Through Clearances

Do you know what a through clearance is? Have you ever used one?

  • I have used a through clearance.

    Votes: 12 36.4%

  • I have not used a through clearance, but am familiar with them.

    Votes: 9 27.3%

  • What is a through clearance?

    Votes: 12 36.4%
  • Total voters
    33
GolfChuck

GolfChuck

Trustworthy Source
The FAA includes through clearances as part of every phase of ATC training. However it seems not many pilots are aware of through clearances.

additional information on this thread:
http://forums.jetcareers.com/threads/filing-for-possible-fuel-stop.118172/#post-1633138

A through clearance allows an aircraft on an IFR flight plan to make intermediate stops for fuel, offloading freight, etc, prior to the destination airport on a single flight plan.

7110.65 4-2-6
 
Tried it and was denied. Other inbound aircraft and customer is to inconsistent on show times for them to protect the airspace for that amount of time.
 
I've only gotten one once and it was when I diverted to a small airport to take care of a "number 2" problem. The controller could sense the urgency in my voice and knew I'd be quick. :D It was VMC that night anyways.
 
UAL747400 said:
I've only gotten one once and it was when I diverted to a small airport to take care of a "number 2" problem. The controller could sense the urgency in my voice and knew I'd be quick. :D It was VMC that night anyways.
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Had the same issue while ferrying a C172 last year. The controller asked why I was diverting, "This C172 wasn't equipped with a lav." The controller was laughing and gave me a number to call on the ground so I can get my clearance before departing.
 
CFI A&P said:
Had the same issue while ferrying a C172 last year. The controller asked why I was diverting, "This C172 wasn't equipped with a lav." The controller was laughing and gave me a number to call on the ground so I can get my clearance before departing.
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A through clearance would not have required you to make a call from the ground, if needed you would have been given departure instructions while still in the air prior to your stop and your flight plan would remain open. Sounds like this controller just took all your information and filed another flight plan for you. The problem with through clearances is that at an untowered field, you being on the ground would tie up all other IFR traffic until you depart again, which is why they are rarely used. I am just trying to get a feel for exactly how rarely they are used.
 
That's exactly what happened. They closed and filed a second plan for me.
 
I worked for one company where we used them quite often. At the owner's ranch we had our own 5,000 foot runway with an ADF approach. There was no phone at the airport and no cell phone coverage so a through clearance made things allot easier when the WX was MVFR or lower.
 
Corporate Pilot said:
I worked for one company where we used them quite often. At the owner's ranch we had our own 5,000 foot runway with an ADF approach. There was no phone at the airport and no cell phone coverage so a through clearance made things allot easier when the WX was MVFR or lower.
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Makes sense, since presumably no one but you would be flying in or out of that airport anyway. That is a situation that had not occurred to me.
 
greg1016 said:
I am just trying to get a feel for exactly how rarely they are used.
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That might just depend on the area of the country your are flying in. My airspace can can get pretty sparse, at least on the low altitude areas. I will offer them up to people if I don't find a reasonable excuse not to. Some controllers don't do it period, don't ask me why.
 
Ozelot said:
That might just depend on the area of the country your are flying in. My airspace can can get pretty sparse, at least on the low altitude areas. I will offer them up to people if I don't find a reasonable excuse not to. Some controllers don't do it period, don't ask me why.
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Yep. I asked because I've been taught about them, but never heard of them being used and recalled the discussion I linked above. Since you use them, let me ask you, is it proper/legal to give a clearance void time at the interim airport? Say the guy needs to refuel or drop cargo or something, could you clear him for approach and give the pilot 20 minutes or something to get back in the air so the field isn't tied up indefinitely? What happens if the aircraft never departs again and there is no void time, when do you issue the ALNOT?
 
Ozelot said:
I offer them up to ya, I like them...it makes things more efficient. But I'll admit that I am selective on who I offer them up to.
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I would give them all the time, of course case depending while at ZHU. Not sure who it is, but sometimes when we land at JMS with a through clearance, someone gives us a 10 min void time! Just no way we have to land, taxi in, shut one engine down, kick off a few passengers, load a few more, fire up the engine and make it back to the runway. I have done it in 7 min, best time, but we weren't picking anyone up. Give us about 15-20 min void! haha
 
I use it going into PAFS on a fairly regular basis. I know I'll be on the ground less than 30 minutes at most, and most of the time I get the through clearance. They're particularly useful places where there's no cell reception, no usable RCO, little traffic overhead for a relay, and where you still need to fly the approach because the weather is crummy.
 
I never expected to ever receive a through clearance flying scheduled passenger 121 ops in the lower 48 states, but it was a fairly common occurrence (more than 10 times) when we flew into one particular airport when it was IMC. Non towered, No RCO, no cell coverage, and couldn't talk to center on the ground. Being able to get a through clearance was definitely a time and hassle saver.

If it was IMC we'd frequently get a through clearance back to the hub right before the controller cleared us for the approach into the airport. We'd often get a clearance void time of about 20 mins to shoot the approach, land, deplane the pax, offload bags and board and depart. we never missed the void time.
 
It's happened a few times in my fun flying. But we never bother in the 121 prop trash world in the lower 48—reality is, there's just enough that can go wrong on the ground...
 
With freight I did it a few times and was denied a few times. In the end, I could call AFSS from the ramp while starting the taxi and have my clearance by reaching the end of freaking *Beatrice Nebraska*...so I stopped messing with it.
 
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