Clearence available upon request

This one kinda stumps me everytime I am told this.
Call tower, request your IFR clearence, they tell you "taxi to runway
xxx - clearence available upon request"

what I always do is just read back the taxi instructions and wait for
them to call me back with the clearence. I guess I dont understand why
they say "available upon request" when I just requested it.

Am I handling it the right way?

On Fri, 14 Nov 2003 01:47:30 -0800, Jeff wrote:

This one kinda stumps me everytime I am told this.
Call tower, request your IFR clearence, they tell you "taxi to runway
xxx - clearence available upon request"

what I always do is just read back the taxi instructions and wait for
them to call me back with the clearence. I guess I dont understand why
they say "available upon request" when I just requested it.

Am I handling it the right way?

They are probably saying "clearance on request" which means that they have
called ATC and requested your clearance. So yes, waiting for them to call
you back is proper.


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

In a previous article, Jeff said:
This one kinda stumps me everytime I am told this.
Call tower, request your IFR clearence, they tell you "taxi to runway
xxx - clearence available upon request"

what I always do is just read back the taxi instructions and wait for
them to call me back with the clearence. I guess I dont understand why
they say "available upon request" when I just requested it.

I never understand why they phrase it that way either, since it seems to
mean that they've requested it, but don't have it yet. But since they
told you to taxi, you should taxi - they probably figure that the computer
will spit out your clearance by the time you get to the runway.


--
Paul Tomblin http://xcski.com/blogs/pt/
I forsee one of those "open your wallet and repeat after me,
_help yourself_" moments in your local friendly workshop.
-- Tanuki

"Jeff" wrote in message ...

This one kinda stumps me everytime I am told this.
Call tower, request your IFR clearence, they tell you "taxi to runway
xxx - clearence available upon request"

what I always do is just read back the taxi instructions and wait for
them to call me back with the clearence. I guess I dont understand why
they say "available upon request" when I just requested it.

Am I handling it the right way?


Are you sure they're saying "clearence available upon request" and not
"clearance on request"?

"Steven P. McNicoll" wrote:

"Jeff" wrote in message ...

This one kinda stumps me everytime I am told this.
Call tower, request your IFR clearence, they tell you "taxi to runway
xxx - clearence available upon request"

what I always do is just read back the taxi instructions and wait for
them to call me back with the clearence. I guess I dont understand why
they say "available upon request" when I just requested it.

Am I handling it the right way?


Are you sure they're saying "clearence available upon request" and not
"clearance on request"?

Experience and context has told us that "clearance on request" means the tower
has requested it, but it hasn't come through yet. Having said that, in plain
English it means they have the clearance whenever he would like to request it.

"Ron Rosenfeld"
They are probably saying "clearance on request" which means that they have
called ATC and requested your clearance. So yes, waiting for them to call
you back is proper.

Yep, what Ron said. It is non-obvious terminology for the pilot - maybe
controller obvious. But it's one of very many that you just get to know
after awhile.

I usually get "on request" and I know to just sit tight until they call
back. Usually leave me sitting on the ramp. Next time they do it at
Westchester, I'll shut down.

In article ,
"Maule Driver" wrote:

"Ron Rosenfeld"
They are probably saying "clearance on request" which means that they have
called ATC and requested your clearance. So yes, waiting for them to call
you back is proper.

Yep, what Ron said. It is non-obvious terminology for the pilot - maybe
controller obvious. But it's one of very many that you just get to know
after awhile.

It sure is non-obvious. I remember the first time I got that, during my
IFR training. The conversation went something like this:

"Clearance, Cessna xxxx, IFR to where-ever."

"Cessna xxxx, clearance on request."

[at this point, I figured the guy was telling me he'd give me my
clearance as soon as I requested it, as if it was another way of saying
"advise when ready to copy", so I said:]

"I'd like my clearance now."

You can imagine how the conversation went downhill from there :-)

wrote in message
...

Experience and context has told us that "clearance on request" means the
tower
has requested it, but it hasn't come through yet. Having said that, in
plain
English it means they have the clearance whenever he would like to request
it.


An odd response to a request for a clearance. "Clearance on request" means
they don't have it at present, if they had it they wouldn't have to request
it.

wrote in message
...

Are you sure they're saying "clearence available upon request" and not
"clearance on request"?

Experience and context has told us that "clearance on request" means the
tower
has requested it, but it hasn't come through yet. Having said that, in
plain
English it means they have the clearance whenever he would like to request
it.

Well, plain English would be "Clearance RequesTED".

In a previous article, Roy Smith said:
"Clearance, Cessna xxxx, IFR to where-ever."

"Cessna xxxx, clearance on request."
[snip]
"I'd like my clearance now."

You can imagine how the conversation went downhill from there :-)

Knowing the controllers I've encountered, they'd just repeat "clearance on
request", forever and ever, never explaining what it means no matter how
puzzled you sounded.

--
Paul Tomblin http://xcski.com/blogs/pt/
Their constitution is unwritten, and is mostly based on common law and
practice. In other words, they do something wrong and it then becomes
the norm. -- Laurie Couturier, on the British legal system