"Have you contacted Clearance Delivery?"

A

ajf005

Well-Known Member
\"Have you contacted Clearance Delivery?\"

I made a trip up to Little Rock, AR this afternoon and on the way back I called up ground to get clearance to taxi for a VFR flight and they wanted me to confirm I had contacted clearance delivery. I told them I hadnt so I contacted clearance, they gave me a squawk code then told me to contact ground. Ive been to many towered airports and none have ever made me contact clearance, anyone know why they did this? Also, once we were in the air we asked for flight following and the controller said we should ask for it on the ground in the future. The only other time I have done this was in Mobile when the ATIS said to request it on the ground.
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Re: \"Have you contacted Clearance Delivery?\"

Well...I'm guessing that Little Rock is a Class C airport, that explains why they wanted you to contact clearance delivery before contacting ground control.

When you contact clearance you usually tell them the direction your heading, you're VFR and maybe an altitude...Cause these are the guys that are gonna give you a txpndr code to watch you on RADAR. If you want flight following, it would be an appropriate time to mention it (the earlier the better) that way they can plan to have you in the system. Otherwise they just get you on your way and cut you loose, "Squawk 1200 see ya!"

Hope that helps....
 
Re: \"Have you contacted Clearance Delivery?\"

In my experience, most airports with a clearance delivery would prefer the VFR trafic get their codes and request for traffic advisories from them. The ground controller may be busy and the CLC guy has more time....
 
Re: \"Have you contacted Clearance Delivery?\"

The procedure goes that if there is a clearence delivery freqency you should contact them first. At busy airports ground wants to do nothing except move you around to the runway. When they want you to call ground for clearence they will say so in the ATIS. In those situations ground is probably also the clearence guy, and it well could be on the same frequency.

Honestly it makes more sense when you're on an IFR flight plan and you're at a real busy airport. Like take Chicago O'Hare for example; there is so much traffic there they NEED to have someone (sometimes more than one person) doing JUST clearences to get people ready to go. Never having a clearence delivery freqency would be like trying to have the tower do the work of the ground controller at a busy airport; you just don't have enough frequency time or probably situational awareness to pull it off.
 
Re: \"Have you contacted Clearance Delivery?\"

Thanks for the explanations guys. I dont ever recall being told to contact clearance before ground in my training but it has been a while since I have been to a real busy airport so maybe it has just slipped my mind. I definately wont forget to do it next time
smile.gif
 
Re: \"Have you contacted Clearance Delivery?\"

no problem...I really didn't learn that little tid bit of info until I started flying cargo....
 
Re: \"Have you contacted Clearance Delivery?\"

I'm betting on Baronman 's answer that LIT is a Class C airport rather than that it's a busy Class D.

I know they exist, but I've never been asked to contact CD for a VFR flight from a Class D airport, no matter how busy, while it is pretty much standard operating procedure (I've heard of exceptions) to contact CD when departing Class C,
 
Re: \"Have you contacted Clearance Delivery?\"

[ QUOTE ]
Thanks for the explanations guys. I dont ever recall being told to contact clearance before ground in my training but it has been a while since I have been to a real busy airport so maybe it has just slipped my mind. I definately wont forget to do it next time
smile.gif


[/ QUOTE ]

You must have only flown out of class D airports!

[ QUOTE ]
I know they exist, but I've never been asked to contact CD for a VFR flight from a Class D airport, no matter how busy, while it is pretty much standard operating procedure (I've heard of exceptions) to contact CD when departing Class C

[/ QUOTE ]

I have done most of all my training outa TUS a class C airport. I believe that only class C airports and above are going to have clearance delivery.
None of the class D airports I have ever flown in and out of have had clearance delivery just ground control and tower.

-Matthew
 
Re: \"Have you contacted Clearance Delivery?\"

Most airports will tell you on ATIS if you need to do it. "All VFR departures contact clearance delivery on XXX.XX prior to taxi, advise on initial contact, you have information X".

If not there, it may be in the AFD.
 
Re: \"Have you contacted Clearance Delivery?\"

Dang, you beat me to it.

