Read-back requirement
Just a quick question; would be appreciative of some guidance - was on the descent into London yesterday, just crossed Mayfield heading for Brookmans Park and received the instruction "descend FL 160, when level reduce speed to 250 knots", I replied "descend FL 160 and Wilco on the speed" that was met with an immediate demand to readback the full ATC instruction, which I duly complied with. Does everything need to be read back? Altitudes sure, but I didn't realize that included a specific reference to the speed.
This was a learning day in a number of respects; we checked in with Essex Radar who fastidiously require the aircraft type, current ATIS confirmation as well as any current restrictions to be announced on initial contact, to be handed over to Luton Radar shortly thereafter, where I failed miserably to provide my aircraft type and was appropriately challenged in a tone that I remember the teacher using when I neglected to bring the appropriate book to class. To provide the aircraft type to two successive controllers is a rather unusual requirement in world terms but I'll log that requirement in the memory bank.
I'd be grateful of a confirmation on the requirement to readback on the speed with the assumption that this would include the '160 knots to 4 mile' often issued requirement.
4HP