Contradictory Departures and Other Stupid Rules

Each pilot must comply with any departure procedures established for that airport by the FAA. Id bet a lunch with the editor of IFR that this excerpt from Part 91.129 (g)was written by some non-flying FAA lawyer. It sounds good by itself, but how do you apply this rule on a day when youre launching IFR but the initial climb is in the clear and in direct violation of the local noise-abatement policy? If you fly the departure, are you in violation? What if you turn for noise, will you get a tongue-lashing from ATC when you check on?

Key Takeaways:

• The article criticizes the vague wording in FAA regulations, such as Part 91.129(g) regarding "departure procedures," suggesting this ambiguity may be intentional for political leverage at NTSB hearings.
• This regulatory vagueness can create confusion for pilots, particularly when rules conflict with local policies like noise abatement.
• Despite these shortcomings, pilots are strongly advised to proactively review and understand airport departure procedures (including ODPs) before any flight, as this is crucial for safety in scenarios like aborted landings or missed approaches.

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