Word: takeoff
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...report, a controller is forbidden to tell a pilot to "Hold for takeoff' because the mere mention of "takeoff' could trigger a response in the mind of the pilot and cause him to throw the throttles open prematurely, then what was the Tenerife controller doing saying, "Standby for takeoff clearance...
...never stops. He is constantly practicing instrument landings and emergency procedures, both in the cockpit of a jet and in remarkably realistic flight simulators. Twice a year, the FAA requires the airline to check out his proficiency. In addition, an FAA inspector?completely unannounced?may show up just before takeoff, occupy the jump seat in the cockpit?and "lift" (start revocation proceedings) the captain's license on the spot if he detects a major failing during the flight...
Precise communication becomes vitally important. To reduce the risk of misunderstanding between tower and cockpit, a controller is forbidden to tell a pilot to "hold for takeoff." The mere mention of "takeoff" could trigger a response in the mind of the pilot and cause him to throw the throttles open prematurely. The correct command: "Taxi into position and hold...
When the controller in the tower is sure that the runway is safe, he gives the command to go: "Eastern 158, cleared for takeoff." Soon after the jet leaves the ground, another technician in the station, known as departure control, picks up the jet on radar and guides it out of the general area of the airport. Next, a controller in one of the 20 air-route traffic control centers that blanket the country takes over responsibility, monitors the jet through his section of the sky, and then hands it on to the adjoining control center...
...fear of causing such a crash or a collision ?known with studied casualness as creating an "aluminum shower"?puts the controllers under tremendous strain from the time they clear a jet for takeoff until they guide it to a landing (see diagram). FAA psychological tests have shown that controllers undergo more stress than combat pilots. At Chicago's O'Hare Airport, the world's busiest, they are allowed to work for only 90 minutes at a stretch during peak hours, landing a plane every two minutes while simultaneously keeping track of half a dozen more...