Visual Departures for IFR

An item recently crossed our desks that has caused some head scratching: Teterboro had a revised charted visual departure procedure for IFR clearances. Of course, everyone knows about SIDs-weve analyzed bunches of 'em in these pages over the years. And most of us will occasionally ask for a VFR departure. Visual approaches (charted or not) are common.

Frank Bowlin

Monday, August 04, 2014 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Charted visual departure procedures are formal, IFR-clearance-linked tools that require pilots to maintain visual flight conditions and must be specifically requested.
These procedures include specific weather minima, prescribed routes, and operational restrictions (e.g., altitude, speed) designed to navigate complex airspace, terrain, or busy traffic.
While often less known and sometimes poorly charted in FAA publications, they offer IFR pilots a structured option for visual navigation in challenging departure environments.

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VISUAL DEPARTURES for IFR
Charted IFR arrival and departure procedures are routine. Charted visual approaches are not uncommon. But a charted visual departure procedure? We didn’t know, either.

An item recently crossed our desks that has caused some head scratching: Teterboro had a revised charted visual departure procedure for IFR clearances. Of course, everyone knows about SIDs—we’ve analyzed bunches of ’em in these pages over the years. And most of us will occasionally ask for a VFR departure. Visual approaches (charted or not) are common.