Foreflight pre-departure clearance - is there a cheaper way?

Are clearances also issued over CPDLC? I assume the airports that have it are equally sparse?

Yes, with the added advantage that the route is programmed directly into your fms. They can also send reroutes, and send more than on flight plan per day per tail.

Not sure of the number of airports with cpdlc vs pdc, but I do know every airport I’ve been to that has or had PDC now has cpdlc.
 
Yes, with the added advantage that the route is programmed directly into your fms. They can also send reroutes, and send more than on flight plan per day per tail.

Not sure of the number of airports with cpdlc vs pdc, but I do know every airport I’ve been to that has or had PDC now has cpdlc.

What kind of equipment is required for CPDLC? I'm guessing it's not something we'll be seeing in our bugsmashers any time soon, or even the smaller turbine birds?
 
What kind of equipment is required for CPDLC? I'm guessing it's not something we'll be seeing in our bugsmashers any time soon, or even the smaller turbine birds?

Fore flight is close to this, I file, and it responds that the plan has been received. Sometimes an updated route comes back. I can send either to the FMS via Bluetooth. Works well, unless ATC updates again when I get my clearance.
 
What kind of equipment is required for CPDLC? I'm guessing it's not something we'll be seeing in our bugsmashers any time soon, or even the smaller turbine birds?

I have no idea, but your probably right. Things like Garmin Inreach do have the potential to make this available in the piston world, but we’re not exactly a priority for the FAA.
 
What kind of equipment is required for CPDLC? I'm guessing it's not something we'll be seeing in our bugsmashers any time soon, or even the smaller turbine birds?

yes it requires a lot of avionics, to put it bluntly. You would also need an LOA from the FAA. I think Garmin 5000 is the “lightest” avionics system to be prepped for it.
 
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