expedite climb
 

Apologies if this has been previously covered, but can any of you ATC chaps give a rough idea of what you might expect to see when you ask us to 'expedite' a climb. I've seen many seated next to me who insist on turning 300 odd knots into near vertical rocket climb, until appx. 10 knots from the stall, thereafter maintaining same said 'speed' until passing stated level. I'm sure this is not what is required, and it certainly ain't good airmanship.
Poor hosties and pax..!!!!!

thanks fellas

confused 320 driver, now used to +ve G

"expedite" means do not dawdle, be quick. What you wrote looks pretty much like a reaction to a controller saying "immediately". If that was the case, the reaction was good. To a mere "expedite" you can react with 2.500 fpm, especially as you seem to fly an A320, a not very liked acft among controllers for its unforeseeable climb-profile. To americans driving it I can say something like "disregard economy and fly it like a man", to Englishmen I would say a noble "expedite":

As a London TMA controller, if I ask for an expedite I would like to see you climb at the max rate available! 2,500 fpm is what we normally see at the levels that we operate at, so anything less or about the same is not worth an expedite. :D

Well that´s true for a TMA. I am working upper airspace. 2.500 is quite good there!

I am a TC Controller at LTCC. This is what I would expect for jets.
In the climb, on departure, 220kts(ish) max climb power through the level given. If already climbing normally at normal speeds, again full power and reduce the speed to increase climb rate.
In descent, if given a speed restriction, use the brakes and mantain the speed given. If there is no speed restrition, fly the plane to comply with the request using speed and/or brakes as appropiate.
I would expect most jets to give me at least an extra 1000 to 2000 feet in either direction. More if you are a GTI jet
Obviously this does not apply to heavy (weight) aircraft on departure but at least go for max power and try, even if it is only an extra 500'/min.
If in doubt ask!
Many Controllers say '' best rate''. What does this mean? Best economical rate for the aircraft or expedite for ATC. They should always say 'expedite'

As fast as you can as long as STCA etc can keep up!

Thanks guys. The numbers are what I needed to see (2500 - 4000 fpm ish ?). The times I've seen colleagues achieving initially 5000 - 6000 fpm, at the expense of ALL airspeed, seeming to think this is what is required. ie absolute max the A/C can achieve by flying VERY slow. I never have thought that is necessary. 2500 - 3500 fpm is normally quite achievable, reasonably comfortably, certainly at lower to medium levels.

Ta.

OK guys.. in my retirement stupor I'm just recalling the old Seaboard cargo DC-8s full of lead boxes of mercury and the OAT at +30. They had trouble making 2.5 ft per min, let alone 2500!!

Enjoy it while you can..

Bren

The phraseology "expedite climb" doesn't mean anything. Nobody here has been able to give an official response with ICAO definitions. Why? Cos there ain't any, thats why.
stands by to be proven wrong

What it does do, I would hope, is convey a sense of urgency to the pilot, ie: whatever you're doing, do more. To use "expedite" means the controller has made a mistake...or maybe the pilot has made an error, but a conflict has been spotted and its a quick easy way to let the pilot know something needs to be done and it needs to be done now, no questions. It should include some traffic information as well, which should give an idea of exactly what is expected. If an exact or minimum climb rate was required it should be given, ie: "climb with 3000fpm minimum due opposite traffic" but " expedite climb due traffic" takes less time to say.

Basically, if all is well, the word expedite will never be heard, but if, as a pilot, you hear it, you can be sure something has gone wrong, and any reaction is better than none, the more exaggerated the reaction the sooner the situation is resolved.

I am talking in my capacity as an Upper airspace controller in Maastricht, I know that different situations may arise in Approach or other environments which might lead to the word being used under totally different circumstances.

Exactly.
Where I'm working we tell the trainees not to use the term, because it is not specific and open to speculation (as above).

Would be like saying: "Reduce your speed a little bit."

