Pushback and startup northside at Heathrow.

[Aekkung]

Anyone has an idea or ever got this clearance from the ATC at Heathrow?

I was in Heathrow few days ago and parked at stand 246. When we asked for the clearace to push, the ATC gave us the clearance to push and start approved northside.

We told the ground engineer just as the ATC told us but it seemed like he didn't understand what it meant. Once we started to face to the north we asked the ATC again just to confirm but he said he expected us to tail to the north and it was ok if we continued to tail to the south by now.

Just want to know that anyone here ever heard of this phaseology before? Has it been written somewhere? And why they used this phraseology as it may make confusion?

FYI we departed via runway 27L.

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

Never heard of it. Phraseology used to be "face north" or "face south".

[Gonzo]

Yes, it would have been 'face north' or 'face south', usually the latter from 246 if departing 27L.

[Aekkung]

The senior captain who has flown for 30s years (and I believed he has flown to Heathrow for more than 100 times) in the cockpit also said that this was the first time he ever heard of that too and he was the one who asked us to confirm with the ATC again for clarification.

BTW, thanks for the answer though. Maybe it was a misunderstanding between us and ATC.

[Jimbo2Papa]

Sounds like you a caught controller having a vague moment. I'd sort of understand it if he was setting you up for 27R from stand 246 but you ended up on L facing the wrong direction for 27L.
I think I'd have sought immediate clarification of the direction - but hindsight is easy!

[General_Kirby]

There are many reasons why you may face North even if departing from 27L. Inbound traffic from the southern end, live or towing. Clearing the apron quicker for inbound aircraft to park at the stands which you'd block if you faced south and held at L1. Or even just to split the traffic up between the various 27L holding area holds.
A senior moment is of course still a possibility!

[wiggy]

Never heard of it. Phraseology used to be "face north" or "face south".

Still was at LHR the weekend :ok:

...but of course elsewhere in the world they use "tail north" or "tail south", which adds scope for confusion when you chuck in the odd senior moment and/or a touch of fatigue..

(oh, but on the subject of language, phraseology and LHR it's still Bovingdon, despite what some people think... )

[Gonzo]

Pure spculation, but given we have to now include the stand number in pushback instructions, perhaps ".....face North from 246..." could have been heard as 'face north-side 246?'

[DaveReidUK]

It must be 40-odd years, or more, since "northside" meant anything in the context of taxy instructions at LHR.

[wiggy]

Out in the sandpit it’s “face north/south/east/west” or anywhere in between.

Yes sorry, didn’t phrase that particularly well, when I said “elsewhere in the world “ I was thinking of somewhere specific....;)

[Jimbo2Papa]

It must be 40-odd years, or more, since "northside" meant anything in the context of taxy instructions at LHR.

It may be entirely possible that the OP was a victim of some strange time-warp and was actually speaking to an ATC of circa 1970. ;)