2.12 Phraseology and Procedures

2.12.2 Demonstrate proficiency in standard radiotelephony phraseologies and procedures for:

(a) all VFR operations in controlled and uncontrolled airspace;

Pre-Departure Manoeuvring

At busy aerodromes, there may be separate controllers for:

• Ground control — responsible for aircraft movement on the ground
• Tower control — responsible for runway operations, take-off, landing, and the aerodrome traffic circuit

Aircraft are normally transferred from GROUND to TOWER when they are at, or approaching, the runway holding point.

Because misunderstandings involving take-off clearances can have serious consequences, aviation phraseology is carefully designed so that pre-departure instructions cannot be mistaken for a take-off clearance.

For example:

Ground:
“FASTAIR 345, CONTACT TOWER 118.9”

Aircraft:
“118.9, FASTAIR 345”

This instruction only tells the pilot to change frequency. It is not a clearance to enter the runway or take off.