Uncontrolled field IFR departure

Bernoulli Fan

Bernoulli Fan

Controller
Yesterday a student and I filed IFR from SFM (uncontrolled). We picked up our clearance on the ground from Portland Clearance, and he said to "call when airborne." I thought this was unusual for a clearance frequency, and when we called him at 500' AGL, he just reiterated the departure frequency from our clearance. Should I have assumed he meant "call departure when airborne"? Why would he have to say that anyway?

:confused:
 
Bernoulli Fan said:
Yesterday a student and I filed IFR from SFM (uncontrolled). We picked up our clearance on the ground from Portland Clearance, and he said to "call when airborne." I thought this was unusual for a clearance frequency, and when we called him at 500' AGL, he just reiterated the departure frequency from our clearance. Should I have assumed he meant "call departure when airborne"? Why would he have to say that anyway?

:confused:
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Probably should have used the departure Freq when you departed but the controller screwed up when he used non standard phrasheology that left it open to interpretation.

Someone taught me a long time ago that "assumptions are the mother of all screwups"
 
A lot of times when using center/approach frequencies you know you'll hear "call when airborne". Maybe next time if you're confused ask to clarify what frequency to use on departure before departure.
 
Usually as part of the departure clearance they say "upon entering controlled airspace fly heading/alt etc..... call XX approach/dep on what-ever freq"
 
Bernoulli Fan said:
Yesterday a student and I filed IFR from SFM (uncontrolled). We picked up our clearance on the ground from Portland Clearance, and he said to "call when airborne." I thought this was unusual for a clearance frequency, and when we called him at 500' AGL, he just reiterated the departure frequency from our clearance. Should I have assumed he meant "call departure when airborne"? Why would he have to say that anyway?

:confused:
Click to expand...

You should have called on the departure freq issued. When you receive a clearance from GC you dont call them airborne.....Ive never felt it necessary to explain that when issuing a clearance via the RCO at uncontrolled fields. Now on occasion I do issue the RCO freq used for clearance if I need to hear from the pilot at low altitude. In order to use it however it must have a back-up transmitter/receiver.
 
papag said:
You should have called on the departure freq issued. When you receive a clearance from GC you dont call them airborne.....Ive never felt it necessary to explain that when issuing a clearance via the RCO at uncontrolled fields. Now on occasion I do issue the RCO freq used for clearance if I need to hear from the pilot at low altitude. In order to use it however it must have a back-up transmitter/receiver.
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Live and learn...:rolleyes:
 
You were probably on an RCO getting your clearance. The controller "assumed" you were listening on his frequency and told you to call when airborne. Needless to say you called the RCO/CTAF frequency on accident when you departed.

Another possibility is that you called FSS for a clearance. FSS called the sector controlling your airport. The controller passed the clearnce to FSS and at the end said "report/call when airborne". FSS is required to pass on the clearance verbatim. So instead of interpreting what the controller told him, FSS went "by the book" and said report/call when airborne". Of course that would seem odd to call FSS airborne, but that's what you were told and by all means you were going to comply. Of course it was just FSS inaccurately telling you to call/report airborne on the FSS frequency instead of the sectors frequency that issued you the clearance.
 
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