ATC taxi clearance examples: runway, route, hold short
Runway 272. How they get there:
taxi via B, B13. Where they stop:
hold short of runway 04 — and a runway is
never crossed without its own explicit cross runway 04 clearance.
A useful taxi clearance answers three questions for the pilot: which runway, which route and where to stop. The FAA requires a specific route and a confirmed runway assignment; see JO 7110.65, 3-7-2. In ProjectATC you can practise those decisions at Ground, hear the readback and review the result in the debrief.
The basic taxi instruction
Three things, always in this shape:
- The runway assignment first. “Runway 27, taxi via…” — not “taxi to runway 27”. The old “taxi to” phrasing was retired precisely because pilots heard it as permission to cross everything on the way.
- The route. Name the taxiways in the order flown (“via Bravo, Bravo 1”). No route on a field with choices is a graded omission — the pilot will happily invent one.
- The limit. The taxi route ends before the assigned runway. If another runway lies on the way, issue a specific hold-short or crossing instruction for it. A “roger” does not satisfy a hold-short readback; ask the pilot to read it back.
Runway crossings: one clearance per runway
Every runway crossing needs an explicit clearance that names the runway and crossing point. A clearance to cross 13R does not by itself authorize crossing another runway farther along the route. The FAA normally requires the aircraft to cross the first runway before the next crossing is issued; approved local procedures can allow a combined clearance for closely spaced runways. Practise them separately unless your current local procedure says otherwise.
…AIRCRAFT REACHES THE HOLD LINE, RUNWAY CHECKED CLEAR… “SkyWest fifty-five, cross runway one three right at Delta, continue via Delta.”
That two-step rhythm — hold short, then cross when it is safe — is the core drill. In ProjectATC, a crossing is its own instruction and runway occupancy affects the debrief. KSAN's free Ground position is enough to practise a complete taxi route and readback; Pro airports add routes with runway crossings.
What the pilot must read back
| You said | Mandatory readback | “Roger” acceptable? |
|---|---|---|
| Runway assignment + route | Runway + route | No |
| Hold short of runway 04 | Verbatim, with callsign | Never |
| Cross runway 04 | “Cross runway 04” | No |
| Hold position | “Holding position” | No |
Amended taxi instructions
- Wrong turn. Pilots take the wrong taxiway without announcing it (ours do too, on purpose). Catch it on the ground radar and re-issue: “SkyWest 55, turn left at Bravo 4, rejoin Bravo.” Catch it late and it's a debrief line.
- Runway change mid-taxi. Wind swings, the configuration flips: “runway change, runway 9, taxi via Bravo” — and if their departure procedure no longer serves the new runway, expect a call for an amended clearance (the CRAFT guide covers what you'll re-issue).
- “Hold position” vs “hold short”. “Hold position” = stop now, wherever you are. “Hold short of X” = continue, stop at the line. Mixing them up moves aluminium you didn't want moved.
Common mistakes
- No runway in the taxi instruction — the single biggest point loss on ground phraseology.
- No route (“taxi runway 27” alone) on a field with parallel taxiways.
- Clearing a crossing while the runway is occupied — severe, always.
- Letting a hold-short go unacknowledged — the readback is the safety net, not a courtesy.
Related guides: the CRAFT clearance line by line · how to write an ATIS · climb via SID or maintain?
Practise Ground at KSAN
Create a free account, choose KSAN Ground and a short low-traffic shift. Issue a runway assignment and taxi route, check the readback, then review the debrief. No download or payment card is required.
PRACTISE GROUND FREE