Picking up clearance

[turboprophead]

How do you guys handle taking off and landing from uncontrolled airports where you cant pick up FSS on the ground to get your clearance? Are you picking up in the air, canceling early? Is it an OpSpec thing or a Operations Manual thing that will allow you to cancel early or pick up in the air? Thanks for the help.

 

[greygoose]

How do you guys handle taking off and landing from uncontrolled airports where you cant pick up FSS on the ground to get your clearance? Are you picking up in the air, canceling early? Is it an OpSpec thing or a Operations Manual thing that will allow you to cancel early or pick up in the air? Thanks for the help.

Call FSS or the local controlling agency on the phone and get a release

 

[gto2002]

Cancel in the air so you do not for get. Pick it up in the air when there is no crazy airapace around when possible. Since I am out of my flt service area I never get the right station with the cell although there is usually a pay phone to call with. Ofcourse it all depends on wx. My company allows us to get it in the air within 50 mi of the airport and cancelling is our own call.

 

[Windsor]

You can:
1. Ask the FBO for a local number to call for your clearance.
2. Try the old fashioned way of calling FSS over the radio/vor (if one is available).
3. Try calling the last freq. you were talking with ATC on your way in.
4. Use your cell phone and ask FSS to connect you to the local FSS.
5. Take off and get it in the air. (Not recommended)
6. Get your clearance on the way in with a hold for release if you know its going to be a quick turn
7. Call FSS from a landline before you go out to the plane and get a hold for release or an actual clearance if they'll give it to you.

I'm sure there are others, I just cant think of them right now.

 

[Metro752]

You can:
1. Ask the FBO for a local number to call for your clearance.
2. Try the old fashioned way of calling FSS over the radio/vor (if one is available).
3. Try calling the last freq. you were talking with ATC on your way in.
4. Use your cell phone and ask FSS to connect you to the local FSS.
5. Take off and get it in the air. (Not recommended)
6. Get your clearance on the way in with a hold for release if you know its going to be a quick turn
7. Call FSS from a landline before you go out to the plane and get a hold for release or an actual clearance if they'll give it to you.

I'm sure there are others, I just cant think of them right now.

I tried #3 first today, then #4, then #2.

Shoulda done #2 first. Voice quality was perfect. Also seems they like you to be done with the run up first if you are gonna catch them on the radio. Had the first engine running, the second one didn't wanna go. But it did!

 

[Windsor]

I tried #3 first today, then #4, then #2.

Shoulda done #2 first. Voice quality was perfect. Also seems they like you to be done with the run up first if you are gonna catch them on the radio. Had the first engine running, the second one didn't wanna go. But it did!

They usually want you to be ready to roll as soon as they give you the clearance. Sometimes they get pissy if you need a few min to get ready. A lot of times they'll just say call them back when you are #1 ready to go. It all depends on their mood and workload.

 

[Buckeye]

Our Flight Releases have all of the local FSS numbers, we generally call on the ground with the company cell phone. Sometimes late night or early in the morning center will give us an expected clearance route and a squawk to come up on when we takeoff. IFR we call. Our company we have to pick it up with in 50nm, and can cancel IFR within 10nm of the field.

 

[Nolife]

They usually want you to be ready to roll as soon as they give you the clearance. Sometimes they get pissy if you need a few min to get ready. A lot of times they'll just say call them back when you are #1 ready to go. It all depends on their mood and workload.

Depends on the airport. Small podunk airport in the middle of the night, I've had center give me 30 minutes to be airborne.

Also you can print a list of FSS 877 numbers from the FAA.gov site so you can call the proper FSS directly. Things go much faster.

Ours Ops Spec says no airborne pick-ups or cancellations Part 135. Cell phone helps tremendously.

 

[climbhappy]

nothing wrong with #5

picking up in the air was the only way we could make up time flying commuters, of course if it's clear. ops specs determine it, so why not.

if you're in underlying class b, or near moutainous, well not the best choice.
too many CFITs from not maintaining vfr. or the min Vec Alt.

but #5 is okay , doesn't mean you're unsafe.

 

[climbhappy]

the easiest is to ask the same guy for the outbound, when you call airport

it was always automatic, and you got a squawk, and a heading or altitude.

