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Takeoff

At the holding point, contact Tower for departure. The Tower controller manages the runway and sequences departing traffic with arrivals.

Preparation

  • Tower frequency – found on the airport chart (10-9)
  • Departure frequency – received during the initial clearance or given by Tower after takeoff
  • SID review – confirm departure route, altitude restrictions, and initial heading
  • Takeoff briefing completed – speeds, engine failure procedure, initial turn
  • Transponder – set to the assigned squawk, mode active

Phraseology

Ready for Departure

Pilot: "Frankfurt Tower, Lufthansa 123, holding point runway 25C, ready for departure."

ATC: "Lufthansa 123, wind 240 degrees 8 knots, runway 25C, cleared for takeoff."

Pilot: "Cleared for takeoff runway 25C, Lufthansa 123."

Line Up and Wait

ATC may separate the lineup from the takeoff clearance:

ATC: "Lufthansa 123, line up runway 25C."

Pilot: "Line up runway 25C, Lufthansa 123."

Wait on the runway until the takeoff clearance follows.

Conditional Clearance

ATC may tie a clearance to a condition:

ATC: "Lufthansa 123, after the landing Boeing 737, line up runway 25C."

Pilot: "After the landing Boeing 737, line up runway 25C, Lufthansa 123."

A conditional clearance always names the traffic to wait for. Read back both the condition and the instruction.

Important

  • The word "takeoff" is only used when actually cleared for takeoff — in all other contexts, say "departure"
  • Always read back the runway number with every takeoff or lineup clearance
  • If no takeoff clearance is received within a reasonable time after lining up — ask
  • After takeoff, follow the SID unless ATC gives different instructions

After Takeoff

ATC: "Lufthansa 123, contact Langen Departure on 119.9."

Pilot: "Langen Departure 119.9, Lufthansa 123."

What's next?

After takeoff, contact Departure for the climb phase: