Something new at DFW

[TangoWhiskey]

I pass through the DFW airport every day on the way to work (from west to east going to the office, from east to west going back home), and listen on my scanner.

Today I heard something new... planes on Ground were being told to go to "DFW Queue on 134.17". I quickly dialed up that freq and listened. I pulled out my AF/D at the next stop light and looked up DFW... nope, no 134.17 listed, nor any "DFW Queue" in the communications section.

Turned out it was some lady controller running interference between ground and tower. Helping the pilots figure out what order they were going to take off, which of the parallel runways they were going to get and what the first fixes would be, so they could get it into their FMS before departure. She'd kick them over to tower when they were two or three out on the list.

Anyway, something new... I've been listening to the scanner for years and have never heard anybody switched to "Q". How about you? Is this a new DFW thing? Have you heard it anywhere else?

 

[Richard]

Wait a minute, did you say you had to look it up in the AF/D? Don't you have that voice recognition through your headset/mic with dedicated PTT mounted on your steering wheel? Don't tell me you haven't installed it yet.

Anyway, isn't the Q you described otherwise known as Clnc Del?

 

[gismo]

Anyway, isn't the Q you described otherwise known as Clnc Del?

I doubt it. The call to clearance usually comes before the call to ground and this 'Q' (AKA queue) control came between ground and local. Sounds a lot like they've got two ground frequencies/positions in the tower which is something I think I've encountered before. Never heard of Q control before though. Somewhere in there I expect that there's a call to get permission to push back from the gate and start engines. I think that comes from ground as well, but I couldn't say for sure.

 

[Richard]

I doubt it. The call to clearance usually comes before the call to ground and this 'Q' (AKA queue) control came between ground and local. Sounds a lot like they've got two ground frequencies/positions in the tower which is something I think I've encountered before. Never heard of Q control before though. Somewhere in there I expect that there's a call to get permission to push back from the gate and start engines. I think that comes from ground as well, but I couldn't say for sure.

Yeah, that's the sequence but why would they push back only to queue up? Sounds like the '70s all over again. I think LAX has something akin to what Troy has described.

 

[HPNPilot1200]

Somewhere in there I expect that there's a call to get permission to push back from the gate and start engines. I think that comes from ground as well, but I couldn't say for sure.

That's usually called ramp control and they usually have 1 per alley or terminal (and in DFW sometimes airline). I know when I was going through DFW to LGA, the terminal had its own 'American Ramp Control' which looks like a mini-tower that gives push and start clearances in addition to which direction to push back.

Not sure what "Q" is...how many times was it said? Could have been a shortcut for the controllers to say maybe.

Jason

 

[Skip Miller]

Yeah, that's the sequence but why would they push back only to queue up?

'cause they need the gate for an inbound flight.

If they are hanging around on some taxiway or sitting in the penalty box, it sounds like the Lady Q was trying to keep some semblance of order for the departures.

-Skip

 

[Michael]

maybe they figure its harder to get mad at a female controller when they say...your number 16 for takeoff.