Assuming The Position

About the time this issue hits your mailbox, the FAAs standard phraseology for taxiing onto an active runway and stopping to await takeoff clearance will change. Instead of "taxi into position and hold," the new instruction will be "line up and wait." The change goes into effect September 30, 2010. This is similar to the mid-1990s switch from the FAA-standard set of weather reporting and forecasting abbreviations to the METAR/TAF format. The FAAs set of abbreviations had been in use since at least the 1960s, and probably going as far back as the 1930s.

Key Takeaways:

• The FAA is changing the standard ATC phraseology for holding on an active runway from "taxi into position and hold" to "line up and wait," effective September 30, 2010.
• This change is intended to simplify and standardize ATC phraseology and align with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards, particularly to aid non-native English speakers.
• The author criticizes the change, arguing it addresses a non-existent problem, questions the rationale for confusion, and expresses frustration with the FAA's perceived readiness to adopt ICAO standards.

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