id: take-off-and-departure title: Take-Off and Departure meta: Learn how to communicate take-off and departure instructions with ATC in Infinite Flight. order: 3 contributor: babacar,lucaviness,planegeek,KaiM,finn-14,Filipe_Samuel_Braine #
Take-Off and Departure #
Take-Off Communication Summary #
Step 1
: Select the active Tower frequency
Step 2
: Tap “Request Departure”
Step 3
: Select the runway you are holding short of and then tap “Departing” or “Remaining in the Pattern”
Tip
: If you’re departing, you will need to advise the Tower Controller in which direction you are departing their airspace (i.e. if your SID departs to the South, make sure to select “South”). If you are not first in line for departure, you can add “In Sequence” to the end of your departure request (the Controller may advise of departure sequencing at any time whilst you are in the queue)
Step 4
: When you receive your take-off clearance (or other communication from the Controller), the Communication button will flash amber and the message will appear at the top of the screen, tap the Communication button to “Reply” to the message
Take-Off Communication Tables #
Below are all the ATC commands that can be sent to pilots by a Tower Controller and what pilots can request or respond with:
+++ Pilot to Tower Controller (On the Ground)
| Request/Message (On the Ground) | When to Send | When Not to Send |
|---|---|---|
| Request Departure - Departing | The pilot should request departure if they are ready to take-off from the active runway. The direction should correlate to the direction the pilot will be departing Tower’s airspace. “In Sequence” can be included when not first in line for departure. | In any other circumstance. |
| Request Departure - Remaining in the Pattern | The pilot should state that they will be remaining in the pattern if they plan to fly patterns (take-off and land at the same airport). “In Sequence” can be included when not first in line for departure. | In any other circumstance. |
| Request Runway Crossing | If the pilot is with the tower controller and wishes to cross a runway, they should request permission to cross the active end. | In any other circumstance. |
| Request Frequency Change | The pilot should request a frequency change if they wish to change frequencies and have not yet been given a clearance to do so. | In any other circumstance. |
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+++ Pilot to Tower Controller (In the Air)
| Request/Message (In the Air) | When to Send | When Not to Send |
|---|---|---|
| Inbound for Landing | The pilot should send this if they did not receive an approach clearance or were provided with radar vectors or flight following. | In any other circumstance. |
| Inbound on the ILS | The pilot should call inbound on the ILS if they were cleared for an ILS approach. | In any other circumstance. |
| Inbound on the GPS | The pilot should call inbound on the GPS if they were cleared for a GPS approach. | In any other circumstance. |
| Inbound on the Visual | The pilot should call inbound on the visual if they were cleared for a visual approach. | In any other circumstance. |
| Announce Go Around | Reasons to go around include an unstable approach, runway blocked by an aircraft, or loss of separation with the aircraft ahead. | In any other circumstance. |
| Request Departure | The pilot should request departure when exiting Tower’s airspace after flying in the pattern. | In any other circumstance. |
| Report Position | The pilot should report their position if they have not been cleared yet and are landing momentarily. | In any other circumstance. |
| Report Position - Full Stop | The pilot can send this to inform ATC that they will be landing after flying in the pattern. | In any other circumstance. |
| Request Runway Change | The pilot can request a runway change if they would like to change runways while in the pattern or after calling inbound. | In any other circumstance. |
| Request Transition | If the pilot will be flying through Tower’s airspace, they should request a transition. | In any other circumstance. |
| Request Frequency Change | The pilot should request a frequency change if they wish to change frequencies and have not yet been given a clearance to do so. | In any other circumstance. |
| Announce Missed Approach | If the pilot’s approach is not looking right for any reason, they should announce a missed approach. | In any other circumstance. |
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+++ Tower Controller to Pilot
| Instruction/Message | ATC Intention | Pilot Actions |
|---|---|---|
| Cleared for Take-Off | ATC is clearing the pilot for take-off. | The pilot should commence their take-off roll. |
| Cancel Take-Off Clearance, Hold Position | ATC is canceling the pilot’s take-off clearance. | The pilot should abort their take-off and hold on the runway. |
| Hold Short | ATC wants the pilot to hold their position off the runway. | The pilot should proceed to the hold short line and stop (the Controller may also advise the pilot of departure sequencing information). |
| Line Up and Wait | ATC wants the pilot to line up on the runway and hold their position. | The pilot should enter the runway, stop, and be prepared to takeoff. |
| Back Taxi | ATC wants the pilot to enter the runway and taxi to the specified end. | The pilot should taxi on the runway and, depending on the instruction, either exit and contact Ground or line up and wait. |
| Exit Runway | ATC wants the pilot to exit the runway they just landed on. | The pilot should roll off the runway and contact Ground. |
| Exit Runway, Cross Runway XX and Contact Ground. | ATC wants the pilot to exit the runway at a controlled speed, cross Runway XX, and contact Ground. | The pilot should bring their aircraft to a safe speed, cross the specified runway, and contact Ground. No further communication with Tower is necessary. |
| Exit Runway, Hold Short of Runway XX | ATC wants the pilot to exit the runway at a controlled speed and hold short of Runway XX. | The pilot should bring their aircraft to a controlled speed and hold short at the specified runway. They should stay with Tower; runway crossing requests are unnecessary. |
| Speed at your Discretion | ATC would like the pilot to manage their own speed. | The pilot may fly at any safe speed, following speed restrictions. |