I was going to say that every ATIS I can remember gives a reminder to contact CD. Local Class C airport for me is Monterey (MRY). They shouldn't be a D even, so little traffic but for this week for the golf thingy over there, but that's another story. Anyhow, their ATIS every one of the hundreds of times I've listened has said "Departures, contact Clearance Delivery on Ground Control Frequency, 121.6, VFR departures, advise of your position and departure request" or something really close to that wording. Got a few other Class C I visit on a fairly regular basis, OAK, FAT, and they have a similar message. I've got a handout for the typical MRY procedures I give to students, and I've got an additional * in there that says C.D. is often combined on ground at MRY, so people don't think that is the way it always is.

So the question is, did you listen to ATIS first
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I seem to recall a Class D around this area that has C.D. I think it was Stockton (SCK), but I haven't been there in a while. Maybe that was just before everything became Norcal a couple years back.
 
Re: \"Have you contacted Clearance Delivery?\"

Houson Hobby requires you to contact CD before ground to get a squawk code..

i cant remeber what class it is though. either c or d..i think d
 
Re: \"Have you contacted Clearance Delivery?\"

Hobby is class B. At some airports, like IAH, clnc deliv. serves a dual purpose: One, to issue clearances to non-ACARS equipped aircraft. Two, to regulate the flow of aircraft from the ramp to ground control.
 
Re: \"Have you contacted Clearance Delivery?\"

[ QUOTE ]
So the question is, did you listen to ATIS first

[/ QUOTE ]
I did listen to it but I swear I didnt hear anything about CD. I've flown into two other class c airports and I dont ever remember having to do it, but this was definately the busiest class c ive been to. It was probably just my bad, oh well this is the stuff you learn from and never do wrong again.
smile.gif
 
Re: \"Have you contacted Clearance Delivery?\"

Camarillo (CMA) is a class D, and they have a clearance delivery.
 
Re: \"Have you contacted Clearance Delivery?\"

ORL has clearance delivery when it gets mad busy (NBAA, etc). Other than that the ATIS says "for clearance delivery, contact ground on XXX.X" Odds are LIT's ATIS said something similar, and it's a human thing to expect something on the radio and either hear it or not hear it. I'm pretty sure DAB broadcasts the clearance freq on their ATIS as well.
 
Re: \"Have you contacted Clearance Delivery?\"

[ QUOTE ]
I have done most of all my training outa TUS a class C airport. I believe that only class C airports and above are going to have clearance delivery.
None of the class D airports I have ever flown in and out of have had clearance delivery just ground control and tower.

[/ QUOTE ]Check again. Most Class D airports have a CD frequency. Even Class E airports a CD frequency.

But remember that Clearance Delivery's purpose is to deliver a "clearance". And at most airports that means an =IFR= clearance. The only real VFR clearance is in Class B. Even though not technically a clearance, Class C is close enough and most Class C airports (anyone here know of a Class C that doesn't?) have moved to the procedure.

Typically, if a Class D wants you to call CD for a VFR departure, the ATIS will tell you.
 
Re: \"Have you contacted Clearance Delivery?\"

Teterboro, NJ has a clearance and sometimes a gate hold freq - and its a class D. Try teaching GATE HOLD to primary students...ugh. Thank goodness I'm outta there!

~wheelsup
 
Re: \"Have you contacted Clearance Delivery?\"

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I have done most of all my training outa TUS a class C airport. I believe that only class C airports and above are going to have clearance delivery.
None of the class D airports I have ever flown in and out of have had clearance delivery just ground control and tower.

[/ QUOTE ]Check again. Most Class D airports have a CD frequency. Even Class E airports a CD frequency.

But remember that Clearance Delivery's purpose is to deliver a "clearance". And at most airports that means an =IFR= clearance. The only real VFR clearance is in Class B. Even though not technically a clearance, Class C is close enough and most Class C airports (anyone here know of a Class C that doesn't?) have moved to the procedure.

Typically, if a Class D wants you to call CD for a VFR departure, the ATIS will tell you.

[/ QUOTE ]


The main class D airport I flew in and out of was RYN they didn't have CD or ATIS. But they did have AWOS.
tongue.gif


-Matthew
 
Re: \"Have you contacted Clearance Delivery?\"

SNA (class C) has two clearance delivery frequencies. One for VFR, and another for IFR.
 
Re: \"Have you contacted Clearance Delivery?\"

OAK is class C and an exception to contacting CD first for a VFR flight. Contact CD for IFR only at OAK. Might be different for the South tower however, but there's probably not much VFR traffic over there.
 
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