PDC: File, Read, Fly

Monday, November 14, 2022 at 03:35 PM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Pre-Departure Clearance (PDC) is an FAA digital service that delivers official IFR clearances and Digital ATIS (D-ATIS) in text format directly to pilots' cockpit tablets via compatible applications like ForeFlight or Garmin FltPlan.
Available at approximately 75 major U.S. airports, PDC significantly streamlines pre-flight procedures by reducing controller and pilot workload, minimizing communication errors, and alleviating radio frequency congestion.
PDC clearances are identical to verbal clearances, providing the filed route, cleared altitude, transponder code, departure frequency, and any special instructions, typically received 20-30 minutes before departure without requiring a readback.
Access to PDC requires a subscription to a compatible service and has limitations, including generally supporting only one PDC per aircraft per airport within an 18-hour window and primarily serving IFR flight plans.

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Pre-Departure Clearance or PDC is an FAA computer service that provides clearance information in text form to your tablet in the cockpit via Boeing ForeFlight or Garmin FltPlan. No copying the ATIS or clearance calls are required. Great, eh?

Clearances issued via PDCs are official text clearances issued for U.S. IFR flight plans. A PDC is the same as a verbal clearance from Clearance Delivery and includes the filed route, the cleared altitude, transponder code, departure frequency, and any special instructions. In addition, your tablet will show digital ATIS—not just the latest METAR, but the actual ATIS—since the FAA packages PDC and D-ATIS as one service. (It’s common, but not universal, that both PDC and D-ATIS are available at the same airport.)