What is a position report?

• A. A report over a known location as transmitted by an aircraft to ATC.
• B. A weather observation from the cockpit.
• C. A maintenance status update to the control tower.
• D. A passenger manifest submitted to ground control.

Answer: (A)

A position report is a communication from the aircraft to air traffic control that states its current position and related flight information so controllers know where you are and can manage traffic safely. It typically includes your identification, where you are (known location or fix), the time, current altitude, and the next assigned altitude or route, along with your estimated time to the next point. This lets ATC track progress, maintain separation, and issue instructions as needed. The other options describe different kinds of reports or documents that aren’t about reporting your current position to ATC—weather observations, maintenance updates, or passenger manifests.