Dude, Where's My Clearance?

There are two basic ways to obtain an IFR clearance in the U.S. before departing a non-towered airport. One is to telephone Flight Service directly and get the clearance over the phone. Another is to use a remote communications outlet (RCO) to contact Flight Service or a ground communications outlet (GCO) to reach ATC over your aircrafts communication radio. In both cases, of course, youre likely to receive a clearance with a void time, since ATC cant see you on radar until youre airborne, and has to block off some portion of the airspace around your departure airport to ensure separation, at least until youre in radar contact.

Aviation Safety

Saturday, August 31, 2019 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Gulfstream currently has 212 of the super-midsize G280s in service. Gulfstream Aerospace

Key Takeaways:

The FAA is streamlining IFR clearance procedures at non-towered airports by reducing Flight Service's role, aiming for increased automation and efficiency.
This initiative involves decommissioning over 600 RCO facilities linked to Flight Service and publishing direct ATC telephone numbers in the Chart Supplement for pilots to obtain clearances.
Pilots are now encouraged to contact ATC directly via these published phone numbers, though RCOs may still be operational in some locations, and Flight Service remains available for closing flight plans or providing ATC contact numbers.
The new system presumes airport phone access or cellphone coverage, which may pose challenges in some areas.

See a mistake? Contact us.

There are two basic ways to obtain an IFR clearance in the U.S. before departing a non-towered airport. One is to telephone Flight Service directly and get the clearance over the phone. Another is to use a remote communications outlet (RCO) to contact Flight Service or a ground communications outlet (GCO) to reach ATC over your aircraft’s communication radio. In both cases, of course, you’re likely to receive a clearance with a void time, since ATC can’t “see” you on radar until you’re airborne, and has to block off some portion of the airspace around your departure airport to ensure separation, at least until you’re in radar contact.

Whenever you contact Flight Service for the clearance, via either telephone or an RCO, the specialist must coordinate the clearance with whichever ATC facility covers your departure airport before relaying it to you. All this takes time and resources, and interposes Flight Service between you and ATC. And as the FAA continues to look for ways to increase automation and improve efficiency, it’s working to remove Flight Service from the clearance loop and have pilots contact ATC directly.