"Travis Marlatte" wrote in message


This didn't cause any problems other than some additional radio
traffic but it caught me off guard. Let me know what you think...

I think it sounds like you haven't air-filed very many IFR plans and/or
haven't departed VFR and activated IFR in the air much.

The controller's response was not at all unusual from my experience of, for
example, departing VFR and activating in the air (like Peter R described).
In fact, I needed to do that twice just last week where VMC prevailed at my
departure points, but I couldn't raise ATC from the ground. Rather than dig
out the cell phone and get a clearance void time via landline, I simply
departed VFR and activated in the air. Both conversations were very much
like you described:

"N123, squawk 4321."

"N123, Cleared to [destination] as filed, climb and maintain [5000]."

As Newps described, once I heard "cleared to" and "as filed," I immediately
proceeded on course and continued climbing to altitude.

When activating in the air, CRAFT doesn't seem to apply. It's more "T,CRA."
(Let me know if you think of a nifty mnemonic.) The controllers seem to want
to identify you on radar while finding your P-strip or preparing to enter
your plan.

--
John T
http://sage1solutions.com/blogs/TknoFlyer
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