A question for pilots and ATC out there:
Is it legal for ATC to deny an IFR clearance because the aircraft is not equipped for the locally publised departure procedure? This is not a SID, but rather an "Obstacle DP" on my jepp chart, published on the airport info page.
Why I ask: Today I booked some time with a local CFII to shoot some approaches and do an instrument competancy check as I am not current. WX was so/so in the area, 08 OVC so we did need to depart IFR. The controller issuing our clearance (the local approach control has a ground station at our airport for obtaining local IFR clearances) was pretty busy handling traffic at ours and surrounding airports.
We waited for about 15 minutes in the runup area before we could get his attention, and during the call-up told him that our airplane not have an ADF, required for the departure procedure at our airport. He was obviously busy and/or didn't get what we were saying -- he thought we didn't have the published DP and proceeded to read it to us. When we called back & said we had the DP, but could not fly it because of no ADF, he had us wait another 10 minutes, before finally telling us that without the ADF there was little chance of obtaining a clearance at all.
I can understand how busy this guy was, but feel a bit like he kept us on the ground because of our intentions (multiple approaches at local airports), meaning more workload for him. He was already handling ~2 other aircraft in the area doing just that, but was readily accomodating people who wanted clearance to VFR on top, or just to on top to cancel... I have a feeling if we were getting out of his hair he'd have found a clearance for us. The CFII mentioned that he frequently obtains this sort of clearance in aircraft without an ADF and receives a simple vector on departure to a fix (which is basically what the departure procedure says, but to track an NDB bearing).
SO my question is -- is what this controller was doing legit? I can fully understand and respect his workload and we kept our mouth shut for quite a while waiting for him. Further, I am wondering if what he was telling us was legal... there is no requirement to have an ADF for IFR last time I checked. This sucked too, as we had to scrub the ICC as there was someone who had the airplane after us. We put .5 on the hobbs and never left the ground! Thankfully the rental outfit was cool about it and did not charge me, but I feel bad that my & the CFII's time were wasted.
Edit: I meant SID instead of STAR
Is it legal for ATC to deny an IFR clearance because the aircraft is not equipped for the locally publised departure procedure? This is not a SID, but rather an "Obstacle DP" on my jepp chart, published on the airport info page.
Why I ask: Today I booked some time with a local CFII to shoot some approaches and do an instrument competancy check as I am not current. WX was so/so in the area, 08 OVC so we did need to depart IFR. The controller issuing our clearance (the local approach control has a ground station at our airport for obtaining local IFR clearances) was pretty busy handling traffic at ours and surrounding airports.
We waited for about 15 minutes in the runup area before we could get his attention, and during the call-up told him that our airplane not have an ADF, required for the departure procedure at our airport. He was obviously busy and/or didn't get what we were saying -- he thought we didn't have the published DP and proceeded to read it to us. When we called back & said we had the DP, but could not fly it because of no ADF, he had us wait another 10 minutes, before finally telling us that without the ADF there was little chance of obtaining a clearance at all.
I can understand how busy this guy was, but feel a bit like he kept us on the ground because of our intentions (multiple approaches at local airports), meaning more workload for him. He was already handling ~2 other aircraft in the area doing just that, but was readily accomodating people who wanted clearance to VFR on top, or just to on top to cancel... I have a feeling if we were getting out of his hair he'd have found a clearance for us. The CFII mentioned that he frequently obtains this sort of clearance in aircraft without an ADF and receives a simple vector on departure to a fix (which is basically what the departure procedure says, but to track an NDB bearing).
SO my question is -- is what this controller was doing legit? I can fully understand and respect his workload and we kept our mouth shut for quite a while waiting for him. Further, I am wondering if what he was telling us was legal... there is no requirement to have an ADF for IFR last time I checked. This sucked too, as we had to scrub the ICC as there was someone who had the airplane after us. We put .5 on the hobbs and never left the ground! Thankfully the rental outfit was cool about it and did not charge me, but I feel bad that my & the CFII's time were wasted.
Edit: I meant SID instead of STAR
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