Let's start at the very beginning — Page 133, Lesson 116

I want to walk you through the standard IFR departure sequence from Cardiff Airport. This is the exact phraseology and flow that a professional pilot uses, step by step, from the moment you pick up the departure ATIS all the way through to the climb-out. Let's start at the very beginning. Before you even call for startup, you need the departure ATIS — the Automatic Terminal Information Service. In this example, it's Cardiff Departure Information Delta. Delta is the current information letter, and the time is 1115. The ATIS gives you Runway 30, surface wind 290 degrees at 15 knots, visibility 10 kilometres, sky clear, temperature 15, dew point 10, and QNH 1009. It also tells you that for startup and taxi instructions, you contact Ground on 124.0. Now, why do you request startup on the ground frequency? The excerpt tells us this is requested to avoid unnecessary fuel wastage by delays on the ground. If there is a delay, an expected startup time is given to you. So you call Cardiff Ground, identify yourself as Speedbird 123, state your stand number — Stand 24 — and the current ATIS information, which is Delta. Then you say "Request Startup." The controller can respond in one of two ways. They might say "Speedbird 123 Startup at 35 QNH 1009" — that "at 35" means the startup time, so you start your engines at 35 minutes past the hour, and they give you the QNH. Or they might simply say "Speedbird 123 Startup approved QNH 1009." Once your engines are running, the next step is pushback. You call Ground again: "Speedbird 123 Request pushback." The controller approves: "Speedbird 123 pushback approved." Then you switch to the ground crew intercom. The dialogue there is precise. You say "Ready for pushback." The ground crew says "Brakes released." You confirm "Brakes set. Disconnect." They acknowledge "Roger." Then they say "Confirm brakes released" — you must confirm. Then "Commencing pushback." When pushback is complete, they say "Pushback complete confirm brakes set." Then "Disconnecting. Standby for visual signal at your left." Now you're ready to taxi. Back on Ground frequency 124.0, you call: "Ground Speedbird 123 Request taxi." The controller replies "Taxi to holding point D runway 30 Wilco Speedbird 123." "Wilco" means "will comply." The controller may also issue a traffic advisory, as in this example: "Speedbird 123 Taxy to holding point D runway 30 Give way to Boeing 747 on taxiway at C." Notice the spelling — in aviation phraseology, it's "taxy" not "taxi" when it's a command. Now, before you reach the holding point, you need your departure clearance. The excerpt tells us that clearances are passed by ground controllers when they have received them from Approach or Airways controller. So Ground will say "Ready to copy (or go ahead) Speedbird 123." You respond "Speedbird 123." Then Ground reads the clearance: "Speedbird 123 is cleared for the Brecon 30 departure climbing to FL80 Onward clearance with Cardiff Approach 125.850 Squawk 3312 Speedbird 123." You must read that back exactly. Then Ground says "Readback correct Contact tower 125.925." Now you switch to Tower frequency 125.9. At this point, you may receive a conditional clearance. In this example, the tower says "Take-off (when runway vacated by B747)." You call "Cardiff tower Speedbird 123 ready for departure." The tower says "Behind landing 747 line-up behind Speedbird 123." That's a conditional clearance — you are cleared to line up behind the landing 747, but not yet to take off. Then when the runway is clear: "Cleared for take-off Speedbird 123." You read back "Speedbird 123 Behind landing 747 line-up behind Speedbird 123 cleared for take-off." After departure, you call Tower again: "Cardiff tower Speedbird 123 passing FL50 climbing to FL80 Brecon 30 departure." The tower may then issue an amended clearance: "Climb to FL150 Speedbird 123." And if they need you to climb faster, they say "Expedite climb until passing FL120 Speedbird 123." You acknowledge: "Speedbird 123 Roger continue climb to FL150" and "Speedbird 123 Expedite climb until passing FL120." That is the complete IFR departure sequence from ATIS through to the climb-out, with the exact phraseology you will use and hear.