A near-miss between passenger airliners in low visibility in the United States in 1999 was a consequence of a failure to communicate, something the Civil Aviation Authority hopes to eliminate with a road show that will arrive in Queenstown on May 4.
The authority's annual safety seminar this year tackles radio confusion head-on, after pilots nationally had asked for that.
Poor radio calls can lead to airspace busts, blocked runways, near-misses and collisions.
Aircraft were reported as being in the wrong place in New Zealand skies almost 300 times in 2011.
Experienced Queenstown pilot Carlton Campbell will lead the "AvKiwi Plane Talking" safety seminar when the free presentation is held in the St John Ambulance Centre, Frankton at 7pm.
Authority spokeswoman Emma Peel, of Wellington, said about 80 aviators attended each Queenstown seminar in the past.
Each pilot will be given a free DVD so they can practise their radio technique.
