I've fumbled my way through this before but this time I'm planning on renting a 172 in Florida to explore some private fly in community airstrips and I want to do it right. If you're landing/departing a grass strip under the class b or c shelf but wanting to go through it on departure, how do you go about getting a clearance? In the past I've called departure freq. after taking off to get through their airspace but sometimes it's too busy. Can you call them via phone? How hard is it to raise them from the ground 8 miles away? Is there a standard protocol used?

Look in the AFD, sometimes there is a clearance delivery freq listed. Might not work if it's listed for the class b or c airport & you're at a nearby field though. My procedure here at a strip I fly in/out of regularly that's under a class C shelf is to take off with a call on the CTAF, then switch to the approach freq once I'm airborne if I want to enter their airspace. Sometimes a short delay if they're busy, but it's not usually a big deal to orbit once or twice waiting for them to get to me.

The other option is to simply call on the tower freq as that's who's airspace you want to go thru. If you call approach control the very first thing he has to do is call the tower on the landline to coordinate your passage.

Bonanza Man wrote:The other option is to simply call on the tower freq as that's who's airspace you want to go thru. If you call approach control the very first thing he has to do is call the tower on the landline to coordinate your passage.

I usually end up doing what hotrod does but that seems awkward. So if you contact the tower direct they'll give you a squawk code and departure route? I can see that working in c space but what about bravo?

That can work for either B or C. Tower controllers at both are also radar controllers. The tower controller always has the option of working you thru his airspace or sending you to approach control. He may give you a squawk code or simply have you squawk 1200 and have you ident to nail down your position. Then as for the transition it's what ever the situation dictates. It may be as simple as "proceed on course" to more detailed instructions for traffic.

Thanks. I need to get a tour through ATC someday so I understand how it all works.

At my local class c (NAS Whidbey), you deal with approach. The only time you talk to the tower controller is when you want/need to go through the class c surface area down low and the tower has military aircraft operating, and you only call him/her when approach tells you to.

hotrod150 wrote:At my local class c (NAS Whidbey), you deal with approach. The only time you talk to the tower controller is when you want/need to go through the class c surface area down low and the tower has military aircraft operating, and you only call him/her when approach tells you to.

It's possible, although not likely at Whidbey, that the tower owns no airspace at all. More than likely it is a military policy thing. The one I am familiar with is Spokane and Fairchild AFB. Fairchild has to get permission from Spokane approach control to use any airspace at all, even touch and goes in the pattern. Nobody flys at Fairchild without Spokane Approach approving it first.

In the San Francisco Bay Area, if I recall correctly I used to just call the tower at San Carlos (a couple miles south of SFO) where I was based and tell them my intentions. They would give me a discreet squawk then I would take off and just get handed off tower to tower until I was out of Class B or C. I never talked to departure. Then I would get a release to go 1200 and resume own navigation. Lots of frequency changes.

Coming in I think we called Bay Approach mostly, got a squawk and brief instruction. "Maintain 3000 feet, remain this frequency, proceed direct Napa, direct Alameda NAS, Direct Fremont,(Correction, Hayward!) then contact San Carlos 119.7. They would call traffic and I would respond. No contact with anybody else even though I was at the top of their airspace. During southerly flow you'Id look off your left wingtip and there would be a 747 about half a mile away on decent into OAK. I don't think we even had to tell approach we were leaving frequency. San Carlos would give a new squawk and let approach know we were in contact.

Don't most satellites have some sort of way to burrow your way out from under the thumb of the major?

Seems to me they stopped the Bay Tracon tours after 911.

Just remember that to enter Charlie airspace, you only have to have established two way radio communications with ATC. To enter Bravo airspace, you have to be CLEARED to enter the airspace.

A subtle but essential difference.

Bonanza man gives good advice. If you call tower first and they don't want to deal with someone transitting their airspace, they'll tell you to talk to approach. Or talk to Approach up front.

I generally talk to Approach UNLESS I'm taking off from a field that's INSIDE the surface area itself, in which case you should always be talking to the tower in my opinion, at least.

MTV

Thanks for the advice. I haven't flown a lot of busy airspace to know if all busy places have this but I really like the California system. Once you're with NorCal or SoCal, they take you all the way to your destination.

Idaho seems to have a sloppy hand-off system, half the time when SLC passes me to Boise, the tower doesn't know why I'm checking in or why I have a squawk code.

I'll try contacting the tower direct next time instead of clearance delivery. The hard part for me about making arrangements after takeoff, is talking with the traffic at my departure airport while trying to get an altitude and squawk from C space. I haven't had the nerve to ask a tower operator to standby so I can tell the student in the tomahawk to quit asking me if still see him.

Nosedragger wrote: so I can tell the student in the tomahawk to quit asking me if still see him.

Just announce a frequency change on the 45. I don't think there is a requirement to monitor the CTAF. I'm not sure a radio is required at a purple dot. Note to self: get a new FAR/AIM.

Oh ya, I'm due for a new Far/Aim too. I might have saved $30 by skipping last year come to think of it.

Emory Bored wrote:.... I don't think there is a requirement to monitor the CTAF. I'm not sure a radio is required at a purple dot.....

Correct on both cases re: no requirement, though sometimes it's a darn good idea to monitor the CTAF. Esp with students asking "can you still see me?" --whch sounds to me like he CAN'T see you!