If it is urgent then we use the term "immediately" plus TFC info and/or "max ROC/ROD" (which would make it sound REALLY urgent).

trytofly
 

I expect you to give me a bit more than you are doing at the time.
I know that you can trade speed for height for a few thousand feet and then shallow out to regain profile. It is more transparent if you are given a target to aim at, or for example "expedite through FLxxx" .......a straight "expedite" without qualifier is sloppy controlling.....or possibly a panic measure; it is certainly less than professional.

That is the same as saying that a TCAS RA is as a result of an ATC error!!

Expedite is a fairly clear English term which the dictionary defines as "to accomplish quickly" Therefore if I give an instruction to climb FL110, expedite through FL80 it doesn't mean that I have 'made a mistake' it simply means that I have traffic at or descending to/through FL70 and I just want to get you through it a little quicker. But expedite is not a form of separation I hear you tusk - correct, which is why I will only do it with the a/c on headings (probably converging) and I can then 'tweak' one if the expedite isn't expeditious enough. Without this term, there would be a hell of a lot of a/c stuck down for longer within the TMA

The UK RT Manual (CAP 413) mandates the use of the term 'expedite' when the best rate of climb or descent is required.

If you tell me to expedite, I'll give you the best I can for as long as I can - I've always thought that would be a fairly reasonable thing to do!

Trouble is I fly a 340 and even in the lower levels I'd give my eye teeth to get 2500fpm unless we're not going very far. (As a sustained rate anyway - you can do it while you're bleeding the speed back) :( Luckily the guys behind the radar screens seem to know that - in the UK anyway.

I agree with Spuds, till I came O/S I had practically never heard controllers use the phrase expedite climb/descent. It was saved for the time when you really need it cos someone has screwed up. Over here (Middle East) there are guys who use it 3 or 4 times a shift, and basically expect the pilots every time used to give them a very good rate of climb. My problem with that is the old "Boy crying wolf" mentality. If a pilot gets told to expedite climb every other day, they will start to go "yeh whatever", whereas one day I might really need a guy to squeeze everything out and help me out, and he won't realise this. If I say expedite, I am expecting that within safe levels, you will give me your maximum rate of climb or descent. If I simply want a good rate, I will ask the pilot can they maintain for example, 1,500 ft per minute, if so fine, I will work on that.

Roger Dodge
What do you expect from a pilot when you tell him to "expedite through FL80" ? Do you have his load information/fuel on board/engine perfomance charts in front of you? My point is, if you have traffic at FL70 and you need the guy to climb above, then do a little maths...tell him 2000fpm until FL80, or to cross FL80 in 2 minutes, the term expedite means something different to every pilot, and the day the pilots idea of expedite doesn't meet your requirements you will not have a leg to stand on.

fourthreethree

I guess you do not work in a TMA/busy environment.
Expedite is certainly OK for use in the world of NATS.
In the London TMA, many departures offer ' a good rate on first call' and may be hoping for an expedited climb to give them a short cut.
I do not wish to criticise anyone, but there is more than one way to do the job of ATC.
Using 'expedite' a few times a day, makes my job much easier to perform.

Although this statement is not adressed to me, I DO work in a busy environment.
The busier it is the less one can afford to rely on performances based on non-specific clearances ("expedite climb").
I wanna know by when an aircraft can comply with a given rate, hence I give 'em a specific rate of climb/descent.
Being busy doesn't justify slack phraseology.

Over + Out I told you where I work, so guesswork doesn't come into it. It most definately is a busy environment, and Spuds already said what I wanted to say. I ask you again, what do you expect from a pilot....1000, 2000, 3000fpm?? What will a pilot give you? Are they the same? What if they're not? If it leads to a loss of separation, will you say "well I told him to expedite"? It simply is not a clearance upon which separation can be assured, due to the inherent lack of definition, and the very nature of this thread, the fact that a pilot quite understandably felt the need to ask the original question, shows that to be the case.

Let's not get sidetracked too much by the vagueries of the term expedite. All that I would add is that if you are given this instruction by a radar controller in the UK, a rate of climb of at least 2500 fpm is what is expected. Whether this is bad technique or not is a completely seperate issue.