft is.
Why Pilots Care
They maintain safe separation between aircraft and allow controllers to manage traffic flow when radar coverage is limited or unavailable.
Intuition Check
Do not read “position reports” as only spoken radio calls from a pilot. In ADS-B, position reports are usually automatic electronic messages sent by the aircraft’s equipment.
Example Sentence 1
Crossing the GIBBS intersection at 8,000 feet, the pilot made a position report to Center, including the time over the fix and the estimated time to the next reporting point.
Example Sentence 2
ADS-B equipment sends automatic position reports that appear on nearby aircraft displays and ground radar scopes.