ForeFlight now has “local” phone numbers for clearance delivery

[AggieMike88]

screen shot of a tweet sent out by @CodeMonkey Tyson Weihs.

The national and flight service number is still an option. But knowing the “local” number often provides a better level of service.

 

[JOhnH]

We could have used that a lot in the past month. How long has it been available?

 

[Somedudeintn]

Interesting... at my home airport there is an RCO frequency for Knoxville clearance delivery but the phone number posted goes to Atlanta clearance delivery.

I’ll have to call the next time I file out of there.

 

[chartbundle]

So Foreflight has the data that the FAA just finished added to the Chart Supplement books... at least you don't have to go to the PDF. (Apparently the FAA is also working on getting the various GCOs listed as well, like my home field where the only way to find out about it was to walk into the FBO and ask.)

 

[RussR]

I assume Foreflight is just accessing an FAA database, the same used to put the numbers in the AFD.

What I can't figure out is the FAA's process for determining these phone numbers. Some of them don't seem consistent or reasonable. As an example local to me of what I mean, HSD and RCE are just next to the edge of the OKC Class C. The CD contact number is Fort Worth Center. But F92 and 99F which are further away from the Class C say to contact OKC approach. But RQO, which is right next to 99F, lists the Center number.

The only difference I can see is that in these examples, the ones saying to contact OKC approach are VFR-only airports, where the ones with instrument approaches say to contact Ft Worth. All of them are within OKC approach's airspace. I wonder if I call the Center number if I get forwarded, clearance relayed, or told to call OKC approach. We've been calling OKC approach directly around here for years.

 

[dmspilot]

What I can't figure out is the FAA's process for determining these phone numbers. Some of them don't seem consistent or reasonable.

Same here. My home airport lists Potomac Approach for Approach and Departure. It also has an (unpublished) GCO which goes to Potomac Approach. Yet the chart supplement for clearance delivery gives the phone number for Norfolk Approach.

 

[AggieMike88]

We could have used that a lot in the past month. How long has it been available?

Some of the numbers were there, but just not widespread to all of the airports in the database.

I think what Tyson is telling us is that FF now has all of the correct regional numbers correctly associated with all of the US airports in the database

 

[AggieMike88]

We've been calling OKC approach directly around here for years.

Which is very useful local knowledge and I bet still works just fine.

And you folks are probably correct that FF is taking the info from the AFD and making it “more easily accessible” for folks that use their app.

 

[John Collins]

And you folks are probably correct that FF is taking the info from the AFD and making it “more easily accessible” for folks that use their app.

Partly correct. Private airports don't have an entry in the Chart Supplement AFD. Phone numbers in the Frequencies Tab are more readable than those in the AFD and ForeFlight includes the private airport phone numbers. If you use an iPhone with ForeFlight on it, you can tap the phone number and dial it. Here is an example at a nearby grass private strip. Three taps from the Map view, tap on the airport, tap on the phone number, tap dial and vola, you are calling clearance delivery.

 

[N1120A]

This is all part of the move to stop using FSS for clearance delivery. They are publishing the numbers in the A/FD and that will then get published by the EFBs

 

[John Collins]

This is all part of the move to stop using FSS for clearance delivery. They are publishing the numbers in the A/FD and that will then get published by the EFBs

True, but only about a quarter of the airports that have phone numbers are in the AFD. Private airports are not published in the AFD. AFAIK, only ForeFlight has published both public and private airports and included them in the Airport Clearance Delivery tab where they can be used by tapping on the number to dial on an iPhone.

 

[Dave Theisen]

The national and flight service number is still an option. But knowing the “local” number often provides a better level of service.

Not true, the National Clearance Delivery number is gone.