 

[LJPilot]

Our ops specs allow us to take off vfr, as long as we pick up our IFR clearance within 50 miles. It also depends on your equipment. Take off in jet showing up at 250 knots on their radar in a busy environment, and they will tell you to maintain VFR. 99 percent of the time you are fine, but its that one time that will get you violated. Also, if you are taking off from podunk, usa, and if there is a lot of traffic, they cant give you your clearance until you are in radar contact. If the ceiling is 2000 feet, and radar coverage begins at 5000 feet you are hosed.

 

[ultrarunner]

How do you guys handle taking off and landing from uncontrolled airports where you cant pick up FSS on the ground to get your clearance? Are you picking up in the air, canceling early? Is it an OpSpec thing or a Operations Manual thing that will allow you to cancel early or pick up in the air? Thanks for the help.

Turbo, ops specs will tell you what you can do. I rarely cancelled before landing. When you're flying into these POS $hit hole uncontrolled fields, the last think you need is for NO ONE to come looking for you after you have hit Billy Bob's airport truck that he left on the runway.

Land, shut down, and call in. ATC can always give you a local # when you're in bound. And typically you can use the same # for a void time for departure.

Do both of those things and you'll live longer.

 

[turboprophead]

thanks for the help...lj and ultra, can you reference what is the specific opspec that references this, i cant seem to find it in ours

 

[ultrarunner]

thanks for the help...lj and ultra, can you reference what is the specific opspec that references this, i cant seem to find it in ours

Turbo, it's been a while since I have looked in an FOM as I don't currently fly charter, so I can't quote the specific reference. However, as I recall the rules under which an operator (props only) can 'depart IFR' and pick up the clearance, and 'cancel IFR are contained in the Ops Manual portion of the specs under IFR Operations.

Someone more up to speed on 135 I'm sure can quote you the specific reg. But keep in mind that it can be 'Operator Specific' regardless of the regulation.

Ultra

 

[Nolife]

Also, if you are taking off from podunk, usa, and if there is a lot of traffic, they cant give you your clearance until you are in radar contact. If the ceiling is 2000 feet, and radar coverage begins at 5000 feet you are hosed.

Not so. They can give you a clearance and hold the airspace for you by not allowing other IFR traffic in or out. As far as VFR traffic you're own your own.

What you may be thinking about in this instance is terrain clearance. If you can't maintain your own terrain clearance center woun't give you an IFR clearance. They will tell you to remain VFR and advise intentions, in which case your post is correct.

 

[Windsor]

picking up in the air was the only way we could make up time flying commuters, of course if it's clear. ops specs determine it, so why not.

if you're in underlying class b, or near moutainous, well not the best choice.
too many CFITs from not maintaining vfr. or the min Vec Alt.

but #5 is okay , doesn't mean you're unsafe.

Personally, I wont grab my clearance in the air anymore. At my company we are allowed to depart and grab the clearance within 50nm. In a jet, 50nm comes pretty quick. I've been burned by our dispatch several times in the past when they didnt have a flight plan in the system for us. Its no fun to get airborne only to call up ATC and have them tell you they dont have anything in the system and they are too busy to file a plan for you.

 

[Seadogrun]

If the Bahama's(caribbean) are on your b50 it is impossible to get a clearance on the ground by any means unless you are in Nassau or Freeport. What do you all do then?

 

[ultrarunner]

If the Bahama's(caribbean) are on your b50 it is impossible to get a clearance on the ground by any means unless you are in Nassau or Freeport. What do you all do then?

Phone call to Miami center.

 

[climbhappy]

windsor:

didn't you have a release with you? are you part 121 or 135?

when you said our dispatch, i know 121 requires dispatch, but 135 is self dispatch. sure , there may be a company person acting like one, but it is a psuedo dispatch and not the one requiring you have a relase in your hand
with: flight plan ,min fuel, weather for destination, alternate and payload,

 

[Blueliner]

If I am in unfamiliar territory I ask the last controller if he is cool with an airborne pickup on the way in. I also ask if he has an outbound clearance in front of him. If the controller doesnt seem excited about the idea I go through the best alternate freq/number.
I departed a small field near PHL for an airborne pickup without asking one time. Legal, but the guy was pissed and it took him some time to "find" my clearance.