Getting ready to line up and wait?

Everskyward

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Everskyward
FAA to Implement ICAO 'Line up and Wait' Phraseology, September 30

As NBAA first reported this past January, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has announced that the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) "line up and wait" phraseology will be effective on September 30. This replaces the current FAA phraseology, "taxi in to position and hold." Pilots need to be familiar with and be ready to read-back and accept instructions from air traffic control using the new phraseology. For more information, contact NBAA's Bob Lamond at rlamond@nbaa.org. To review FAA order 7210.754, which details the new procedure, visit:
http://www.nbaa.org/ops/airspace/issues/index.php
I happen to think this is a good idea with the FAA coming in line with the way everyone else does it.
 
I agree that consistency is good.

But that is still a stupid choice of words, no better (in my exceptionally perceptive opinion) than "position and hold."

Practical reality: When I get a position and hold clearance, I never, ever "line up" with the runway, as I require enough of an angle to see the approach clearly (as in, "you screw up, you die; the controller screws up, you die").

Will I be in violation because I did not "line up" with the runway, or is this just another change to something which, while wrong, is consistent with the same degree of wrongness exercised by the rest of the world?
 
I will just acknowledge the instruction with "position and hold, 7DS"
 
But that is still a stupid choice of words, no better (in my exceptionally perceptive opinion) than "position and hold."
I don't know who chose the words or why but those are the ones in place in most other countries.

Practical reality: When I get a position and hold clearance, I never, ever "line up" with the runway, as I require enough of an angle to see the approach clearly (as in, "you screw up, you die; the controller screws up, you die").
Interesting. I can't recall ever seeing anyone do this but maybe I haven't been paying attention. You would need quite an angle to be able to see someone on final, wouldn't you?

Will I be in violation because I did not "line up" with the runway, or is this just another change to something which, while wrong, is consistent with the same degree of wrongness exercised by the rest of the world?
Hair-splitting with the second post! :rofl: :D
 
I will just acknowledge the instruction with "position and hold, 7DS"
Other than annoying the controllers, what is that supposed to accomplish? Do you also acknowledge Class B clearances by saying "cleared into the TCA," or request transit of Class D by asking to "transit your Airport Traffic Area"?
 
Interesting. I can't recall ever seeing anyone do this but maybe I haven't been paying attention. You would need quite an angle to be able to see someone on final, wouldn't you?

Not so much of an angle that it would slow or delay your departure when you are cleared to take off.

To me "Line up and wait" is .... well it just sounds like when I was in elementary school and the teacher would tell us to line up and wait for the lunch bell. Why fix what ain't broke. Have any great incursions occured due to confusion over the Position and Hold phrase? Do they have incursions in Europe and the Caribbean where they use " Line up and Wait"?
 
Why fix what ain't broke. Have any great incursions occured due to confusion over the Position and Hold phrase? Do they have incursions in Europe and the Caribbean where they use " Line up and Wait"?

It isn't broke, but it isn't in line with the rest of the world. It is just a move to standardize the US with the rest of the ICAO nations. Like it or not.
 
Other than annoying the controllers, what is that supposed to accomplish? Do you also acknowledge Class B clearances by saying "cleared into the TCA," or request transit of Class D by asking to "transit your Airport Traffic Area"?

Is that one of the warning signs? Anti Authority?

Having said that, I still occasionally will call Class D airspace "Airport Traffic Area". Much more descriptive than Class D, IMO.
 
It isn't broke, but it isn't in line with the rest of the world. It is just a move to standardize the US with the rest of the ICAO nations. Like it or not.

Then I guess they should have assigned the US's attempted move in the 70s to the metric system to the FAA:D
 
Other than annoying the controllers, what is that supposed to accomplish? Do you also acknowledge Class B clearances by saying "cleared into the TCA," or request transit of Class D by asking to "transit your Airport Traffic Area"?

I never flew while the airspaces were called that.
 
This was a great opportunity to take on completely new terminology that leaves no doubt, too bad - its lost now.
Should have changed it to something which included in the phrase "onto the runway"
Instead we go from something that was widely accepted and understood (although not immediately clear to a newbie) to a utter bollocks of a phrase.
 
This was a great opportunity to take on completely new terminology that leaves no doubt, too bad - its lost now.
Should have changed it to something which included in the phrase "onto the runway"
Instead we go from something that was widely accepted and understood (although not immediately clear to a newbie) to a utter bollocks of a phrase.

