Air Force One Departing Ottawa: ATC Communication

The following is ATC communication as Air Force One departs Ottawa on Feb 19, 2009. I recorded it from feeds on liveatc.net, so big thanks to them.

I edited it down from about 20mins, so if it seems like something is missing here or there that might be why.

There are some transmissions to/from Air Force One that are incomplete, this was due to a bad internet connection at the time.

This all takes place at the end of Obama's trip in preparation for/during his departure. I'll describe what is going on (including parts that were cutoff) below:

0:06- Air Force One requests clearance from Ottawa to Andrew's Air Force Base

0:14- (a bit is cutoff) clearance controller asks AF1 if they are ok with runway 25, the response is garbled but AF1 must have said that was fine.

0:25- AF1 receives their vectors and clearance from Ottawa to AAFB, then reads them back correctly. They are instructed to contact ground control when they are ready to taxi.

1:20- Another Air Force aircraft requests taxi, most of the rest of the communication is cut off.

1:49-3:40- Normal traffic communication, all the commercial flights are rushing to get out because the airspace is getting shut-down soon for Obama's departure, and they don't want to get stuck in Ottawa.

3:44- (most of ground control is cutoff, but what happened was: ground control cleared AF1 to taxi to runway 25 via taxiway Bravo, with instructions to contact Tower when they get there) AF1 reads it back

Some arrangements are made about sweeping the runway

4:44- AF1 is holding short of runway 25, lets Tower know they're ready to takeoff.

5:07- Security helicopter checks in with their intentions.

5:33- Some interesting chat between AF1 and tower regarding sweeping the runway.

6:37- I think the first part was clipped a bit, AF1 receives and aknowledges takeoff clearance: off they go.

7:00- An understandably concerned Air Canada pilot who couldn't get out in time before the airspace restrictions enquires about how long he's going to be sitting there. (turns out it was only 5-10 mins before they opened the airspace again).

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Air
• Force
• One
• ATC
• Actual
• Traffic
• Control
• Ottawa
• Obama
• Canada
• Takeoff

[terryma1215]

Line up and wait?! Oh right, it's Ottawa, not the FAA's Position and hold. Position and hold sounds more professional and formal if you ask me.

[skidrum11]

@phildan89 I though it might have to do with "Hold short" and Position and hold" both having hold

[jklsr55]

Is it the pilots talking back amd forth with atc or part of the communication team onboard?

[tyfly867]

@terryma1215 The FAA terminology is now "Line up and wait" as well, per ICAO standarization.

[matty16666]

@terryma1215 They changed it in canada because, when you say position and hold, there has been times where pilots have thought it was position and role. So they changed it to line up and wait. If you ask me it sounds a lot safer lol

[freeportkid]

@rockymountainsunrise if you listen secret service isn't doing the sweep ottawas police or security are he says no need for another one meaning SS probably already did one

[freeportkid]

@terryma1215 i just find it funny that AF1 has to wait at all

[FacetiousJosh]

in ICAO "Line up (rwy designator)" is the official terminology. "and wait" is rarely ever used because we try to keep communication simple. When additional information is necessary it is usually something to the effect of "Line up runway 25 Expect immediate departure" 

[terryma1215]

@744PIC Yes thanks for the correction. Now the FAA also updated the phraseology to LUAW. The controller cleared AF1 to Andrews, read somewhere in the .65 (FAA document in canada? lol) that the controller shouldn't specify destination in the clearance. Guess that isn't true for Canada?

[FlyGuyDL737]

0:00 - 7:21 The USA is doing a good job promoting recycling...

[744PIC]

@terryma1215 "Position and hold" was changed to "line up and wait" in Canada to conform with ICAO phraseology. Standard phraseology at many European airports included phrases like "taxi runway 26L, hold short at holding point B15" – "position and hold" could very easily be misunderstood as "hold short of the runway at the holding point." "Line up and wait" is more descriptive of what the pilot is expected to do – i.e. line up on the runway and wait (for takeoff clearance).

[hzzlrp10]

@tmric

It's any *Air Force* plane that the President is on that becomes Air Force One. Otherwise it would be the name of the military branch operating the plane and one (I/E Army One, Marine One, Navy One).

If the sitting President should ever fly a civilian aircraft the call sign is Executive One. Thus far this has happened only once, during the Nixon administration.