IFR departure clearances from non-towered airports

5 Answers

1. 
   

   
   

   Pete Vincent on May 04, 2013

   1) If you can’t reach ATC from the ground on any of the freqs listed on the approach plate, and you are unable to takeoff under VFR, then you should do what you did and call the number. If they give you a better number to call, politely hang up and call that one. You can save the second number for the next time you visit this airport

   2) There may be an ODP listed for the airport you’re departing from, especially in a non-radar environment. The Touble-T on the approach plate will queue you in to this. The Instrument Flying Handbook recommends that If you’re clearance does not specify a SID or radar vectors, and you have an ODP available to you, that you fly the ODP without a clearance. ATC accepts responsibility for obstacle clearance if they give you radar vectors or a SID. It would be very wise to always fly the ODP procedure when operating under FAR 91 or you basically have no protection unless assigned an alternate departure clearance or radar vectors.

   3) I can think of a time when I departed VFR at night from Page, AZ to reach the radar coverage area of Denver Approach. The ODP required that I proceed to the VOR, enter a hold, and climb up to 8000 in the hold. I was able to reach Denver only after I reached my altitude. They were cool about it. In some cases, you can specify a fix on your flight plan from which you will attempt to pick up your clearance. As long as you’ve filed it ahead of time, it should be easy for them to do.

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2. 
   

   
   

   Pete Vincent on May 04, 2013

   1) If you can’t reach ATC from the ground on any of the freqs listed on the approach plate, and you are unable to takeoff under VFR, then you should do what you did and call the number. If they give you a better number to call, politely hang up and call that one. You can save the second number for the next time you visit this airport

   2) There may be an ODP listed for the airport you’re departing from, especially in a non-radar environment. The Touble-T on the approach plate will queue you in to this. The Instrument Flying Handbook recommends that If you’re clearance does not specify a SID or radar vectors, and you have an ODP available to you, that you fly the ODP without a clearance. ATC accepts responsibility for obstacle clearance if they give you radar vectors or a SID. It would be very wise to always fly the ODP procedure when operating under FAR 91 or you basically have no protection unless assigned an alternate departure clearance or radar vectors.

   3) I can think of a time when I departed VFR at night from Page, AZ to reach the radar coverage area of Denver Approach. The ODP required that I proceed to the VOR, enter a hold, and climb up to 8000 in the hold. I was able to reach Denver only after I reached my altitude. They were cool about it. In some cases, you can specify a fix on your flight plan from which you will attempt to pick up your clearance. As long as you’ve filed it ahead of time, it should be easy for them to do…

   Hope this helps

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3. 
   

   
   

   John D. Collins on May 04, 2013

   1) If you can get clearance delivery on the airport, it will show up both in the AFD and on approach charts. An example is KUZA, Rock Hill, SC, my home drome, clearance delivery is 126.85. If you see an RCO frequency listed at the airport, it can be used to contact FSS or approach control. Often there are direct phone lines to ATC that are known to the FBO, and you can get a clearance directly by calling the number. Other times you can reach the nearest FSS by using an on field VOR. The 888 phone number will also work. Recently, the FAA has considered putting phone numbers in the AFD or publishing them in some form so that pilots at remote airports can get their clearances directly. This hasn’t yet happened, but the FAA supports the concept.

   2) Regarding departure clearances, the following is quoted from the controller guidance:

   1. Specify direction of takeoff/turn or initial heading/azimuth to be flown after takeoff as follows:
   (a) Locations with Airport Traffic Control Service− Specify these items as necessary.
   (b) Locations without Airport Traffic Control Service, but within a Class E surface area− specify these items if necessary. Obtain/solicit the pilot’s concurrence concerning these items before issuing them in a clearance.
   (c) At all other airports− Do not specify direction of takeoff/turn after takeoff. If necessary to
   specify an initial heading/azimuth to be flown after takeoff, issue the initial heading/azimuth so as to apply only within controlled airspace.

   Here is the recommended phraseology to be used by controllers:

   DEPART (direction or runway).

   TURN LEFT/RIGHT.

   WHEN ENTERING CONTROLLED AIRSPACE (instruction), FLY HEADING (degrees) UNTIL
   REACHING (altitude, point, or fix) BEFORE PROCEEDING ON COURSE.

   FLY A (degree) BEARING/AZIMUTH FROM/TO (fix) UNTIL (time), or UNTIL REACHING (fix or altitude), and if required, BEFORE PROCEEDING ON COURSE.
   EXAMPLE−
   “Verify right turn after departure will allow compliance with local traffic pattern,”or “Verify this clearance will allow compliance with terrain or obstruction avoidance.

   3) Departing VFR can be an efficient way of obtaining your clearance, but ATC is not required to give you your clearance once you are airborne. So, never depart VFR unless you can be absolutely sure that you will remain VFR prior to obtaining your clearance and that if you are unable to obtain a clearance you can either continue your flight VFR or can deviate to a VFR airport. There are several fatal accidents of some very experienced pilots who violated this advice.

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4. 
   

   
   

   Mark Kolber on May 04, 2013

   >>During this trip, I got all my clearances by calling the 888-766-8267 IFR clearance number. At one airport (MQI), they directed me to contact Washington Center on a certain frequency instead. Is there something in the AF/D that would clue me in to this preference?

   Often, no.

   As you probably know if you researched it a bit, there is no Clearance Delivery or RCO frequency listed for KMQI in the AFD or on the approach charts and nothing on either to advise you to call Center from the ground for an IFR clearance.

   There is a small clue but you have to look pretty deep to find it, deeper that you can be expected to. Buried in the Supplementalmaterial in the back of the AFD is a section called “AIR ROUTE TRAFFIC CONTROL CENTERS.” It lists the location of various Center transmitter sites. If you check it out in the AFD for that part of the country (http://aeronav.faa.gov/pdfs/se_rear_02MAY2013.pdf), you’ll see that one of Washington Center’s Remote Communications Air/Ground facilities (RCAG) is located at Manteo. Among other things that means Center will be easily reachable from the ground.

   But, as I said, you can’t really be expected to check on this.

   Lest you think I am way too geeky, I happened upon this the same way you did, some years ago departing IFR from Liberal, Kansas. Like you, I called Flight Service for my clearance and, like you, they told me to call Kansas City Center on the radio. Like you, I was curious and went i search of an answer.

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5. 
   

   
   

   Mark Kolber on May 04, 2013

   >>When VFR conditions existed, I heard other aircraft picking up their IFR clearances in flight after departing. Seems pretty convenient and a time saver compared to the chore that picking up the clearance over the phone can be. Any downsides or gotchas to be aware of?

   The issue John points out is workload. If it’s busy it can even apply to a clearance on the ground, the “hold for IFR release.”

   If it’s good VFR all around, it’s not going to be much of a problem, except in busy airspace, so there’s your “gotcha.” But when Center provides Approach/Departure services to an airport, it’s generally less busy airspace, so it’s generally not going to be much of a problem.

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