best ways to write clearances?

M

madmax

New Member
It seems like everyone I fly with has a different way of writing clearances/atis/alt&headings.

I'm stuck w/ the standard writing habit, left to right, top to bottom, but it seems really inefficient, and I have no 'good' way of recording the last heading/alt assigned.

Any ideas?
 
Here's my shorthand for a clearance:

T5 B AF 7 -10 28.55 1234

Which is Teterboro 5 Departure, Brezy, as filed, expect 7000 in 10 minutes, departure on 128.55, sqwak 1234.

An ATIS would be:

B 030/05 10 4s 6b 01/m04 3012
 
Bug your heading, remember the altitude or if you fly with an A/P equipped aircraft go ahead and set the altitude even if you're not using it. Don't get caught up in writing all of it down. You'll get behind trying to find a place on the paper to write, you'll drop your pen, get a corrected altitude or heading and start fidgeting with your knee board or whatever and then look down to remind yourself and look at the wrong scribble.
I still write my clearances down or do some times if I'm tired but usually not since they are all the same but look like this and start with ATIS (only a letter underlined) then the standard format. As filed, climb 4,000; 10,000 in ten minutes, departure, squawk. This is just me though:
L
Af
4
10-10
123.45
1234
 
the method that I have used:

Cleared to
Route
Altitude
Frequency
Transponder

KFCM RV 3 125.0 1234


cleared to the flying cloud airport, via radar vectors, altitude is 3000, contact departure on 125.0, squawk 1234
 
Ian J said:
Here's my shorthand for a clearance:

T5 B AF 7 -10 28.55 1234

Which is Teterboro 5 Departure, Brezy, as filed, expect 7000 in 10 minutes, departure on 128.55, sqwak 1234.

An ATIS would be:

B 030/05 10 4s 6b 01/m04 3012
Click to expand...


It helps when you fly the same clearance every single day.... ;) (or at least most of the time.....)
 
i think the shorthand comes with practice, like JEP said. You do this often enough and you're not goig to be writing much because you plug everything else in what you got:

HDG - bugged
ALT - in AP (if available)
TXPNDR -
FREQ - in stby

Theres not much else they can give you except your expected alt, so when flying alone I really don't jot much down.

But for teaching purposes, I use CMEDS

Cleared to
Maintain
Expect
Departure freq
Squawk.
 
if I'm cleared as filed, I don't write anything down for route just

20/50 132.25 1243

climb 2000, expect 5000, departure, squawk
 
I used to use...I think somebody posted it above as well.
C leared to
R oute
A ltitude
F req
T ransponder

Now in the left seat I have a much simpler method. It goes something like, "Hey man, you get the clearance yet?" ;-) It's very effective and requires no writing on my part. But usually I do listen in just to make sure we have it.

Actually, come to think of it..we usually get it though acars. That would be a cool toy for a 172!
 
We use CRAFT but try to fill in as much as possible. Like flying out of IXD, it would look like:


C APA
R AF
A 3k 8k in 10
F 118.9
T ________

You will always hope for as filed. :)

You can almost always know the initial altitude (from listening to other people in similar aircraft pick up their clearances) and the frequency (by looking at a Departure Procedure chart or just an IAP).

Michael
 
madmax said:
I have no 'good' way of recording the last heading/alt assigned.
Click to expand...
How about "heading/alt"?

230/8

If you want more formality, how about taking part of your kneeboard paper and setting up two columns adding the new heading or altitude and crossing off the old as they change?

Some folks create (and some sell) detailed, convoluted, dedicated pads to record it that are good for some but serious overkill for others.

This answer assumes no heading/altitude bug and recognizes that at this point, the retention of minor heading/altitude becomes a lot easier.
 
madmax said:
It seems like everyone I fly with has a different way of writing clearances/atis/alt&headings.

I'm stuck w/ the standard writing habit, left to right, top to bottom, but it seems really inefficient, and I have no 'good' way of recording the last heading/alt assigned.

Any ideas?
Click to expand...

I used "CRAFT" until I started flying at a regional, and then I pretty much do exactly what Ian J does, but with much better penmanship.

Just keep practicing, it gets easier. Plus, it really helps if you know what to expect before you call Clearance Delivery.
 
I use CRAFT as well...

My clipboard ends up looking like this for departure...

ATIS
xx-xx
M7
AF
3x810
119.1
1234

First line is my ATIS identification, second line are my out and off times. The rest is my clearance...Memphis 7, as filed, etc...

Only other time I add anything to this is if I have filed something other than direct and need to remember my routing when given "as filed".
 
Thanks for all the input guys! I'm wrapping up my com/ir multi add-on, so I plan on trying out a few of these methods on the next couple of flights.
 
For clearance I just use the cockpit.
Bug the heading, throw the first fix in the GPS, initial in the altitude alerter, final in the pressurization, freq in the #2, and the sqawk in the xpdr. In the Props I'd do the same except used the ADF/VORs for the altitudes.
Unless its a full route clearance, which at the point I get angry because that's alot of work.
 
I have a paper someone gave me once, I have since just made copies of. It has a great flow. First box is dep. info, then your ifr clearance which is fill in the blank in the same format givin by atc. the last box is arrival info, and also a place for notes.
I cannot make the attachments button work, so if anyone is interested in viewing it, pm me and I will get a scan to you!
 
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