Especially when you are at places like Hartsfield where you line up and wait for 40 minutes on taxiway Echo. There is lots of lining up and waiting. They could have come up with something like "park on the numbers"
 
Other than annoying the controllers, what is that supposed to accomplish? Do you also acknowledge Class B clearances by saying "cleared into the TCA," or request transit of Class D by asking to "transit your Airport Traffic Area"?
Actually, I can see one reason to acknowledge with the old terminology at first (as in, during the first week or so) as it lets ATC know that you understand that the two phrases have the same meaning and aren't just parroting back what they said and aren't about to do something totally off the wall. That's not to say I'll do it though. Meek compliant mouse that I am (usually), I'll probably just repeat "line up and wait, 8JT".

Heh. "Park on the numbers." I like that one. :D
 
This was a great opportunity to take on completely new terminology that leaves no doubt, too bad - its lost now.
The point was not to invent a new phrase, it was to become consistent with the rest of the world.

Should have changed it to something which included in the phrase "onto the runway"
They do mention the runway in the clearance just like they did before. Instead of something like, "Runway 34 taxi into position and hold," it's "Runway 34 line up and wait". The first time I heard it, which was either in Canada or Mexico, it sounded a little strange but I knew it was coming and what it meant. People will get used to it. We are higher mammals. We can adapt.

Then I guess they should have assigned the US's attempted move in the 70s to the metric system to the FAA:D
Russia and China use meters. During my very small but very recent experience in Russia we had to use meters, hectopascals and QFE, all concepts which were strange to me. I'm pretty sure the Europeans also use hectopascals because when I get in the sim after a European crew the altimeter is set to hectopascals.

But really I think in the grand scheme of things we are lucky. Most of us are native English speakers. Imagine having to learn aviation English in order to use the ATC system or to go flying outside your home country.
 
Then I guess they should have assigned the US's attempted move in the 70s to the metric system to the FAA:D

From what I can tell, although the US SAID they were going to do that, there was never a serious attempt to actually DO it. IMO, we would be better off on the metric system if for no other reason than a base 10 system is easier to work with. It would take a generation to become fully comfortable with it, but in the long run...
 
This was a great opportunity to take on completely new terminology that leaves no doubt, too bad - its lost now.

Well, since it is an attempt to standardize the US with ICAO, it would have meant changing how the rest of the world did it also.

Should have changed it to something which included in the phrase "onto the runway"

As Mari said, we already do that.

Instead we go from something that was widely accepted and understood

In the US. Given our approximately 600,000 airmen and however many controllers, I am not sure how wide that is in a world context.

(although not immediately clear to a newbie) to a utter bollocks of a phrase.

Frankly, Dave, it isn't that big a deal. You will get used to it in about a week, if that long.

Really, folks, it isn't worth the effort to fight it.
 
In the US. Given our approximately 600,000 airmen and however many controllers, I am not sure how wide that is in a world context.

How many in the rest of the world? Serious question. Anyone know?
 
My guess would be we still outnumber the rest of the world in airmen.
 
I don't know who chose the words or why but those are the ones in place in most other countries.

Interesting. I can't recall ever seeing anyone do this but maybe I haven't been paying attention. You would need quite an angle to be able to see someone on final, wouldn't you?

Maybe 20 degress or so, nose-left, and I can see out my side window, at least enough of the approach to know if I am fixin' to be bug-crushed. Have seen the occasional confused controller (or more often, come to think of it, confused non-native-English-speaking student pilot in a 172) often enough that I need to preserve at least that modest additional level of awareness.

Fact is, I am being pedantic; the new phrase will function, just as it could function if we were all obligated to call, "poised and prepared." It is hard to imagine, though, that "line up and wait" was the best that they could do.


From what I can tell, although the US SAID they were going to do that, there was never a serious attempt to actually DO it. IMO, we would be better off on the metric system if for no other reason than a base 10 system is easier to work with. It would take a generation to become fully comfortable with it, but in the long run...

Never understood this at all. When I was a kid in elementary school, we were taught the metric system with the assurance that it would be done-deal by 1970 - at least as much stuff in metric as in English units in first through third grades.

Unlike "line up and wait," the metric system makes complete and compelling sense.
 
It is hard to imagine, though, that "line up and wait" was the best that they could do.

Unlike "line up and wait," the metric system makes complete and compelling sense.

Ok, explain to me just why you, and the collective you, have an issue with "Line up and Wait". Is it just because it is different than what you are used to? Is this any different from when we changed the way we do weather reports and forecasts?

