Should you tell Tower you're departing IFR

For whats its worth when I contact tower I say

Ready for IFR departure.

The response has been anything from "Hold position waiting for your
release" to line up and hold waiting for your release"

Saying something different to VFR traffic helps and theres been not
complaints.

On 23 Sep 2005 09:01:56 -0700, "John Clonts" wrote:

or should they just know it already?

I was departing Sugarland (KSGR) yesterday, after having gotten my
clearance from ground control. Tower assigned me runway heading (this
was about 45 minutes later as there was MUCH traffic waiting in line
for takeoffs) and handed me off to departure. I had trouble getting a
word in edgewise, but when I eventually did, departure said "change
squawk to 0044". Later a different controller (but same freq I
believe) asked my if I was VFR???? I told him "Negative, N7NZ is
cleared Industry departure then as filed, currently on 270 vector". He
said, "roger, cleared direct IDU", and the rest of the flight was
uneventful (and unambiguously IFR). This was all in VMC.

Later I thought that maybe the tower didn't realize I was IFR when he
cleared me for takeoff, and that fouled something up with departure.

Or, is there another reason I would have immediately been given a new
squawk code like that? I seem to remember that 0xxx squawks are
"local" or something like that. Yet I believe I then kept that same
0044 the entire remaining duration of the flight (through Houston
Center and then Austin Approach to my destination 44TE).

Thanks!
John Clonts
Temple, Texas
N7NZ

You've "told the tower" when you call on the Ground or Clearance delivery
frequency and obtain your clearance (as in "Sugarland Ground, N12345 IFR to
Oshkosh; ready to taxi")

I've never bothered announcing it again when I switch to tower frequency,
nor have I ever heard anyone else doing that at a variety of airports in
different airspaces (KASH - class D; KBOS - class A; KMHT - class C; KBGR -
class C).

And yes, controllers at all facilities will sometimes forget that you're
IFR; or be uncertain as to your destination; etc. If that's a frequent
occurrence at the facilities you deal with, it would seem to me that a call
to that facilities QA officer would be in order.


Ron (EPM) (N5843Q, Mooney M20E) (CP, ASEL, ASES, IA)

Where I fly, it's standard practice to remind the tower controller on
your "ready" call that you're IFR. It's standard because after I finish
the correct readback of my IFR clearance from the ground controller, he
always responds with "readback correct, advise the tower you're IFR".

It's been this way for years at this class D airport (KPAO).

On 25 Sep 2005 00:44:20 -0700, "max" wrote:

Where I fly, it's standard practice to remind the tower controller on
your "ready" call that you're IFR. It's standard because after I finish
the correct readback of my IFR clearance from the ground controller, he
always responds with "readback correct, advise the tower you're IFR".

It's been this way for years at this class D airport (KPAO).

That's different, in my opinion, because you are responding to a specific
instruction from ATC. If I were to receive that instruction from ground
(or clearance delivery), I would certainly follow it, too.


Ron (EPM) (N5843Q, Mooney M20E) (CP, ASEL, ASES, IA)

Slightly off topic, but ...

Commuting for work between ORL (Orlando Executive, near Orlando
International) and CDW (near New York / Newark congested area), I have
had excessive delays, waiting for IFR release, and / or covering lots of
extra miles being vectored over several counties for separation, I
adopted a new strategy which worked really well for me.

Most of my departures were in good VMC weather, which doubled the
frustrations of delays on IFR departures. On these good-weather days, I
filed the IFR flight plan to begin at a VOR or intersection along my
intended route -- maybe 20 or 30 miles from the departure point. I would
make no mention of "IFR" to ground control or clearance delivery -- just
tell them I was northbound (substitute appropriate direction) at 3,500
(substitute appropriate VFR altitude). This generally got me going
quickly. As soon as I was out of the area that experience had taught me
was ripe with vectors, I contacted the appropriate ATC facility to
request my clearance.

Between not having to wait for IFR release, and avoiding lots of vectors,
I easily shaved 15 to 30 minutes from my weekly commute between home and
work.

Rather than say "tower, cessna 1243 ready for take off runway X", I say
"tower, cessna 1234 ready for release runway X". I was cleared for take
off in Santa Barbara in front of a 737 on 1/2 final once because the
tower assumed I had been assigned to the VFR/GA runway. I've also
taken off, and then quickly been asked to maintain VFR because the
controller forget to secure my release.

-Robert