Climb Straight Ahead / Climb On Runway Heading

[Pontius's Copilot]

I have always understood that, when given with a take-off clearance, the phrase "Climb straight ahead" meant maintain the runway extended centreline (ie, adjust heading for drift to maintain the track); and that "Maintain runway heading" or "Climb on runway heading" meant just that (ie, set the aircraft on the runway heading and accept the drift).

Anyone care to confirm this (or correct me)? In the UK primarily.

[loubylou]

I would pretty much say so - have you had a problem?

louby

[squibbler]

You are correct. However "Runway Heading" was removed from use a couple of years ago if memory serves. Probably due to people wrongly interpreting the differences between the two. "Straight Ahead" is all you should hear from ATC these days but many controllers still use "Runway Heading" := (I was guilty of that myself from time to time).

[Pontius's Copilot]

I have worked with quite a number of pilots who do not appreciate that there is (was?) a difference between the two.

Given take-off clearance at a downtown airport in the NW of British Isles a while ago with "... and climb straight ahead on the runway heading." There ensued a brief and confused discussion in which I sought clarification - and I don't think either ATC or my F/O really understood what I was talking about.

"Straight ahead" or specify a heading assigned by radar would clarify all.

[bookworm]

There's been some debate on this in the past. A couple of points:

1) You seem to regard "runway heading" as unambiguously meaning the heading whose digits correspond to the runway QFU. I'm not sure it's that simple. Runways don't have a heading, they have a direction or track, and it seems perfectly reasonable to interpret the phrase "runway heading" as being "the heading of my aircraft that permits it to track down the runway".

2) When this was discussed last time, I think it was agreed that if ATC wished to rely on the aircraft taking up a heading that was different from the extended centreline track ("straight ahead"), the only sensible thing to do would be to assign that heading explicitly. Thus in practice, the difference should never be an operational issue.

[2 sheds]

Bookworm

Quite agree with your first point re definition - certainly "heading" ought to refer to the direction in which an aircraft is pointing. Unfortunately, I suspect through misuse and lack of attention to precision of expression, it has found its way into some official documents in the sense mentioned in this thread.

2 s

[Lock n' Load]

Bookworm, et al...

Runway heading is exactly what it says - the compass direction or QDR when on the centreline. Flying runway heading after take-off means flying that heading and making no allowance for drift. If a howling gale blows you 20 degrees off the runway TRACK, so be it, just so long as everyone else is doing the same! SIDS in Canada tend to be runway heading to a given altitude, and can be quite entertaining at times.

Straight ahead means following runway track after take-off, compensating for drift.

[bookworm]

Runway heading is exactly what it says - the compass direction or QDR when on the centreline.

"The compass direction when on the centreline". You don't really mean that, do you? I can be "on the centreline" with all sorts of different headings. :)

Seriously, I understand that's how you interpret it (as does the FAA). I'm not seeking opinions, simply pointing out that the ambiguity exists.

SIDS in Canada tend to be runway heading to a given altitude, and can be quite entertaining at times.

Apart from the passengers, why on earth would anyone want a SID to be "quite entertaining"? Wouldn't you rather it were "safe"? I can understand someone saying "it doesn't matter if you compensate for drift or not on this procedure because it doesn't make a significant difference". I can't understand any reason for saying "you must not compensate for drift because we want you to end up in a random place relative to the prescribed track".

[Lock n' Load]

Bookworm, I don't see how there can be any ambiguity when the CAA, the FAA, TC and ICAO all say that runway heading is the runway QDR. It's set in stone. I may have simplified things by saying "compass direction", but the point is that if the runway QDR is 244 degrees, say, you put your compass or DI or HSI on 244 degrees and fly that as a heading.

As for entertainment value, I did NOT say anything about danger and I do not find anything entertaining in aircraft under my control, or anyone else's, being in a dangerous state. I am perfectly entitled to find it entertaining, however, when an aircraft flying runway heading happens to be tracking 15 degrees or 20 degrees off centreline. "A bit windy" is the sort of comment my colleagues and I will make in that situation. It isn't dangerous when aircraft are taking off into the reciprocal runway's final approach area (clear of obstacles) and at a climb rate which, for everything except the occasional Antonov or IL76 will put them above the reciprocal runway's glidepath. It also isn't dangerous from a departure separation perspective, since everyone is drifting in the same direction, and if aircraft are departing from the same runway they won't be side by side anyway! The wind that actually reduces separation for departures is a nice, healthy headwind.

[PPRuNe Radar]

As per UK CAP 413:

Straight Ahead

When used in departure clearances means: ‘track extended runway centre-line’.

When given in Missed Approach Procedures means: ‘continue on Final Approach Track’.



If ATCOs want you to fly runway heading without drift correction then they will instruct you to fly present heading or assign a heading value.

[Jerricho]

If ATCOs want you to fly runway heading without drift correction then they will instruct you to fly present heading or assign a heading value.

......in the UK ;)

[peatair]

The phrase used to be used to mean after take-off fly the runway TRACK.

[Dream Land]

Straight Ahead? If runway heading is confusing what are pilots going to do with this?:}