Cleared To Airport or VOR?????

[Stifler's Mom]

Let's say you have a Destination Airport and a VOR that both share the same name.

If you as ATC say "Cleared to Baton Rouge", are you meaning the VOR or the Airport? In this example, the VOR is not located on the airport.

This question may be splitting hairs, but I've always wondered about this.

 

[SSDD]

There is no cut and dry answer. So when in doubt ask. Sometimes it is more obvious than others. For example, a while back ATC would clear us direct Omaha. The airport is KOMA, but the vor is OVR. Since OVR was not in our flightplan I would go direct to the airport. Never had anyone question it, but like I said, when in doubt, ask.

 

[Stifler's Mom]

I've had some say cleared to your destination which makes it easier.

I'm just having a slow day on FI today and thought I'd try and be constructive for once.

 

[matthewjohn]

I believe SSDD is correct in that if the VOR is in your flight plan that is what is expected.

 

[kf4amu]

I would always navigate to the navaid. If lost comms/navs, you cant really navigate to an airport in IMC, unless the navaid is on the field.

 

[CA1900]

I would always navigate to the navaid. If lost comms/navs, you cant really navigate to an airport in IMC, unless the navaid is on the field.

If you lose navs, you can't navigate to anything in IMC.

 

[Singlecoil]

If you lose navs, you can't navigate to anything in IMC.

Now that is worth...

Wait for it... a LOL!

Is your equipment suffix reflecting the installation of an RNAV or GPS? If so, then you can navigate to the airport.

 

[Bandit60]

I believe SSDD is correct in that if the VOR is in your flight plan that is what is expected.

I had the exact thing happen to me last week. We were cleared direct to xyz. I had in my flight plan the vor which is the same name as the airport. I probably wouldnt think much of it expect the vor was not on the field. I just asked atc if they meant the VOR or the airport. It turned out it was the airport and not the VOR

 

[kf4amu]

If you lose navs, you can't navigate to anything in IMC.

Touche...

When I wrote that I was considering that GPS will give you navigation to an airport when VOR only does that (sans RNAV) if its on the field. Lost GPS, navaid isnt on the field...

 

[kf4amu]

I had the exact thing happen to me last week. We were cleared direct to xyz. I had in my flight plan the vor which is the same name as the airport. I probably wouldnt think much of it expect the vor was not on the field. I just asked atc if they meant the VOR or the airport. It turned out it was the airport and not the VOR

Were you on an IFR flight plan?

Don Brown has an excellent set of articles on Avweb about the shortcuts pilots and controllers take that are not inline with the AIM or FARs. He wrote extensively about why navigating to an airport is not how the system is set up, but controllers accomodate it because its easy to put up with it (take that shortcut) than it is to force pilots to operate the way the system was designed.