Readback: September 2019

Im so glad you tackled the question of whether it is a requirement to report leaving an altitude. I read the regs years ago and have continued to report leaving on every altitude change but I often feel I am alone or perhaps one of a small minority. Ive gone back and reviewed the regs again to see whether I was doing it incorrectly since I wasnt hearing many others doing so and it does take more air time to say, ...leaving flight level 240 descending flight level 200 than 200, when cleared from FL240 to FL200, for example.

Editorial Staff

Tuesday, September 03, 2019 at 12:00 AM ET

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Key Takeaways:

Pilots are required to report "leaving" an altitude during climbs or descents, and adherence to standard phraseology is crucial for preventing miscommunication.
A universal phone number (888-766-8267) can be used for clearance delivery as an alternative to local frequencies, especially useful for pre-flight from the ground.
TAFs (Terminal Aerodrome Forecasts) for designated airports supporting transoceanic flights can extend up to 30 hours, as specified by NWS instructions, beyond the typical 24-hour period.
An approach may only have circling minimums, even if well-aligned with the runway, due to factors like obstacles requiring a high MDA (Minimum Descent Altitude) or excessive descent angles, or non-standard runway markings, rather than just misalignment.

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Reports Leaving

I’m so glad you tackled the question of whether it is a requirement to report leaving an altitude. I read the regs years ago and have continued to report leaving on every altitude change but I often feel I am alone or perhaps one of a small minority. I’ve gone back and reviewed the regs again to see whether I was doing it incorrectly since I wasn’t hearing many others doing so and it does take more air time to say, “…leaving flight level 240 descending flight level 200” than “200,” when cleared from FL240 to FL200, for example.

It seemed the full statement was required but it’s nice to see it in print in your magazine. It’s like so many people I hear saying “eleven six for sixteen” instead of “one-one thousand six hundred climbing one-six thousand,” for example. It’s normally understood what they’re reporting but it’s non-standard so more possibilities exist for miscommunication.