Phraseology — Page 90, Lesson 73

I want to walk you through the standard phraseology for ground movements and take-off clearances. This is the exact language you will use and hear on the radio, and it must be precise — there is no room for casual wording. Let’s start with acknowledgements. The procedure words ROGER and WILCO are not sufficient when you are acknowledging an instruction that tells you to hold or stop. If ATC says HOLD, HOLD POSITION, or HOLD SHORT OF (a specific position), your acknowledgement must be HOLDING or HOLDING SHORT, as appropriate. You are confirming that you are doing it, not just that you heard it. Now, crossing a runway. If you need to cross a runway, you say REQUEST CROSS RUNWAY (number). There is an important note here: unless ATC specifies otherwise, a taxi instruction that gives you a limit beyond a runway already includes permission to cross that runway. So if they say “taxi to holding point Alpha, runway 27,” and that path crosses runway 09, you are cleared to cross runway 09 unless they say something different. If the control tower cannot see you — for example at night or in low visibility — the instruction to cross should always include a request to report when you have vacated and are clear of the runway. The phraseology is CROSS RUNWAY (number) [REPORT VACATED]. When requested, you report “RUNWAY VACATED” only when the aircraft is well clear of the runway — not just when your tail is past the edge line, but when you are fully clear. If ATC needs you to cross quickly because there is traffic on final, they will say EXPEDITE CROSSING RUNWAY (number) TRAFFIC (aircraft type) (distance) KILOMETRES (or MILES) FINAL. That tells you the type of traffic and how far it is on final approach. Moving to preparation for take-off. If ATC cannot issue a departure clearance for a specific SID or departure procedure, they say UNABLE TO ISSUE (designator) DEPARTURE (reasons). They may then ask REPORT WHEN READY [FOR DEPARTURE], or ARE YOU READY [FOR DEPARTURE], or ARE YOU READY FOR IMMEDIATE DEPARTURE? Your response, if you are ready, is simply READY. If they cannot issue take-off clearance yet, they say WAIT (reason). Then comes LINE UP — this is clearance to enter the runway and await take-off clearance. It may be followed by LINE UP RUNWAY (number). If they want you ready to go immediately, they say LINE UP. BE READY FOR IMMEDIATE DEPARTURE. Conditional clearances are used when there is traffic. The phraseology is (condition) LINE UP — for example, “Behind the landing Boeing 737, line up.” Your acknowledgement of that conditional clearance must be (condition) LINING UP — for example, “Behind the landing Boeing 737, lining up.” Then ATC will either confirm that your readback is correct by saying [THAT IS] CORRECT, or if you got it wrong, they will say I SAY AGAIN and correct you. The provisions for conditional clearances are on page 47 of your book, and the hash symbol (#) in the text indicates this applies when there is possibility of confusion during multiple runway operations. Now, take-off clearance. The standard phrase is CLEARED FOR TAKE-OFF (REPORT AIRBORNE). If there is a possibility of confusion — for example with multiple runways — they say CLEARED FOR TAKE-OFF RUNWAY (number). If you have not yet started your take-off roll and they need you to go immediately or get off the runway, they say TAKE-OFF IMMEDIATELY OR VACATE RUNWAY. If take-off clearance has already been issued but you have not complied, they may say TAKE-OFF IMMEDIATELY OR HOLD SHORT OF RUNWAY. To cancel a take-off clearance, ATC says HOLD POSITION, CANCEL, I SAY AGAIN CANCEL TAKE-OFF (reasons). To stop a take-off in an emergency, they say HOLDING STOP IMMEDIATELY (repeat aircraft call sign) STOP IMMEDIATELY. Your response to that is STOPPING. HOLDING and STOPPING are the procedural responses to the hold and stop commands respectively. For helicopter operations from other than the manoeuvring area, the clearance is CLEARED FOR TAKE-OFF FROM (present position, taxiway, final approach and take-off area, runway and number). The pilot may request REQUEST DEPARTURE TURN RIGHT (or LEFT, or CLIMB) (instructions as appropriate), and ATC will respond AFTER DEPARTURE TURN RIGHT or LEFT, or CLIMB, (instructions as appropriate). After take-off, if you need a turn, you say REQUEST RIGHT (or LEFT) TURN [WHEN AIRBORNE]. ATC may approve with RIGHT (or LEFT) TURN APPROVED, or they may say WILL ADVISE LATER FOR RIGHT (or LEFT) TURN — meaning they will give you that turn instruction later, not right now. That covers the phraseology for ground movements, runway crossings, line-up, take-off clearance, and initial departure turns. Every word matters — use the exact phraseology, and acknowledge with the correct procedural response.