Helicopter IFR Technique: Communications – Taxi and Takeoff Clearances
Taxi clearances at large airports challenged me more than almost any other type of ATC communication.
In the VFR environment, helicopter pilots often request present-position departures—and if we do not ask, ATC may offer one. Controllers generally want to move us away from the primary arrival and departure corridors as efficiently as possible.
When departing IFR, however, you should expect ATC to send you to a runway. At a large, busy airport, that may involve a complex taxi clearance that many helicopter pilots are not accustomed to receiving.
Recently, another pilot shared a technique with me that has been a game changer.
Before calling Ground, display the airport diagram and have your electronic flight bag’s annotation tool ready. As the controller issues the taxi clearance, trace the route directly on the diagram.
This technique helps you provide an accurate readback, improves your situational awareness, and gives you another opportunity to trap errors as you move the helicopter around a large or complex airport.
A discussion of taxi and takeoff clearances necessitates reviewing mandatory readbacks. The following guidance from paragraph 5-5-2 of the Aeronautical Information Manual is particularly relevant:
5-5-2. Air Traffic Clearance
a. Pilot.
- Acknowledges receipt and understanding of an ATC clearance.
- Reads back any hold short of runway instructions issued by ATC.
- Requests clarification or amendment, as appropriate, any time a clearance is not fully understood or considered unacceptable from a safety standpoint.
The guidance is simple: If ATC instructs you to hold short of a runway, read back the hold-short instruction, runway number, and your call sign. If the readback is missing, incorrect, or incomplete, the controller will ask you to correct it.
With that in mind, I recommend being selective about timing your “ready” call with tower when you are ready for departure.
If you are holding short and an aircraft is on short final, calling ready will likely prompt a response such as:
“[Aircraft call sign], hold short of Runway 26 left, landing traffic.”
That instruction requires a complete readback:
“[Aircraft call sign], hold short of Runway 26 left.”
An incomplete response may require another exchange at a time when tower or the landing aircraft may need the frequency for a critical call.
If it is apparent that you will not depart before the landing aircraft, consider waiting a few seconds and making your ready call as the aircraft touches down. If you believe there may be enough room for ATC to release you before the arrival, make the call—just be prepared to accurately read back your callsign, the hold-short instruction, and the runway.
During my initial training, the script I was given for my takeoff call was:
“[Airport name] Tower, [aircraft call sign], ready for IFR release.”
The words “IFR release” generally add no useful information. ATC already knows that you are operating on an IFR clearance and will coordinate your release with the appropriate facility.
A simple call is usually sufficient:
“[Airport name] Tower, [aircraft call sign], holding short of Runway [number], ready.”