Definition
A computerized program used by air traffic control to assist in scheduling and sequencing IFR departures from one or more airports, calculating the order in which aircraft should be released so they fit smoothly into the en route traffic flow.
Plain English
A computer tool that helps controllers decide the order and timing for departing flights so they merge cleanly into traffic already in the air.
Context Anchor
Pilots may encounter DSP during busy departure operations, especially when air traffic control delays or meters departures to manage traffic flow.
Derivation
From 'departure' (the act of leaving) plus 'sequencing' (putting things in order). The name describes exactly what the program does — orders departures.
Why Pilots Care
It reduces ground delays and improves the predictability of departure times.
Intuition Check
DSP is not a system in the airplane and it is not a clearance by itself. It is an air traffic control program used to organize the order and spacing of departures.
Example Sentence 1
Ground control advised that our release time from the DSP was 1422Z, so we needed to be at the runway and ready to go.
Example Sentence 2
Pilots at the airport received departure clearance in the order established by the DSP.