Ask A Military Controller

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Ask A Military Controller - Air Traffic Control - ATC - Aviation

wippster Rookie

20 year Navy vet here working DOD in Hamtpon Roads. My question to controllers is what is proper phraeseology for FAST a/c takeoff?

keithkeys Trusted Contributor Somewhere out There

Not sure if its different in the military, but in the FAA its "AAL210, runway 4L , NO DELAY, cleared for take-off." or "AAL210, runway 4L, cleared for immediate takeoff, traffic on a 3 mile final."

wippster Rookie

Let me specify, FAST pertains to Fighter Attack Trainer and forget what the S stands for..Single pilot i think

WatchThis Trusted Member Arizona

Change to Departure.

As far as what order to give it in the takeoff clearance, I've heard it done many ways.

wippster Rookie

yeah me too. Reason I'm asking is the ATM is directing everyone to do it his/her way and noone agrees. It's a common sense thing. You probably shouldn't say "change to departure" at the beginning of a clearance.

vm2152 Senior Member

I don't live in the fighter a/c world anymore but I in fact I all ways did it at the beginning of my transmission. That was just the way I did it as a personal technique. Yes I've heard this arguement before, if you tell him to change... he'll change (right then.) We would be living in fantasy world if the a/c really just instantly changed without you completing your transmission and without a pilot response.

WatchThis Trusted Member Arizona

As a practical matter, pilots are not going to switch before they get a takeoff clearance and additionally won't switch until they hear the end of the transmission. It's easy to test though. Deliberately do it one way for a while and then the other. I don't think you'll see any difference in results. The pilot will wait for the end of the transmission, acknowledge the clearance, and then switch.

Sup JB, I think I worked with you for a while in San Diego. RF.

meagarunt22 Rookie Alamogordo, NM

It's runway, wind, cleared for takeoff change to departure. Doesn't make sense to me either to read the frequency change first. Then they might change after hearing the clearance and not hear a traffic call or some other imortant info. Sometimes our guys will remain on freq until the end of the runway depending on their comfort level, but usually they read back the clearance and then change freqs.

vm2152 Senior Member

Hey,

Is this Battling Bob? How goes it?