In my view, "ready when reaching" does definitely no harm, although it becomes a little useless when it is said 1500m before the holding point :)

I mean: it's good to know you'll be ready when you get to the holding point, but if you're telling me very early, there will still be some uncertainty about the plan. Of course, the closer you are to the holding point when you tell me, the clearer the plan will be.

I'd like to expect that everybody's "ready upon reaching" without a verbal notice. Inform the ATC in advance only if you're NOT "ready upon reaching".

I wonder whether these crews that are usually not "ready upon reaching" at smaller airports, do so at busier ones, when they are number one in a long queue and still not ready. ;-)

That's why I said "or AIP".


"Fully ready" at the HP (which I was referring) is different from a "fully ready"
at the gate. I recall LAX Gate Hold procedures yonks ago included the phrase
"fully ready" in part. I think NRT is the same.

You moaners of atc diction should do some time state side.

Yeap I agree some of the read backs are just plain appalling but heck if we all abided by the bible to the ent degree the asylum would be beckoning.

Atc..."flash 123, traffic 12 O'C , crossing left to right , 1000 ft below.

Flash 123...... Ehhhhh talllyhoo!

This really grits my sh!t

"Fully ready" means what that "Ready" doesn't?
"Ready on reaching" means that you are not ready now. Waste of R/T time.

Are all JFO "prat speak". It alerts us to a "prat" doing the R/T today.

The one good thing that these useless phrases indicates to me is that at least the plane is being flown by someone competent in the left hand seat who is just about to administer a "cuff round the ear" to the prat in the right hand seat.

Before pressing the mic button tomorrow, think before opening mouth. "Do I really want to be today's prize prat?" :E

Heavy traffic. You've just deiced. It's snowing and the clock is ticking, there is a lot of inbound/outbound traffic, the airport is closing soon and there is an unexpected runway-change. Whereas you had a long taxi ahead of you before, you now find yourself 200 metres from the new hold with a string of landing-lights on final, albeit with enough time/space ahead of them for you to make it out if you are quick enough to get your ducks re-arranged into the new row. 'Ready upon reaching' says I, in the hope of informing the controller that we CAN make it, should he be able to work us in.

Unacceptable?

Why not just say "Ready?". Simples.

Because I'm not. But I will be when I get there. If I say I'm 'ready' he might turn me into the intersection I'm just trundling past.

Even better, tell ATC what you are ready for. Descent, start, pushback, taxy, base leg, etc.

Context, Mr Zooker. I believe my scenario does have some merit.

However I do stand to be corrected, especially by a retired ATCO. My question was genuine.

Doodlebug,
No disrespect intended whatsoever. Just scrolled up to your post about snow and a ticking clock. Surely in this situation an airfield would remain open? An aerodrome is a 'business' after all.

A little fun story from the annals of ATC. Many years ago, one of our 'colourful characters' received a telephone complaint from a pilot about the service provided to his airliner.
In the days when ATCOs, (as opposed to 'managers'), were allowed to converse directly with 'customers', our 'colourful character', (who, sadly is no longer with us), was allegedly heard to reply...."Sir, at this airport, we have 4 runways, we also have VDF, 2 NDBs, Radar, ILS and PAR. The only thing we don't have is a f*cking crystal ball".

Pilots enjoying their work; I bet it gets boring and monotonous in the cockpit hour after hour, day after day, week af... well you get it.

It never bothered me frankly, levity is good.

And in enough time for ATC to come up with a plan B.

You bet they do and tell you just after passing the last intersection before the runway end.:ugh:

BA are the worst culprits around here: "not quite fully ready, just waiting for final figures, is there anyone behind us?" Only 7 or 8 others that have been on the same frequency for the last 10 minutes crawling along behind you.

I will now routinely separate likely culprits from the main line and fit them back in when I know they are ready. You can go as slow as you like then.;)

Pedantic for a reason I guess
 

Having flown in the US I always felt the big difference was you can get away with less pedantic RT than Europe because most, not all, but most of the guys on frequency are American citizens who on the ground talk more or less the same language.
Flying into busier UK and other European hubs that is not the case.

Personal teeth gritter, why do some prats read back "land XYZ123" missing out the word "clear"? When did this come in? :rolleyes:

I think that was Mr C to a BCAL skipper :D

...and indeed the "ed to" between the "clear" and "land".

Thats in our genes....looking at this very thread I think we are more closely related people than you would possibly like to be told...or is it just the ATCOs ?

Only this week...

"Scottish, ABC123 bustin' out of 2.5 for 5.0 on a WAL1Y"

Fact.

W2 LAG phraseology? Glad to see McIntegration is progressing smoothly. :E

Here's one for you that seems to be more controllers than pilots -

'Roger, that's copied.'

:suspect: