"Expedite the climb"
 

All -

Lately I have been hearing requests from ATC to "expedite your climb through 11,000 for traffic on the airway" in my local operating area soon after takeoff.

My question is - are they (ATC) looking for some specific climb rate (ft/min), and if so, how are they calculating that? What criteria are they using as the basis for this request; meaning how far away is that traffic on the airway that they are concerned about?

Please share what you do when asked to "expedite your climb".

USMCFLYR

I don't know the answer from the ATC side but you can usually get a min rate desired from them if you ask...

In this case, expediting through 11,000, I think that means don't level off to accelerate at 10,000. Keep climbing at 250 through 11K, then lower the nose to accelerate if you want to.

Burners.

Then pitch to maintain airspeed.

USMC:

Your situation is unique. You are flying a fighter and as such you can climb vertically and routinely you fly above 250 knots below 10,000 feet. However, I doubt ATC is requiring you to use burners or to go vertcial. Nor do I think they can require this of you. Just query them and ask them what they need. Just curious, is this military ATC or is it FAA ATC?

With that being said, if you were in another aircraft, we would simply give them the best climb rate through 11,000 feet. For most aircraft, this would mean not reducing your climb at 10,000 to accelerate. For the heavies, you would just hold minimum maneuver speed or 250 knots, whichever is greater, through 11,000 feet.

why dont you check if there is a dropzone on the dep route?

Hacker -

I would expect that answer from a F-15E pilot :D
That is not the answer for a A-D Hornet pilot unless I am turning to downwind for landing. :o

USMCFLYR

KC -

Correct - -which leads to part of my question.
Often we are treated like airliners in the climb and descent planning and we often work with ATC for our fuel planning benefit and still in keeping with ATC requirements. In this case - we are already climbing at more than 6,000/fpm and usually passing 3,000-5,000 ft on departure so we seem to busting some bubble around some aircraft on an airway somewhere (also I'll mention that we see nothing on the radar anywhere near us which is why I ask about the dimensions of that safe zone)
It is both Military ATC (Lemoore Departure) and Civilian ATC (Oakland Center). Finally....one other wrinkle - we are held at 15,000 ft for a little bit until we get out from under the overhead MOA so they want me to expedite my climb above 11,000 (as said - already doing a pretty good clip) and then level off at 15,000 and try to do it somewhat smooth for those porr wingman (students) trying to hang on :)

I think I may stop by our departure facility and ask the question. Thanks for the answers and the discussion.

OBTW - from our SOP climbout profile - I would actually have to push over more and gain more airspeed to actually meet our best climb performance; but it is standard practice to accel at 10,000' to a better (more fuel efficient) climb profile.

Rickt86 - I don't think a dropzone is a factor. From the call - I get that it is traffic on one of many airways running through and around the central valley. PLENTY of crop dusters - but thank goodness they operate below 200' it seems.

USMCFLYR

There is no set standard, other than faster than what you are doing now.

If they want a specific VS or better, they will specify that.

They will expect more from a more capable airplane.

I don't think they know what I'm doing at the time they ask - but that will be a question I ask. I can see that if that airway was 15 miles awat for instance and they *think* I am climbing at such and such rate then they ask me to expedite.

I have found in the past that they don't know the capabilities of the aircraft - either in climbs or descents.

Good points though - next time I very well may ask what they need.

USMCFLYR