L5 - Clearances25-11-2005 | |
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L5 - Clearances25-11-2005 | |
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1 - Generalities : A clearance is an instruction given by an ATC facility when providing the control service (see L5-ATS for details about services). No clearance is given when providing the information and alert services. A pilot must comply with clearances given by ATC. However, if the pilot thinks he/she can't comply with it due to technical or safety reasons, the controller must be informed as soon as possible. 2 - Clearance delivery : a) Filing a flight plan is considered as a clearance request, particularly for IFR flights. This make the clearance delivery easier for the controllers because they know the pilot's intentions.
Particularly for IFR departures : there is a facility which is rarely activated on IVAO = xxxx_DEL, clearance delivery. It consists of giving IFR pilots their departure clearance including route (SID or DP if any), flight level, squawk code and usually confirmation of departure time (see L5-CTOT) and approach frequency to be contacted when airborne. Most of the time, the GND controller relays to the pilot the clearance decided by the approach controller (see L5-Coordination paragraph 4.2 and 6.1).
b) A pilot should be given a clearance before performing a controlled flight or the controlled part of a flight. This means a pilot : - can't depart IFR without a departure clearance. - can't enter a controlled airspace without being given a clearance from the relevant ATC.
On IVAO, things have to be adapted a little bit according the active ATCs. Here is an example : * You want to perform an IFR flight for your virtual airline from Dublin to Paris. * At the time you connect, you see that no IVAO ATC is available at Dublin nor in Irish/UK airspaces but Paris Center and De Gaulle Approach are active. * File an IFR flight plan anyway, indicating the proper routes and levels and depart from Dublin by your own. * Fly in Irish and UK airspaces according to your flightplan. * Before entering the French airspace, contact the controller activating Paris Center (should be LFFF_CTR) and advise him/her you are coming from an uncontrolled zone. Say your position, heading and level and request a clearance to enter the Paris Center area of responsability. A clearance must be obtained before entering a controlled airspace. * If your flightplan is correct (good route and level), there should be little difference between what you intended to do and what you will be instructed. You see how important it could be to file flightplans in a correct way. 3 - Clearance limit : a) A controller may give a clearance and a limit to this clearance : "Descend FL 90 XYZ VOR, clearance limit" (1). If the pilot does not receive any further clearance when reaching XYZ, he/she must hold over XYZ : - according to the published holding pattern if any. - on a route oriented pattern if no holding pattern is published. (if reaching XYZ on heading 150°, hold over XYZ with 150°/330° legs with left or right turns, whatever you think is the best). Do not continue your route until getting a new clearance. The controller certainly had a good reason to give a limit to his/her clearance. If you do not respect it, you could disturb the traffic. b) The controller does not give any limit to the clearance : "Descend FL 90 XYZ VOR" (1) If the pilot does not receive any further clearance when reaching XYZ, he/she must : - hold over XYZ if this VOR is a fix for the holding pattern associated with the arrival procedure. - continue the flight according to the flightplan in other cases. (1) Since the transition altitude in the US is 18,000 ft, the clearance would be "Descend 9,000 ft XYZ VOR". |
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