Flying from Delta through Charlie comms

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Ashara Keliyn

Pre-takeoff checklist
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Ashara
Taking off from Delta that's surrounded (for the most part) by Charlie. Have flight following. "Fly runway heading, at or below 3000, squak xxxx, etc". I take off, climbing. Delta's tower tells me to switch to Charie's frequency for transition. Charlie is so busy I can't even key in and the landmark that indicates the border between Delta and Charie is fast approaching. Don't even have time to switch back to Delta. What do I do? Can't do 360 (someone might be taking off behind me). Can't bust Charlie. Can't turn crosswind.
 
Class D 91.129(c)(2) Departing flight. Each person—
(i) From the primary airport or satellite airport with an operating control tower must establish and maintain two-way radio communications with the control tower, and thereafter as instructed by ATC while operating in the Class D airspace area;

Class C
91.130(c)(1). Arrival or through flight. Each person must establish two-way radio communications with the ATC facility (including foreign ATC in the case of foreign airspace designated in the United States) providing air traffic services prior to entering that airspace and thereafter maintain those communications while within that airspace.
 
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I'm having trouble imagining a scenario so dire that you have no option but to choose which reg to violate. Which airport is it? Or is this made up?
 
This happened a lot at the airport I used keep my airplane at and we would orbit/360; if possible we would tell the controller for the airspace that we were presently in that we were going to do that as soon as we thought it was going to be necessary. They would give you a brasher if you just went in without establishing 2 way comms so apparently they preferred you to orbit (never got one but heard it several times). Happened going from the D into the C but more often from the C with into the D tower that tried to have 10 planes in the pattern with 10 transients. There were SATR altitude restrictions at this place which made it more complex.
 
Your in class D. Stay in class D until class C clearance?
 
If you really want a challenge fly a delta heading to a Charlie and bravo. Come to Sarasota Florida and try to work Tampa.
 
Are you sure tower didn’t arrange it already? Fly out of BAF and they usually already worked it out with BDL
 
TommyG said:
Are you sure tower didn’t arrange it already? Fly out of BAF and they usually already worked it out with BDL
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But that doesn't satisfy the two way communication which is the crux of the matter.
 
Ashara Keliyn said:
WHP through BUR
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I don't see an LOA specifically addressing a WHP-BUR flight, but having a squawk code could imply the transition has already been coordinated. You can call the controller on the phone beforehand and ask how it should be handled, or you can avoid backing yourself into a corner by telling WHP you want to depart to the North/Northwest so you can exit Class D airspace and establish comms with the correct controller.
 
Playing around with google maps, it looks like the distance from the end of the runway to the class D/C boundary is just over one mile. After the handoff, that doesn't give you much time to contact BUR before entering their airspace. The alternative is deviating from WHP's "runway heading" instruction while not on their frequency which would probably **** of WHP tower.

If people are given runway heading when departing runway 12, you would think that WHP would coordinate those departures with BUR and provide clearance to enter the class charlie airspace.
 
You are not "busting Charlie" when you are flying into it following an ATC instruction.
 
Ashara Keliyn said:
This will be deviation from "Fly runway heading" instruction.
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I'm suggesting that flying around be your plan that you communicate to ATC with your flight following request.

Or, since you're already talking to ground or clearance delivery for the flight following request, why not just ask them if they're coordinating your transit of the BUR C? If they say no, then just ask them what they'd like you to do if you're unable to establish two-way comms.
 
You could also ask other local pilots, since surely you're not the only one who's encountered this.
 
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