Question on Clearance Delivery.

[brucek]

I'm wondering how the Clearance Delivery process works with airlines at major airports. I have never heard airline pilots requesting a clearance over the CD frequency. How does this work? Is it done by the airline's operations, then somehow communicated to the pilot? I'm assuming that some airlines (maybe the majors) fly the same route many times a day, but I also assume that an ATC clearance would be essential.

Thanks,

Bruce.

 

[deceptibum]

most of the bigger airlines (regionals included) can get their clearance from the ACARS. It prints out the flight #, route, transponder code and filed altitude. However, i have heard many times in o'hare airliners requesting clearance over the radio.

 

[tarp]

Just to embelish the prior post....

The airlines have something called PDC or Pre-Departure Clearance. You will often hear something like "Bigguy 123, PDC, Squawking 2032 with Echo" on the Clearance Delivery Frequency. It's usually affirmed by the Clearance controller. That's it! Clearance received.

The information is transmitted using the ACARS/AFIS program on the FMS box of the airliner. Basically it is computer to computer data transmission. The crew still sees all the normal "clearance" information but this significantly reduces radio traffic at busier airports.

 

[guitarflyer]

On the other hand, for those of us not as "well equiped"....
we just get our clearance on CD like everybody else. It does get humerous to hear the CD controller repeating our company call sign over & over, although sometimes tough to get your own request in.

 

[dsee8driver]

Old fashion way

At our airline we fly Dinosaur8's without ACARS. We still call CD and get it the old fashion way.

 

[LR25]

Oh yea, its a wild time during a push up in CLT when you got all the express and mainline guys calling for a clearance.

 

[brucek]

Thanks all for the information.

Thanks.