Phrases & Expressions

Used in aviation to specify a minimum altitude or flight level that an aircraft must maintain.

• Maintain at or above 5,000 feet until further notice.
• The aircraft was cleared to fly at or above Flight Level 200.

An ATC phrase meaning the pilot may decide when to start an instructed climb or descent.

• Descend and maintain 10,000 feet at pilot's discretion.
• Cleared to descend at pilot's discretion, the crew waited until they were closer to the airport.

An instruction for an aircraft to taxi to the end of a runway, turn around, and then align itself for takeoff.

• The controller instructed the small plane to backtrack and line up.
• We saw the jet backtrack and line up for departure.

In aviation, being below the correct flight path or glideslope during an approach.

• The pilot corrected the aircraft, which was below path.
• If you are below path, you risk hitting obstacles.

An instruction from air traffic control to a pilot, meaning the permission to take off is no longer valid.

• The tower had to cancel takeoff clearance due to sudden fog.
• Did they cancel takeoff clearance for our flight?

A spoken and written alert from the ground proximity warning system that the aircraft is too close to high ground.

• The pilot climbed at once when he heard "caution terrain" in the cockpit.
• A "caution terrain" alert means there is high ground close ahead.

To make excessive corrections to stay on the glide slope (GS) during an instrument landing.

• Stop chasing the dot and fly the aircraft smoothly.
• Chasing the dot indicates unstable flying.

To receive permission from Air Traffic Control to leave a holding pattern and continue on the flight path.

• We were finally cleared out of hold after a long delay.
• The aircraft was cleared out of hold and given a new heading.

Permission granted to cross an active runway.

• You are cleared to cross runway 09.
• The pilot read back that he was cleared to cross runway 27.

An ATC instruction to climb to a stated level and stay at that level.

• The controller told us to climb and maintain flight level 280.
• After takeoff we were told to climb and maintain five thousand feet.