NoHeat
En-Route
What is the nationwide phone no. to reach ATC for picking up an IFR clearance, the one that you would use when you are at an unpowered airport and are unable to do it by radio?
Phone number for IFR clearance
- Thread starter NoHeat
- Start date
HPNPilot1200
En-Route
FSS for IFR clearance pick up: 888-766-8267
gismo
Touchdown! Greaser!
Has LM's response time gotten any better on the clearance line? Last time I tried to use it it took 20 minutes to get through for a clearance and 30 minutes to cancel.
GauzeGuy
Pre-takeoff checklist
A couple weeks ago I called to cancel and later to pick up a new clearance. Got through in about 30 seconds each time.
Friday night I used the 800-WX-BRIEF and got my clearance in just a couple of minutes.
HPNPilot1200
En-Route
It varies. Today, I called and had a live person in under 2 minutes.
gismo
Touchdown! Greaser!
I don't use LM (FSS or clearance) a lot and I too have had good and bad experiences. It's rare that I have to wait more than a minute calling for a briefing but it almost seems like the "fast" clearance delivery number is more likely to be slow, go figure.
I only occasionally use the WATS Clearance Delivery number, but the wait is typically a minute or two, have never been made to wait a long time.
NoHeat
En-Route
I didn't know that you could pick up an IFR clearance from a briefer at that phone no.
matthammer
Pre-takeoff checklist
I had a similar experience last time I tried to cancel through the FSS clearance number. After 15 minutes of waiting I gave up, hung up, flipped on the avionics master, and asked someone to relay my cancellation. Took me all of 20 seconds to get confirmation that my cancellation was received that way.
midlifeflyer
Touchdown! Greaser!
It's been available that way for, I think, as long as the WX-BRIEF phone number has been available. I used it during my instrument training more than 20 years ago.
The dedicated CD number is like Flight Watch - a more direct way into the system for a specific task.
dell30rb
Final Approach
Average about 5 minutes to get someone on the phone, and anywhere from 2-10 minutes for them to get back to me with a clearance
Dave Siciliano
Final Approach
I called from Wisconsin Dells on Monday. The first time, I went through the location drill, line was transferred and person answering couldn't hear me and hung up. Second time worked; took a total of 7 minutes according to my phone log. Got a ten minute void time which allowed me to start, taxi off and depart. Very little or not traffic in the area with 500 foot ceilings. The void time issue is still bothersome rather than just talking to approach, but it worked. One has to decide to be ready to go at the end of the runway and risk having to taxi back and shut down if there's a long delay, or get everything ready but not start and call like I did with a long enough time to start, taxi out and depart.
Best,
Dave
Best,
Dave
BigATC
Filing Flight Plan
When you go through FSS, the person then calls the appropriate ATC facility/sector for the clearance. I try to get coworkers to give longer void times when able but it's hard to get people to change sometimes. Some of the automated systems seem to work pretty well, seemingly, but you still need a release and a lot of airports don't have good radio coverage to the overlying ATC facility.