Originally Posted by R L Royle

Wonderful, thank you everyone for all your help, knowledge, links and re-quotes. I have attached what I believe to be a finished paragraph and your advice has also enabled me to change phrases prior to this too. Thanks again and all the best, Becky. xxx PS: I've left in the talk amid the sterile cockpit rule as there's a couple of things that the crew does on this flight that is not 100% exactly by the book, adding flames for the inquest that follows the emergency landing that ends the chapter.

‘Positive rate,’ Michael said.
‘Gear up,’ Robert responded.
Michael raised the landing gear handle, repeating, ‘gear up.’
‘Flaps up.’
‘Flaps up,’ Michael nodded, moving the flap lever.
"Slats retract, after takeoff checklist."
" Slats retract."
‘Never get tired of that sound,’ Robert smiled in a lighter tone, referring to the power behind the DC-10 at takeoff.
‘Cali Two Zero Seven,’ Tower acknowledged, ‘Airbourne time: seventeen hundred zero nine. Contact London Control on one one nine decimal seven seven. Have a great flight, goodbye.’
‘Switching to London Control, one one nine decimal seven seven. Thank you. Bye bye, now.’
Michael switched frequency, enabling Robert to speak to their third ground-based communication team.
‘Control, good evening,’ Robert said warmly, ‘Cali Two Zero Seven, climbing through eight hundred to six thousand, on the WOBUN Three Foxtrot departure.’
Another voice greeted the cockpit via the radio: ‘Cali Two Zero Seven, Departure, good evening. Cross one four DME from London at six thousand.’
‘Roger, Cali Two Zero Seven, cross the London one four DME fix at six thousand.’