Taxi Clearance

I teach my students to call before engine start to get their clearance
(controlled fields). You are allowed to call up to two hours before your
proposed departure, so why waste your gas waiting for the clearance to be
issued?

However, I have yet to ever receive a 'start time' from any clearance
delivery. They just say 'contact ground when ready to taxi'.

Also, if you have a handheld, you can get your clearance using it instead of
using your aircraft battery, so on that cold day, you will have every ounce
of juice the battery can deliver for the start.

Russ MacDonald

"Bob Gardner" wrote in message
...
I think this is aimed at the turbine crowd, not the piston pilots, although
the AIM does not make any distinction.

Bob Gardner

"Ron Rosenfeld" wrote in message
...
I just noticed this today:

AIM 5-2-2. Taxi Clearance

Pilots on IFR flight plans should communicate with the control tower on
the
appropriate ground control or clearance delivery frequency, prior to
starting engines, to receive engine start time, taxi and/or clearance
information.

---------------------------------

In the Azores, Portugal, when I checked out at a local flying club, it
was
mandatory to contact the control tower prior to engine start, even when
flying VFR. (And it was mandatory to receive a clearance to "start
engines" before doing so).

However, in the US, I was not taught, nor have I ever called in "prior to
starting engines" unless that requirement was explicitly stated on the
ATIS
(as it has been occasionally at KBOS).

Is this a holdover from former times? Or something else altogether?


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