:confused::confused::confused:
 
Is that one of the warning signs? Anti Authority?
You said it, not me.
Having said that, I still occasionally will call Class D airspace "Airport Traffic Area". Much more descriptive than Class D, IMO.
While I agree on the last (and feel the same about Positive Control Airspace and Terminal Control Areas, too), I've gotten over the first. It is what it is, and our march toward international standardization continues at the speed of governmental bureaucracy.
 
Actually, I can see one reason to acknowledge with the old terminology at first (as in, during the first week or so) as it lets ATC know that you understand that the two phrases have the same meaning and aren't just parroting back what they said and aren't about to do something totally off the wall.
The counterargument to that is that if you don't know what it means, the regs require you to obtain clarification, not just parrot back and guess. OTOH, if you read back something other than what the controller says, you've created a difference between what was read and what was read back, and a controller might find that situation disturbing. After all, one reason for the change was to eliminate the documented misinterpretations of "taxi into position and hold" versus "hold short."

That's not to say I'll do it though. Meek compliant mouse that I am (usually), I'll probably just repeat "line up and wait, 8JT".
That makes you professional in your demeanor, not a mouse.
 
From what I can tell, although the US SAID they were going to do that, there was never a serious attempt to actually DO it. IMO, we would be better off on the metric system if for no other reason than a base 10 system is easier to work with. It would take a generation to become fully comfortable with it, but in the long run...
I think the biggest reason why we haven't gone metric for US aviation is that it would require replacement of every altimeter in the system, and development of entirely new vertical separation standards.
 
From what I can tell, although the US SAID they were going to do that, there was never a serious attempt to actually DO it. IMO, we would be better off on the metric system if for no other reason than a base 10 system is easier to work with. It would take a generation to become fully comfortable with it, but in the long run...

No! I want Base 8, or if really required, Base 16....!
 
You said it, not me.
While I agree on the last (and feel the same about Positive Control Airspace and Terminal Control Areas, too), I've gotten over the first. It is what it is, and our march toward international standardization continues at the speed of governmental bureaucracy.

Oh, I agree. Just this thing called "Primacy" I believe. Old habits. Not very often but occasionally.
 
Having done enough flying out of Montreal Trudeau (CYUL) and getting told "Line up and wait" probably more than I've been told "Position and hold", I actually had to think about the American terminology to remember what the phrase was. I really don't care, just so long as it's standardized. Having similar terminology with the rest of the world is fine, I don't care if they change or we do, but I do think it should be consistent. Definitely makes it easier, especially when flying to other contries.

It's fun to have the old or incorrect terminology sometimes, so long as it's clear to whoever's listening (after all, how many times do you hear "5 for 4" from a jet jockey when it's completely incorrect?). The 310 I fly has a tail number ending in SP. Sierra Papa, right? Nope, Sugar Pop. No tongue-in-cheek joke about it that I'm aware of, more that that's the name it was born with back before S became Sierra, and it stays that way. I think it sounds better like that anyway. Most controllers accept it, some argue, but I've yet to have one who didn't know who I was, just like they know what pilots mean when they say "8 Whiskey Victor 2 for 5" whereas I'd be saying "8 Sugar Pop 2 thousand climbing 5 thousand."

Not worth fighting or arguing about. It's just a few words.
 
Primacy vs Exercise -- eventually, Exercise wins.
I agree, but some people only make it harder for themselves when they don't accept the change to begin with. What is the point of raising your blood pressure every time you hear the dreaded phrase after September 30?
 
I happen to think this is a good idea with the FAA coming in line with the way everyone else does it.

I agree that consistency is good.

But that is still a stupid choice of words, no better (in my exceptionally perceptive opinion) than "position and hold."
Yes to both of those observations.

I have heard that at KORD the controllers will still have their own special phraseology: "Hurry up and wait" :D:D
 
Ok, explain to me just why you, and the collective you, have an issue with "Line up and Wait". Is it just because it is different than what you are used to? Is this any different from when we changed the way we do weather reports and forecasts?

:confused::confused::confused:

I cannot speak for the "collective" (are we Borg?), but as for me, you pretty much nailed it. That, plus "line up and wait" sounds exceedingly goofy.

That would be base 6, wouldn't it? :rofl::rofl::rofl:

Hex is base 16.
 
I was thinking HEXagon. LOL

Well, actually, you're right. Hexagonal is six-sided, but if you say "Hex" to anyone computer-quasi-literate (especially old farts like, well, me), they'll hear, "Hexadecimal," which is base 16. Lots of computer stuff done in Hex.

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