Definition
Spoken statements made aloud by a pilot during flight to confirm critical actions, configurations, altitudes, speeds, or observations. Verbal callouts are used in both single-pilot and crew operations as a discipline for maintaining situational awareness, cross-checking instruments, and confirming that key flight tasks have been performed.
Plain English
Saying important things out loud as you fly — like altitudes, speeds, or checklist items — so you actually notice them, confirm them, and don't miss something.
Context Anchor
Used in the cockpit during normal flying, checklist use, takeoff, approach, landing, and any situation where saying the important item out loud helps maintain awareness.
Derivation
Verbal comes from the Latin word verbum, meaning “word.” Callout means something said out loud to draw attention to it. Together, the phrase points to short spoken words that make an important flight item noticeable.
Why Pilots Care
They build shared awareness so the entire crew stays aligned on what is happening without relying solely on visual checks or memory.
Intuition Check
A verbal callout is not casual cockpit talk. It is a short, purposeful statement that points attention to something important.
Example Sentence 1
On final approach, the pilot made the verbal callout 'gear down, three green, flaps full' before crossing the threshold.
Example Sentence 2
On short final the pilot monitoring gave altitude callouts every 100 feet to keep the approach stabilized.