| Maintain Present Speed | ATC wants the pilot to maintain their current speed until told otherwise. | The pilot should check their speed and maintain that until told otherwise. |
| Maintain Slowest Practical Speed | ATC wants the pilot to fly as slow as is safe. | The pilot should decrease their speed as much as possible. |
| Maintain Best Forward Speed | ATC wants the pilot to fly as fast as is safe. | The pilot should increase their speed as much as possible. |
| Adjust Speed to Follow Aircraft Ahead | ATC wants the pilot to slow down to maintain separation with the aircraft ahead. | The pilot should adjust their speed so that they are flying at or less than the speed of the aircraft ahead. |
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Departure Communication Summary #
Step 1
: Once airborne, wait for the Tower Controller to send “Frequency change approved, good day” or hand you off to another active frequency
Step 2
: The Communication button will flash amber and the message will appear at the top of the screen, tap the Communication button to “Reply to Handoff”
Step 3
: If you were sent “Frequency change approved, good day” then there is currently no Controller active in your area - we recommend just tuning out of the current frequency by tapping “Tune out of [airport ICAO code] Tower” and continuing en-route. If you have been handed off to an active frequency, it will give you the two options, either “Send & Switch” (which will reply and automatically tune you to the next frequency) or “Send” (which will reply but you will then need to tune to the next frequency manually)
Step 4
: Once you are tuned into the Radar Controller’s frequency, the following table outlines which requests can be transmitted:
| Departure Type | Check In [IFR] | Flight Following [VFR] |
|---|---|---|
| With Flight Plan | Yes | Yes |
| Without Flight Plan | No | Yes |
Tip
: Make sure to only make ONE request, multiple transmissions increase Controller workload and could result in a Violation!
Departure Communication Table #
Below are all the ATC commands that can be sent to pilots by a Radar Controller and what pilots can request or respond with:
+++ Pilot to Radar Controller
| Request/Message | When to Send | When Not to Send |
|---|---|---|
| Request Approach | The pilot should request an approach if they want an ILS, GPS, or visual approach provided. | In any other circumstance. |
| Request Flight Following | The pilot can request this if they want to fly into their destination without receiving an approach. If approved, they are free to follow their flight plan and have discretion over their altitude. | This service should not be requested after Checking In. |
| Request Radar Vectors | If the pilot does not want an ILS, GPS, or visual approach, and they have not requested another service, they can request radar vectors. ATC will vector them onto a VFR pattern leg and hand them off to Tower/Unicom at pattern altitude. | In any other circumstance. |
| Request Altitude Change | If the pilot is within 1,000ft of terrain or is within 3NM/1,000ft of another aircraft, they should request this. ATC will check their surroundings and take action if necessary. The pilot can also request this if they want to climb past their initial cruising altitude. | The pilot should not request this upon departure. Checking In gives the pilot discretion over their altitude. |
| Executing Missed Approach | The pilot may announce a missed approach if they are unable to continue their approach. If going around, this should be sent to the radar controller upon contact. | In any other circumstance. |
| Check In | The Check In is primarily used with Center and Departure. Approval authorizes the pilot to follow their own lateral and vertical guidance filed in their FPL. | The pilot should not Check In with approach. Instead, they should simply request an approach. |
| Request Descent via STAR | The pilot should request this if they are 1 minute away from their top of descent (TOD) and have a STAR filed. | If Radar tells the pilot to state their approach request, the pilot should not request a descent. |
| Request Frequency Change | The pilot should request a frequency change if they wish to change frequencies and have not yet been given a clearance to do so. | The pilot should not use this impatiently. Frequency changes will not always be given immediately. |
| Airport In Sight | The pilot may report airport in sight if they can see the airport while on a visual approach. | In any other circumstance. |
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+++ Radar Controller to Pilot
| Instruction/Message | ATC Intention | Pilot Actions |
|---|---|---|
| Continue As Filed | ATC would like the pilot to continue flying at their discretion. | The pilot should continue as filed; all altitude changes and directional changes do not require clearances. |
| Resume Own Navigation | ATC would like the pilot to navigate on their own. | The pilot should continue to navigate at their discretion; all directional changes do not require clearances. All altitude changes do. |
| Speed at Your Discretion | ATC would like the pilot to manage their own speed. | The pilot may fly at any safe speed, following speed restrictions. |
| Maintain Present Speed | ATC wants the pilot to maintain their current speed until told otherwise. | The pilot should check their speed and maintain that until told otherwise. |
| Maintain Slowest Practical Speed | ATC wants the pilot to fly as slow as is safe. | The pilot should decrease their speed as much as possible. |
| Maintain Best Forward Speed | ATC wants the pilot to fly as fast as is safe. | The pilot should increase their speed as much as possible. |
| Adjust Speed to Follow Aircraft ahead. | ATC wants the pilot to slow down to maintain separation with the aircraft ahead. | The pilot should adjust their speed so that they are flying at or less than the speed of the aircraft ahead. |
| Please Expedite Altitude Change | ATC wants the pilot to expedite their altitude change. | The pilot should increase their vertical speed to descend or ascend expeditiously. |
| Amend Flight Plan to Include ATC Preferred STAR. | ATC needs to regulate traffic flow. | The pilot should add an ATC preferred STAR to their flight plan. |
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