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Travel 101: What is a typical commercial flight profile?
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B 747 on Approach to LHR (Paul McDaniel)
Preflight - This first stage occurs after the weather information has been received by the pilot, the pilots have filed a flight plan, and the clearance delivery controller in the air traffic control tower has approved the flight plan. Prior to takeoff, the captain and first officer perform all the various items in the flight check routine. The aircraft then pushes back from the terminal’s gate and then taxis out to the designated takeoff runway (as directed by the Ground Controller in the air traffic control tower).
Takeoff - The pilot receives permission from the Local Controller in the air traffic control tower to take off. The pilot then throttles up the aircraft engines and starts the takeoff roll down the runway.
Departure - Upon lift off, the pilot changes radio frequency to receive new flight instructions from the Departure Controller in the TRACON (Terminal Radar Approach CONtrol) facility. The pilot is instructed by the Departure Controller to follow a pre-determined, preferable routing that will take the aircraft up and away from the departure airport and on its planned route. Following these procedures, the pilot is then issued a further altitude and routing clearance. The Departure Controller monitors the track and target of the aircraft and performs an electronic transfer of the aircraft to the next controller (en route) along the flight path prior to the aircraft entering the receiving controller’s airspace.
En Route - As directed by the Radar Controller in the Air Route Traffic Control Center, the pilot receives instructions as to what altitude and heading to maintain and to which radio frequency to tune. This portion of the flight may be as short as only a few minutes or as long as many hours. Longer flights may actually pass through several en route center airspace sectors. Flights crossing oceans, over remote areas where radar coverage is not present, are handled by Oceanic Control. Such flights are guided and separated by Oceanic Controllers utilizing procedural control methods in which aircraft are guided by position reports, altitude, speed, heading, and time, as reported to the controllers by the flight crew. Regardless of the area being flown over, when the aircraft nears its destination airport, the pilot changes radio frequency and receives instructions for altering altitude and/or heading for the descent.
Descent - In this stage of the flight, after receiving instructions for changes in heading and/or altitude, the pilots begin to descend the aircraft and maneuver it to the airport. The pilots will typically perform a series of altitude and heading changes, as instructed by air traffic control, in order for the aircraft to become lined up in sequence with other approaching and arriving aircraft.
Approach - During this phase of the flight, the pilot has received an approach clearance to the destination airport and has been placed in line with other aircraft preparing to land at the same airport by the Approach Controller working in the TRACON (Terminal Radar Approach CONtrol) facility. The pilot flies a specified procedure as directed by the Approach Controller in order to get in line on final approach for the designated landing runway.
Landing - The pilot has been cleared to land by the airport's Local Controller (in the air traffic control tower) and lands on the designated runway. The flight is then routed across the taxiways by the Ground Controller (in the air traffic control tower) to its destination gate at the terminal.
For More Info:
"Travel tips: checking for flight delays" by Paul McDaniel, Carolinas Travel Examiner
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