AIM
4/3/14
5−2−3
Departure Procedures
1.
The aircraft is on the ground or it has departed
visual flight rules (VFR) and the pilot is requesting
IFR clearance while airborne.
2.
That a pilot will not accept an abbreviated
clearance if the route or destination of a flight plan
filed with ATC has been changed by the pilot or the
company or the operations officer before departure.
3.
That it is the responsibility of the company or
operations office to inform the pilot when they make
a change to the filed flight plan.
4.
That it is the responsibility of the pilot to in-
form ATC in the initial call-up (for clearance) when
the filed flight plan has been either:
(a)
Amended, or
(b)
Canceled and replaced with a new filed
flight plan.
NOTE
−
The facility issuing a clearance may not have received the
revised route or the revised flight plan by the time a pilot re-
quests clearance.
b.
Controllers will issue a detailed clearance when
they know that the original filed flight plan has been
changed or when the pilot requests a full route clear-
ance.
c.
The clearance as issued will include the destina-
tion airport filed in the flight plan.
d.
ATC procedures now require the controller to
state the DP name, the current number and the DP
transition name after the phrase “Cleared to (destina-
tion) airport” and prior to the phrase, “then as filed,”
for ALL departure clearances when the DP or DP
transition is to be flown. The procedures apply wheth-
er or not the DP is filed in the flight plan.
e.
STARs, when filed in a flight plan, are consid-
ered a part of the filed route of flight and will not
normally be stated in an initial departure clearance. If
the ARTCC’s jurisdictional airspace includes both
the departure airport and the fix where a STAR or
STAR transition begins, the STAR name, the current
number and the STAR transition name MAY be stated
in the initial clearance.
f.
“Cleared to (destination) airport as filed” does
NOT include the en route altitude filed in a flight plan.
An en route altitude will be stated in the clearance or
the pilot will be advised to expect an assigned or filed
altitude within a given time frame or at a certain point
after departure. This may be done verbally in the de-
parture instructions or stated in the DP.
g.
In both radar and nonradar environments, the
controller will state “Cleared to (destination) airport
as filed” or:
1.
If a DP or DP transition is to be flown, specify
the DP name, the current DP number, the DP transi-
tion name, the assigned altitude/flight level, and any
additional instructions (departure control frequency,
beacon code assignment, etc.) necessary to clear a de-
parting aircraft via the DP or DP transition and the
route filed.
EXAMPLE
−
National Seven Twenty cleared to Miami Airport Intercon-
tinental one departure, Lake Charles transition then as
filed, maintain Flight Level two seven zero.
2.
When there is no DP or when the pilot cannot
accept a DP, the controller will specify the assigned
altitude or flight level, and any additional instructions
necessary to clear a departing aircraft via an appropri-
ate departure routing and the route filed.
NOTE
−
A detailed departure route description or a radar vector
may be used to achieve the desired departure routing.
3.
If it is necessary to make a minor revision to
the filed route, the controller will specify the assigned
DP or DP transition (or departure routing), the revi-
sion to the filed route, the assigned altitude or flight
level and any additional instructions necessary to
clear a departing aircraft.
EXAMPLE
−
Jet Star One Four Two Four cleared to Atlanta Airport,
South Boston two departure then as filed except change
route to read South Boston Victor 20 Greensboro, maintain
one seven thousand.
4.
Additionally, in a nonradar environment, the
controller will specify one or more fixes, as neces-
sary, to identify the initial route of flight.
EXAMPLE
−
Cessna Three One Six Zero Foxtrot cleared to Charlotte
Airport as filed via Brooke, maintain seven thousand.