Hold read back?

[Bidimus]

I was listening to archives and came across one I hadn't heard before. The pilot picked up their IFR and was given the usual CRAFT information but at the end of the transmission the controller added "hold read back". The pilot read back anyway which obviously wasn't what the controller wanted. I got to thinking, I'm not sure how I would have responded to that myself. I likely would have done the same thing in a panic of not knowing what to do.

What is the controller expecting here? It seems to me that some sort of response is necessary. Should the pilot had remained silent? Was he going to come back shortly and ask for the read back after making a few other calls? Or is there some other abbreviated form of read back the controller was looking for?

[Peter Grey]

This means that the controller wants the pilot to not read anything back. This will be followed by the controller asking for a readback after a short period of time.

This is normally used when it is busy on the frequency and the controller only has time to issue the clearance and not enough time to also get the readback. It's pretty rare as it needs to be quite busy for this situation to happen.

[Pieces]

Just say nothing, and wait for the controller to get back to you.

[Vincent Meier]

I too heard that for the first time recently which brings me to another point.
When the controller is asking you to stand-by. This is another instance where the pilot is to say nothing until the controller contacts you again.
So many times I have heard the pilot say "standing by" - when he or she does not need to say anything.
Just thought I would bring this up as a similar point.

[RyanK]

So many time I have heard the pilot say "standing by" - when he or she does not need to say anything.
Just thought I would bring this up as a similar point.

"Disregarding" is my favorite unnecessary readback.

[Keith Smith]

"hold the read back" is often followed by another call from the controller for another pilot, so the situation becomes self-explanatory. Wait for the controller to tell you when to start the read back, usually said as, "go ahead with your read back."

What can be confusing is if you hear "hold the readback" and then complete silence for the next 20 seconds. That would be because the controller is coordinating something with another controller that is of a higher priority than the exchange that he was having with you, and he doesn't want you to waste your breath. If you're curious why you don't hear it in other phases of flight, it's because most pilot responses are very short. The IFR clearance read back has the potential to be one of the longest exchanges that takes place on the radio.

Try not to panic if you encounter something new, just apply common sense. When you hear, "hold the read back," what options immediately come to mind? Probably 1) say nothing at all, or 2) give an abbreviated read back. Which is the more likely of the two? I'd argue it's #1 (again, this is if you encounter it in the wild for the very first time). FWIW, if ATC wants a shortened read back, they might say, "read back the squawk only unless you have questions."

And lastly, as you know, real world flight training takes place with an instructor present, so these things are explained to you on the fly as they are encountered (if they're not briefed ahead of time). For those who are self-studying and flying on PE without going through real world flight training, don't be discouraged if you run into 'firsts' like this. Just do the best you can. The good news is, we'll have Remote Coaching before you know it and you'll have someone to help you out with all of this if you want

[Keith Smith]

Edit: moved to Pilots forum, since this isn't specific to the Pilot Training Program.

RyanK, I'd argue that "Disregarding" is valid readback. "Roger" or "Wilco" would be reasonable, however complete silence is not a good idea. Here's an example:
"Cessna 3AB, climb and maintain 4000."
"leaving 3000 for 4000, Cessna 3AB."
"Cessna 3AB, disregard."
*silence*

How does the controller know that you received the instruction to disregard the last message?

"Standing by," however, can absolutely be tossed in the trash, along with "with you," "checkin' in," and "fish finder."

[RyanK]

Good point Keith. I was thinking more of "cessna 123AB...never mind, disregard." Absolutely if you're being told to disregard previous instructions you should acknowledge.

[Keith Smith]

RyanK, actually you're spot on with those. If they cancel before saying anything reasonable, I'm totally with you, silence is golden. I think most pilots do it as a gentle ribbing at the controller, at least the cases I've heard (normally airline pilots).

[Bidimus]

Thanks, that makes sense. It hurts my brain to not acknowledge, especially on the radio, but I get why it is the way it is. I think the pilot in the call I heard was caught off guard and thought he misheard the statement. He ended up giving the full read back and got corrected by the controller.

You should hear me finish a phone call. At least three exchanges of "bye" or "later" aren't uncommon for me. lol

I'm finding that so much of understanding the calls is rooted in knowing what could be said. Between fast talking and poor audio quality (which is less of an issue on PE), knowing what to expect is the biggest asset I've found.