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121.65 MHz Atlanta Clearance Delivery

(12:36)

FB-068: "Atlanta Clearance, FB-068 to John F. Kennedy International"

ATC: "FB-068 cleared to John F. Kennedy International Airport as filed, climb and maintain three six thousand, fly runway heading, altimeter 2992(two niner niner two), departure on 125.00(one two five decimal zero zero), squawk 0-5-4-4."

FB-068: "FB-068 cleared to John F. Kennedy International as filed, climb and maintain three six thousand, fly runway heading, 125, 0-5-4-4"

ATC: "FB-068 readback correct, contact ground 118.100(one one eight decimal one), when ready for taxi"

FB-068: "One one eight decimal one for push and taxi FB-068"

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What is Clearance Delivery?

Clearance Delivery is an air traffic controller whose function is to coordinate with other ATC facilities and provide departing aircraft with an instrument flight clearance The pilot of a departing aircraft calls clearance delivery, states the aircraft identification and destination, and requests an IFR clearance. Certain Airspaces such as a Class Bravo Airspace reqiures VFR and IFR to contact Clearance Delivery.

While the clearance is being delivered, one of the flight crew members copies it down on a piece of paper so that it need not be committed to memory. The clearance is then read back to the clearance delivery controller to ensure that it was correctly recorded.

The method by which you copy the clearance is entirely up to you. There is, however, an accepted shorthand for recording ATC clearances. For example, a clearance and its corresponding shorthand for a flight from Pittsburgh to Atlanta follows:

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Com:

"Lear 12345, Pittsburgh Clearance Delivery, cleared to the Atlanta Hartsfield Airport J53 J14; climb and maintain five thousand, expect flight level two one zero one zero minutes after departure, departure frequency one two four point seven five; squawk 4317."

Shorthand:

C ATL A J53 J14 ↑ 50 EFC ↑ 210 10 < DEP PIT CT DP 124.75 SQ 4317

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After having received a clearance, the pilot should prepare the cockpit for departure. The transponder (or "squawk") code should be entered in the transponder. The departure control frequency should be entered in the number two communication radio, which most real aircraft have. Navigation radios should be set to the appropriate frequencies and omni-bearing selectors turned to the appropriate courses to fly the initial route for which the aircraft has been cleared. It is far easier to accomplish these steps while the aircraft is still on the ground, rather than immediately after takeoff.

Either by computer or by hand, a flight progress strip is prepared for each aircraft flight. The strip prepared in the control tower contains the aircraft's route of flight, altitude, destination, transponder code, and other information.

Example: "Cessna N2001Z is cleared to the Newark International Airport as filed. After departure, fly runway heading, radar vectors to SWANN. Climb and maintain three thousand. Expect one six thousand one zero minutes after departure. Departure frequency one one niner point five. Squawk four three two six."

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Need extra help rembering or writing it down?

You can also ask the controller, in plain old English, to please speak slowly. "Clearance delivery, Cessna Two-Seven-Three-Seven-Golf is ready to copy. Please speak slowly." You're letting him know in advance that if they don't give you a little breathing room, they will just have to read it all over again. You're very likely to get the courtesy of an easy-to-understand delivery that you can copy with ease.

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Practice Makes perfect!

Try listening to real pilots and ATC speak on LiveATC.net.
You can also look up practice videos online to help with obtaining the information.

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Some extra Tips

1. Listen to the ground control--or at larger, busier airports listen on the Clearance Delivery frequency--for a few minutes to get the hang of how to depart the area.

2. Copy the ATIS first, before you request your ATC clearance, so it will make more sense.

3. When you call for your clearance, be sure you are ready to copy. You can also ask the controller to put your clearance on request and let them know you'll call back when it's convenient for you.

4. Being ready means having the airplane stopped with the brakes set and have a place to write down the information where you can refer to it later throughout the flight.

5. Controllers think you can copy at the same rate you talk. If you talk fast, they'll talk faster! Take it slow and easy.

6. You only need to copy the "meat" of your clearance, which will require relatively little writing, once you've prepared a simple template

    The "meat" of your clearence is: Route, Altitude, Heading, Frequency, Squawk.

7. Understanding a clearance can sometimes be problematic. Copy the clearance first, try to decipher it and then, if parts of it don't make sense, query the controller to clarify it.

8. If you're given a "stand by for a full readback" expect a clearance that's substantially different from what you filed. Sharpen your pencil!

9. Ask questions if you don't understand--about most anything, be it a wrong route or a incomprehensible VOR or intersection.

10. Practice copying the clearances intended for other airplanes. Listen for the readback and see how close you came to copying the same information.