KMSO \HTTI/ KMSO
"Cleared for Takeoff" & Procedures 1/23/06
By MTN199 Chad
All pilots: Just thought I'd spend a few minutes and
discuss one of the many soapboxes I experience as an online ATC.
Specifically I want to address what a pilot is expected to do when told
"Cleared for takeoff."
The common misconception I'm seeing is
that many, many online pilots think the words "cleared for takeoff" mean
"fly runway heading." This could NOT be further from the truth. To
emphasize, "cleared for takeoff" does NOT mean "fly runway heading."
So if you're sitting there in your lonely cockpit at an airport and
tower merely provides wind and says "cleared for takeoff," what are you
expected to do? It depends on the clearance you were given when you
requested clearance. Let's look at a few possibilities:
1) Flying
VFR -- If you're at an airport with ATC and you request a VFR departure,
it's expected the controller will provide specific guidance in either a)
initial clearance, or b) upon takeoff. During initial clearance you may
be told "make left traffic" or "fly heading 150, remain east of I-15" or
something similar. A clearance provided at takeoff may be similar, like
"make right traffic, depart the pattern southeast bound, cleared for
takeoff." Keep in mind, though, that if you indicated on your initial
call to ATC that you were "departing to the south" and you're line up
with a runway facing southward, some ATCs may simply assume that you'll
fly on course. If in doubt, ASK!
2) Flying IFR with a departure
procedure -- Let's utilize the SEVYR1 departure at SLC. Review this
diagram and guess what the heading is you should be flying if instructed
merely "cleared for takeoff":
If you guessed 260º, you're right. No, it's not "runway
heading." Notice the solid black line leading from the airport? Yep,
that's it. If there was any doubt, review page two of the same departure
procedure:
Notice the procedure begins with "Fly heading 260º or as
assigned...." There's no question about it. So this elevates the
responsibility of each pilot to ensure they understand a departure
procedure BEFORE they leave the gate. If a pilot never hears a specific
heading to fly, he/she had better fly the departure procedure as it was
designed. Remember that there are both graphical and text departure
procedures.
3) Flying IFR without a departure procedure -- When
there isn't a departure procedure OR ATC has not assigned a procedure,
it is the pilot's responsibility to established himself/herself on the
filed route. This is normally when ATC clears you "as filed." This is
quite literal. ATC is saying once you leave the runway, we expect you to
establish yourself on your filed route. This also means it is your own
responsibility to maintain terrain and obstacle clearance.
One
important note: Remember that text departure procedures are NOT placed
in a flightplan AND they do not have a name, yet they are flown a) when
assigned by ATC, b) if weather mandates their use, or c) pilot chooses
to fly the procedure. I'm very serious when I say as an ATC that the
pilot has his/her own discretion to either fly a text departure
procedure or simply fly to their first waypoint. Yes, ATC protects the
airspace as if either choice is made. Let's look at an example, just to
help out. Look at Cedar City's departure procedure:
The
instructions for Cedar City are (let's assume runway 20): "turn right...
climb direct to CDC VOR/DME, continue climb to 9000 via R-348
Northbound, continue on course. All others reverse course, climb to
cross CDC VOR/DME at or above the MCA for direction of flight." To
emphasize, this means if you are encountering IFR conditions at/below
the MCA, you are REQUIRED to fly this departure procedure regardless of
whether ATC assigns it. If you are flying in VFR conditions, it is the
option of the pilot to either fly or not fly the procedure. Oh, and if
the procedure is in fact assigned by ATC, it would be called the "Cedar
City Departure Procedure" over the radio.
That's about it.
Hopefully you will all learn something from this little "soapbox."
See you up there.
MTN199, Chad