When the controller says break

[Matt Atkinson]

I'm going to give you the scenario before I ask my question. This is what I overheard waiting for my own takeoff

It's a busy time of day.
Cherokee 123: holding short 27R, right downwind departure
Twr: 123 hold short landing traffic
123: 123
Cessna Abc: downwind 27L abeam tower, full stop
<time goes by, lots of chatter>
Twr: Cherokee 123, cleared for takeoff 27R make right downwind BREAK Cessna abc cleared to land 27L number 2 follow mooney on base
<5 seconds silence>
Twr: Cessna abc how do you read?

I later was talking to the guy in the Cessna, he said he was waiting for the Cherokee to respond before he did.

Ok question time. Typically, who does the controller expect to respond first when he says break? I would have thought the guy spoken to first would be the one to reply first? It's not like the cherokee acknowledged by starting his roll, he was still parked at the yellow line

 

[summerjim]

Controllers who use "break" regularly aren't good controllers.

To answer your question: he probably had no idea who should read back what.

 

[middies10]

Controllers who use "break" regularly aren't good controllers.

To answer your question: he probably had no idea who should read back what.

Very big and unreasonable assumption.......

From what I have heard, it seems to usually not be in any particular order.

 

[SIUav8er]

Go to St Kitts, theres a controller or two here who take it one step further and say "break, break" after almost every transmission. haha, even when its just me and one other aircraft in their airspace and clearly no need to rush getting anyone a clearance

 

[djnk954]

Our controllers can see us from the tower so if it's VERY busy I'll just takeoff and let him talk to the other guy. He cleared you, and can see that you took off, end of story. He told the other guy he's number 2 to land, that's an important piece of information to repeat

 

[mikecweb]

Our controllers can see us from the tower so if it's VERY busy I'll just takeoff and let him talk to the other guy. He cleared you, and can see that you took off, end of story. He told the other guy he's number 2 to land, that's an important piece of information to repeat

Dear god tell me your joking.

 

[mikecweb]

Heard a pilot break his own transmission with another request. Scary who they let fly.

 

[N519AT]

The controllers expect the person whom they most recently issued an instruction to respond first.

In this case the Cessna should have responded right away then the Cherokee.


Sent from my iPhone using the power of bear stuffs

 

[///AMG]

I typically don't respond if I'm the first guy in said sequence. Normally the first part of the message is advisory, or it was a response to a query from me at a poor time. I guess if it were real important (like a clearance that I hadn't read back) then I would respond after they communicated with the second guy. I doubt there is a book answer, but just be reasonable and try to keep any response very concise.

 

[ATC RET 2003]

Dear god tell me your joking.

I fear that he isn't.

 

[Vector4Food]

I only use it when my first call requires no readback.

Eg

"fattie123 be ready to copy routing change, BREAK Le Super Fattie 008 descend FL290"

 

[Hacker15e]

It's pretty typical for military controllers and miltiary pilots doing aircraft/airspace coordination (FACs and the like) to use "BREAK".

Interestingly, it has an additonal use in a tactical setting: it also means "I'm about to unkey the mic to see if anyone needs to use the freq so I don't hog it, but as soon as I hear that nobody else needs to talk, I'm going to continue my message."

 

[BobDDuck]

As was said, I've always assumed that the second aircraft to get a clearance should be the first to read it back.

 

[boondr]

Don't think I have ever used "break" in a situation that didn't require an "immediately" as well.

 

[Cessnaflyer]

Flying into Sun Valley, Idaho gets pretty busy during the holiday times. It is crazy there with the controller handling the whole ground and air bit.

 

[djnk954]

Dear god tell me your joking.

As soon as he cleared him for takeoff he can already start his roll into the runway and takeoff. If the radios are busy and only clear after you in the air, what's the use of replying. It's not idle, but I've seen it happen

 

[squeezemylemon]

It s Break Break....
No break.
Teach this to your students before they learn the fault..anyway only controllers use it

sent from zte blade using tapatalk.sorry for mistakes.

 

[Gonzo]

As soon as he cleared him for takeoff he can already start his roll into the runway and takeoff. If the radios are busy and only clear after you in the air, what's the use of replying. It's not idle, but I've seen it happen

I fly in and out of some of the busiest airports in the world and have never had a problem reading back my takeoff clearance before I start my takeoff roll.

 

[fholbert]

Controllers who use "break" regularly aren't good controllers.

To answer your question: he probably had no idea who should read back what.

Or they are really busy.

 

[FM_Weasel]

Is this defined in the .65 somewhere? I wasn't able to find it, nor in the PCG. I'm feeling it shouldn't be used at all.

If I need to "roger" someone and immediately talk to another plane, I either un-key briefly or just go right into talking to the next guy.

I mean:

It s Break Break....
No break.
Teach this

Where is this stated?