If a pilot enunciates an aircraft altitude over radio communications, how would the altitude of 13,500 feet be said?

• A. Thirteen thousand five hundred
• B. One three thousand five hundred
• C. One three thousand five hundred and
• D. One three hundred fifty

Answer: (B)

In radio communications, numbers like altitudes are spoken in a way that makes each digit clear, especially when they’re large. For ten-thousands and thousands, you say the digits separately and then label the magnitude. So 13,500 is spoken as “one three thousand five hundred” (and you’d add “feet” at the end in actual transmissions). This digit-by-digit style helps prevent mishearing the altitude in a noisy or garbled link, ensuring the exact value is understood. The other forms either group digits into a single number or add extra words, which isn’t the standard practice for this kind of transmission.