Posted on August 18th, 2010
AIN reports that current FAA terminology for an air traffic controller’s instruction for a pilot to taxi onto the runway and await takeoff clearance is “position and hold”. However, this will change on September 30 to “line up and wait,” which is the standard terminology under International Civil Aviation Organization guidelines.
The FAA’s decision comes 10 years after the NTSB recommended that the FAA adopt and require the use of standard ICAO phraseology for airport surface operations. In addition, the FAA’s air traffic procedures advisory committee has also requested the agency revise U.S. policy to require the use of “line up and wait” rather than “position and hold”.
And the FAA runway safety call to action committee has issued several recommendations to address improving runway safety across the National Airspace System. In response to these recommendations, the FAA’s ATO Terminal Services convened a safety risk management panel to identify and assess the risks associated with changing the current phraseology from “position and hold” to “line up and wait”.
The panel cleared the change, and next month it will take effect. Transport Canada made an identical move to the new phraseology in March 2008.
Click here to read the original article in AIN Online.
Tags: FAA, air traffic controllers