Should you tell Tower you're departing IFR

John Clonts wrote:

snip
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.
snip

This is an interesting thread. I'm based at a class C, RDU, Raleigh-Durham, NC,
and I've never had that happen, and I've never informed tower that I was IFR.
Never heard anyone else do it either.

Be my guess that departing from the airport where the Approach Control is
located internal operating procedures contain provisions for a "silent
release' of departing IFR aircraft. If you are at an airport that is
colocated with approach control an individual release is required.
Al

"Dave Butler" wrote in message
news:1127496435.982217@sj-nntpcache-3...
John Clonts wrote:

snip
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.
snip

This is an interesting thread. I'm based at a class C, RDU,
Raleigh-Durham, NC, and I've never had that happen, and I've never
informed tower that I was IFR. Never heard anyone else do it either.

Dave Butler wrote:
John Clonts wrote:

snip

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.

snip

This is an interesting thread. I'm based at a class C, RDU,
Raleigh-Durham, NC, and I've never had that happen, and I've never
informed tower that I was IFR. Never heard anyone else do it either.

Same here. Hard to believe that the tower wouldn't have some indication
of the flight plan type, but sounds like maybe not.

Matt

Matt Whiting wrote:




Same here. Hard to believe that the tower wouldn't have some indication
of the flight plan type, but sounds like maybe not.

At a class B and C they would because every aircraft that doesn't stay
in the pattern gets a strip of some kind. At a class D tower a VFR
aircraft doesn't normally get a strip.

Newps wrote:



Matt Whiting wrote:




Same here. Hard to believe that the tower wouldn't have some
indication of the flight plan type, but sounds like maybe not.


At a class B and C they would because every aircraft that doesn't stay
in the pattern gets a strip of some kind. At a class D tower a VFR
aircraft doesn't normally get a strip.

Makes sense. I can't remember the last time I flew from a tower in
class D so I'm just not used to tower not knowing my flight plan type.

Matt

Matt Whiting wrote:
Dave Butler wrote:

This is an interesting thread. I'm based at a class C, RDU,
Raleigh-Durham, NC, and I've never had that happen, and I've never
informed tower that I was IFR. Never heard anyone else do it either.


Same here. Hard to believe that the tower wouldn't have some indication
of the flight plan type, but sounds like maybe not.

Must be one of those regional things. It seems some people always do it and
can't imagine how it would work if they didn't, and others (me) have never heard
of it.

On 9/26/2005 12:18, Dave Butler wrote:

Matt Whiting wrote:
Dave Butler wrote:

This is an interesting thread. I'm based at a class C, RDU,
Raleigh-Durham, NC, and I've never had that happen, and I've never
informed tower that I was IFR. Never heard anyone else do it either.


Same here. Hard to believe that the tower wouldn't have some indication
of the flight plan type, but sounds like maybe not.

Must be one of those regional things. It seems some people always do it and
can't imagine how it would work if they didn't, and others (me) have never heard
of it.

Unfortunately, at least in my case, the instructor didn't present it
as a regional thing, so I received my rating with the belief that it's
a rule of IFR flight.

Of course, now that I understand there are issues like this, I can
look out for them, and not be too surprised when I'm hit with one ;-)

I never believed that getting my rating at one airport would prepare
me for flight at any airport. But it would be nice to have been told
these are local policies and not "rules" (note: I'm not referring to
FARs here...).


--
Mark Hansen, PP-ASEL, Instrument Airplane
Sacramento, CA

"Dave Butler" wrote in message
news:1127762088.858279@sj-nntpcache-5...
Matt Whiting wrote:
Dave Butler wrote:

This is an interesting thread. I'm based at a class C, RDU,
Raleigh-Durham, NC, and I've never had that happen, and I've never
informed tower that I was IFR. Never heard anyone else do it either.


Same here. Hard to believe that the tower wouldn't have some indication
of the flight plan type, but sounds like maybe not.

Must be one of those regional things. It seems some people always do it
and can't imagine how it would work if they didn't, and others (me) have
never heard of it.

Not regional, more like local.

The tower does have an indication of flight plan type. If it's IFR there is
a strip with the clearance and somebody (probably Ground) issued it to the
aircraft.

But if 99.9% of the traffic a local controller handles is VFR spamcans then
99.9% of the time when a spamcan calls for takeoff the response is going to
be "Cleared for takeoff." Usually without even looking for a strip since
many towers don't make strips for VFR.

Make it busy so the controller is looking out the windows trying to figure
out where he's going to put the airplanes instead of looking at or for a
strip (which isn't there 99.9% of the time anyway), throw in a departure
control who won't release aircraft in advance so the release can't be
obtained before the aircraft calls tower, then absent some sort of reminder,
the odds of launching that 0.01% IFR aircraft without a release go way up.

The reminder might be not issuing a squawk until released, asking local
aircraft to include "IFR" in their request for takeoff, the CD/FD or ground
controller bouncing the strip off the local controller's head, or something
else. But after one or two IFRs slip the surly bonds without a release,
some sort of procedural reminder will be put in place.

Some folks may think relying on an individual controller's memory and
situational awareness should be enough but it's not, never has been, never
will be :-/

"KP" nospam@please wrote:
But if 99.9% of the traffic a local controller handles is VFR spamcans then
99.9% of the time when a spamcan calls for takeoff the response is going to
be "Cleared for takeoff." Usually without even looking for a strip since
many towers don't make strips for VFR.

I fly out of HPN, a busy Class D with everything from scheduled airlines to
two flight schools doing primary training. CD generally tells spam cans to
"advise tower and ground you're IFR".

Should the tower already know I'm IFR without my having to remind them? Of
course they should. But it doesn't cost me anything to play along with
their request, so why make a big deal out of it?

Dave Butler wrote:
John Clonts wrote:

snip

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.

snip

This is an interesting thread. I'm based at a class C, RDU,
Raleigh-Durham, NC, and I've never had that happen, and I've never
informed tower that I was IFR. Never heard anyone else do it either.


It's not necessary at a class C or B tower, those facilities are the IFR
facility for releasing departures. It is a nice thing to do at class d
towers as they have to get a release from the IFR facility.