Magic Words: 'Cleared as Filed'

Magic Words: ‘Cleared as Filed’

Stephen Pope

Tuesday, April 08, 2014 at 08:21 PM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

With WAAS GPS, the FAA encourages pilots to fly direct routes when possible, and pilots can sometimes receive "Cleared as filed" for such routes in less congested airspace.
In busy areas like the East Coast, direct routes are uncommon, and ATC typically amends filed routes to accommodate high traffic density.
Modern tools like the ForeFlight Mobile app alert pilots to ATC route amendments before departure, allowing them to update their flight plan and significantly increase the likelihood of hearing "Cleared as filed" from clearance delivery.

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Flying with a friend from Oshkosh back to New Jersey, I called up clearance delivery at our first fuel stop, a leg from Muskegon County Airport on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan to Burke Lakefront Airport on the southern shore of Lake Erie — and was pleased to hear those magic words: “Cleared as filed.”

Satisfied we were ready to go, I made last minute preparations to depart, but didn’t touch the Garmin GNS 430 navigator.