Depart at your own risk?

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Why do helicopters always get a takeoff clearance of "depart at your own risk"?

I've heard the same if an airplane asks for anything out of the ordinary (using grass/taxiway/etc).

I mean aren't we always taking off at our own risk?

What risk is ATC supposedly absorbing otherwise? Can they warp time and space and take my place in a crash?

LOL, ok seriously though, what's the point/purpose of the extra verbiage?
 
I've always wondered that, too. I was a Felts the other day and a guy asked to land a Cessna on the grass runway. ATC came back asking if he was familiar. He says no. ATC proceeds to describe what grass to land on and says "land at your own risk". I wanted to make sure I was at my tiedown before that guy came in.
 
I would wager to guess, that said operator has probably already been warned of a condition making said operation un-advisable.So if one continues to insist on performing said operation, they have a duty to inform you that you are accepting responsibility for it if you choose to perform it against their advice.
 
Normal at the field here, I think it is because they are not departing an actual runway, and the tower can't see the non-movement area (that they don't control)
 
I would wager to guess, that said operator has probably already been warned of a condition making said operation un-advisable.So if one continues to insist on performing said operation, they have a duty to inform you that you are accepting responsibility for it if you choose to perform it against their advice.

Don't think so - it is pretty common phraseology
 
The med flights in and out of Albany Med get that from the approach controller all the time. My guess is because they can't see and don't have radar coverage that low?
 
We had that a lot at my old field. Basically when tower couldn't see the departure or landing point, they would always issue the "at your own risk" clearance. I think it's just because they had no idea what was going on in those areas, and wouldn't be able to control anything in them.
 
That is required phraseology when 1). Arrival/departure area is not in sight or 2). Pilot insists and persists to depart or arrive on a closed runway.

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7110: Helicopter Operations said:
3-11-2. HELICOPTER TAKEOFF CLEARANCE
a. Issue takeoff clearances from movement areas other than active runways or in diverse directions from active runways, with additional instructions as necessary. Whenever possible, issue takeoff clearance in lieu of extended hover-taxi or air-taxi operations.
PHRASEOLOGY-
(Present position, taxiway, helipad, numbers) MAKE RIGHT/LEFT TURN FOR (direction, points of compass, heading, NAVAID radial) DEPARTURE/DEPARTURE ROUTE (number, name, or code), AVOID (aircraft/vehicles/personnel),

or

REMAIN (direction) OF (active runways, parking areas, passenger terminals, etc.).

CAUTION (power lines, unlighted obstructions, trees, wake turbulence, etc.).

CLEARED FOR TAKEOFF.
b. If takeoff is requested from non-movement areas, an area not authorized for helicopter use, or an area off the airport, and, in your judgment, the operation appears to be reasonable, use the following phraseology instead of the takeoff clearance in subpara a.
PHRASEOLOGY-
DEPARTURE FROM (requested location) WILL BE AT YOUR OWN RISK (additional instructions, as necessary). USE CAUTION (if applicable).
 
Depart the pond at your own risk. (when it's notam'd closed because there are still ice chunks on it)

Landing Auke Lake will be at your own risk, report landing assured. (Auke lake is within the class D but very much not in sight of tower and there are a few floatplanes that use it)
 
That is required phraseology when 1). Arrival/departure area is not in sight or 2). Pilot insists and persists to depart or arrive on a closed runway.

It is now also required for helicopter departure/landing from any non movement area on the airport even if it is in sight. This changed a little over a year ago. It used to be:

Area not in sight/off airport:
"Departure will be at your own risk"

Area in sight on the airport:
"Proceed as requested, use caution"

Now it's "departure will be at your own risk" for all of it. Helicopters still get standard takeoff clearances when departing a movement area such as a taxiway or runway.

The reason we do this is because the good book says so. ATC clearances place a liability on the FAA for pilot safety, and we have no way to reasonably ensure that a takeoff or landing clearance is safe from an area that's not an approved surface.
 
It has more to do with the TERPS of the arrival and departure corridor and surface landing to than anything else. ATC will issue this takeoff/landing clearance anytime you're not operating from an approved landing surface (i.e. Runway, Helipad, etc). For example, a helipad is not visable from the tower but it is an approved/marked helipad, you'll receive the standard "cleared for takeoff", etc.

Leave from the "tarmac" (sorry, queeno, I had to), taxiway, sod area, or out of sight of tower, you'll get the "At your own risk" clearance.
 
We'll also receive that if departing from an area that's not on the airport, but is within the Class D airspace, such as a hospital helipad.
 
I was a Felts the other day...


That's what got me thinking about it, I spent most of Friday sitting at Felts waiting for avionics work and the Medstar chopper(s) [not sure how many they have] were flying a bunch, as was Sheriff One, and I've heard it when they land on hospitals and aprons at GEG and other airports.

I figured it was a required phraseology thing, just wasn't sure of the purpose... but the "area not in sight" explanation makes sense I guess. Hard to clear an area you cannot see I guess.
 
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