Here is a tip (Route Clearance different than filed clearance?)

[Jeff S KDTW]

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]I've mentioned this tip to a few other instrument pilots who have found it very helpful, so I thought I would pass it along to everyone else here (a cross post from other forums).

Question: Have you ever been surprised when you receive your IFR clearance and find out that you didn't get the route you filed for? Have you had to pull out the chart to find the waypoints, load a new flightplan, and/or negotiate a reroute because you couldn't accept the new route given? Often times this is done while the engine(s) are turning and the Hobbs is ticking.

Well, for those of you who are registered at www.flightaware.com , you probably know you can set it up to alert you when a particular aircraft (via N number) files a flightplan, departs, and lands. But, you may not know that you can use this alert function to your advantage. Specifically, you can have flightaware alert you when a flightplan is filed for the aircraft you will be flying. The alert can be sent to you via email (particularly helpful is you have an email-enabled mobile phone). What is most useful about this is that the email will contain the route you will be given, not necessarily what you filed for. Thus, while you're still on the ground and before you start the engine(s), you can review the route/charts/etc and set up the cockpit knowing what you are going to receive.

Additionally, when you receive your clearance, it becomes much easier to read back, with no need for clarification on identifiers, etc.

How do you set it up? Simply pull up the N number aircraft on flightaware and, next to the number at the top of the display, click on Alert Me. You'll be given the choice of what you want to be alerted about--choose at least the 'Scheduled' option.

Hope this helps.[/FONT]

 

[TangoWhiskey]

Jeff,

That's a good tip! How far in advance of the departure time do you see the "actual" routing you're going to receive?

 

[flyersfan31]

No ship?!!!! That is an awesome tip! Imo gonna try that one out soon.

 

[gprellwitz]

Cool, Thanks! I'm going to try that on my Angel Flight this Sunday!

 

[Jeff S KDTW]

Jeff,

That's a good tip! How far in advance of the departure time do you see the "actual" routing you're going to receive?

About two hours from your departure time (or about 30 minutes after filing if you filed less than 2 hours before departure). It is really a factor of when the FP is routed to the controlling agency. Once the controlling agency receives it and processes it, it is then available for flightaware to pick up.

 

[SCCutler]

Jeff, this is s real cool find. Thanks!

 

[Ken Ibold]

I'm inferring ... it only tells you if your clearance will be changed when you first get it, and does not alert you to potential reroutes 2-3 controllers down the line. Right?

 

[Jeff S KDTW]

I'm inferring ... it only tells you if your clearance will be changed when you first get it, and does not alert you to potential reroutes 2-3 controllers down the line. Right?

Correctamundo, Ken.

What you are really receiving here is the computer generated (and perhap human tweaked (?), but I'm unsure) route output from ATC. More times than not, the CD controller issues you exactly what the computer outputted (with the addition of Runway Heading and Expect Radar Vectors To). That's where this is helpful.

However, there are limitations. The CD controller may amend the route outputted from the computer before issuing it to you or the enroute controllers may amend your route on the fly (pun intended). However, this is rare. This will NOT be reflected in the computer generated initial clearance.

That being said, I've still found this extremely useful in simplifying my clearance copying/readback and initial cockpit setup.

 

[Ken Ibold]

The CD controller may amend the route outputted from the computer before issuing it to you or the enroute controllers may amend your route on the fly (pun intended). However, this is rare. This will NOT be reflected in the computer generated initial clearance.

Thaks, I'm gonna try this. But in this part of the world, en route reroutes are very common, due in large part I think to Atlanta traffic but also because of the vast amount of military airspace going hot or cold.

 

[Jeff S KDTW]

Yup, there are no promises as to enroute reroutes--as you said, the reason for such reroutes could be any one of a number of dynamic reasons such as traffic issues, MOAs, etc.

 

[SkyHog]

That's pretty dang spiffy. I wish I had my IR so I could try it out. Thanks for passing the info along, Jeff. I KNOW there will be a large chunk of people that find good use of this knowledge

 

[Teller1900]

If I could add to this:

www.fltplan.com

You can use this site to build (and file) a flight plan (IFR or VFR), check wx and NOTAMs for the route, and, within usually 5-10 minutes of filing, it spits out the route that the center computer has given you. You do have to sign up for it (so you can save your info and a/c number/performance info) but it's completely FREE! It's like DUATS, aviationweather.com, and this function on flightaware combined...I love it.

 

[HPNPilot1200]

If I could add to this:

www.fltplan.com

You can use this site to build (and file) a flight plan (IFR or VFR), check wx and NOTAMs for the route, and, within usually 5-10 minutes of filing, it spits out the route that the center computer has given you. You do have to sign up for it (so you can save your info and a/c number/performance info) but it's completely FREE! It's like DUATS, aviationweather.com, and this function on flightaware combined...I love it.

Also highly recommend it. I was going to post it earlier, but ran out of time. Great site...use it to file all of my flight plans and the last minute ones my dad has me file for him.

 

[Lance F]

FWIW, on my flight today the flightaware.com email listed something other than the filed route. Took off VFR and got the clearance in the air. That clearance was "as filed." Go figure.

 

[Jeff S KDTW]

Clearly, the usefulness of this "trick" is really only as good as the consistency of which the CD controller gives you the computer generated clearance. If the CD controller changes the clearance him/herself or the enroute controller changes/simplifies the clearance (with "as filed"), then there are certainly no guarantees. I suspect this is also region specific.

The Flightaware email is a snapshot of the computer generated clearance, which might be different than the "as filed" clearance.

 

[Everskyward]

If I could add to this:

www.fltplan.com

You can use this site to build (and file) a flight plan (IFR or VFR), check wx and NOTAMs for the route, and, within usually 5-10 minutes of filing, it spits out the route that the center computer has given you.

The other good thing about fltplan.com is that if you are flying between fairly well-traveled airport pairs it will give you a list of recently assigned ATC routings so you can have a clue about what to file and what to expect.