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JohnAJohnson

JohnAJohnson

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JohnAJohnson
When departing a Class D airport, when is it acceptable to leave the runway heading? If memory serves, Class C towers (or departure, after being handed off) will tell you when to resume, but I'm uncertain about the proper way to resume in Class D.
 
Normally when departing Class D , the tower requests your direction of flight, or you told them on initial call up, "XYZ tower, Nxxxx, request taxi, VFR to ZZZ with ATIS G".

Based on that, I normally get a "left/right turn approved" with my takeoff clearance. I would turn past departure end, about the same place you would turn if staying in the pattern.

Unless the tower requested differently
 
JohnAJohnson said:
When departing a Class D airport, when is it acceptable to leave the runway heading? If memory serves, Class C towers (or departure, after being handed off) will tell you when to resume, but I'm uncertain about the proper way to resume in Class D.
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Assuming VFR operations, if instructed to fly runway heading you do so until told otherwise or until you exit Class D airspace.
 
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I fly what they tell me to fly...if I get no instruction, I do my own thing...VFR of course.
 
You are on your "own navigation" as soon as you take off unless instructed otherwise.

If you are instructed to fly runway heading or other vector, fly it until told otherwise or you are out of Delta airspace.

When to turn if your destination is not on the runway heading when no instructions are given?...same as you would making a right or left crosswind turn like you were staying in the pattern.

I was always taught for any airport to imagine the traffic pattern box and exit from somewhere on the perimeter of the box (downwind departure, right X wind departure, ect...), not to take off then turn before the end of the runway and cross through the traffic pattern to depart. That is most critical with airports with parallel runways.

Once at a Delta with an 8000' runway I requested an "immediate right turn" after departure turn climb quickly and duck through some clouds that were building at 2000' right over the airfield and was granted request no problem.
 
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JohnAJohnson said:
When departing a Class D airport, when is it acceptable to leave the runway heading? If memory serves, Class C towers (or departure, after being handed off) will tell you when to resume, but I'm uncertain about the proper way to resume in Class D.
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It goes without saying (but I'm saying it anyway), once you cross the Class D boundary the tower loses interest in you and need not hear from you again (AIM 4-3-2(a). Those pilots who "request frequency change" have been led down the garden path by their instructors.

Bob Gardner
 
bobmrg said:
Those pilots who "request frequency change" have been led down the garden path by their instructors.
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No, it is not required...but if a I am on a frequency in communication with ANY controller, I am gonna let them know I am switching as a courtesy if I am gonna do it right away rather than just dropping off the "radar". I have had tower provide traffic advisories of other VFR traffic when I was outside their Delta airspace as I departed.

Now if I am 20 miles out without no communication up to that point, sure, no need to announce.
 
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So far, at the Class-D's I've flown into/out of recently , the tower controllers have always added "Turn left/right on course" or "fly runway heading until..." to my take off clearance.

When I ask for taxi clearance, I'm declaring my direction of departure. Then repeat the same for the tower controller when I'm ready to go. Covers the base when the ground controller didn't pass the strip to the tower guy.

The few times I haven't heard that, I fly the runway heading to the departure point (spot# 6 in the diagram) and turn from there. I do the same for uncontrolled fields.
 

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Yea, the last three D's I've been to have been silent on the issue. At each, when making my initial contact with ground, I've stated direct to destination (and usually asked for them to arrange a hand-off with flight following). After cleared to takeoff, at all three D's, there was no mention of runway heading, etc.. I contacted the first after a couple of miles and well above pattern altitude (but inside the D), and asked if I was free to resume, and she said yes, in a tone of, "Why are you asking me this?"

The next two, I just kind of guessed and made my turn as one would when departing the pattern at a pilot controlled field.

Good answers, thanks all.
 
Shawn said:
No, it is not required...but if a I am on a frequency in communication with ANY controller, I am gonna let them know I am switching as a courtesy if I am gonna do it right away rather than just dropping off the "radar". I have had tower provide traffic advisories of other VFR traffic when I was outside their Delta airspace as I departed.

Now if I am 20 miles out without no communication up to that point, sure, no need to announce.
Click to expand...

And a real good example of why this is a good idea is a west or southbound departure from KLVK. There is a lot of transitioning traffic in that valley, and getting advisories from Livermore Tower is really nice. Flight following is not so nice due to the very short duration and high jet traffic volume at higher altitude (it's under Class B and pretty close to two busy Class C's).
 
John, don't forget that some of this can be a "local tradition" thing.

If you are in a "new-to-you" towered field and aren't sure what they prefer, ask the ground controller. Often they aren't as busy as the guy on the tower frequency and will answer a question. Just preface with "I'm not a local, how do you guys prefer handling departure..."

The one time so far I did that, I got my answer and a "Thanks for asking".
 
AggieMike88 said:
John, don't forget that some of this can be a "local tradition" thing.

If you are in a "new-to-you" towered field and aren't sure what they prefer, ask the ground controller. Often they aren't as busy as the guy on the tower frequency and will answer a question. Just preface with "I'm not a local, how do you guys prefer handling departure..."

The one time so far I did that, I got my answer and a "Thanks for asking".
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Excellent tip Mike, thanks
 
MAKG1 said:
And a real good example of why this is a good idea is a west or southbound departure from KLVK. There is a lot of transitioning traffic in that valley, and getting advisories from Livermore Tower is really nice. Flight following is not so nice due to the very short duration and high jet traffic volume at higher altitude (it's under Class B and pretty close to two busy Class C's).
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If a tower controller sees that a departing flight might be in conflict with an incoming flight, s/he will say "Stay with me." Controller's authority does not extend beyond the Class D boundary.

Bob
 
bobmrg said:
It goes without saying (but I'm saying it anyway), once you cross the Class D boundary the tower loses interest in you and need not hear from you again (AIM 4-3-2(a). Those pilots who "request frequency change" have been led down the garden path by their instructors.

Bob Gardner
Click to expand...

In many instances our local Class D will call us with "freq change approved" if he's not otherwise busy. Departing to the west and SW out of VGT towards the hills, I like to stay on tower freq to hear calls from those coming around the west side of the Class B and calling tower, or exiting the canyon. It can get pretty congested there. The local tower has an approach radar scope in the tower and he will tell s of inbound traffic.

Knowing this, many inbounds will call tower miles out, coming up the west side of class b knowing that side of the valley gets congested with traffic remaining clear of the class b and the rocks farther west.
 
KSJT is particularly bad about this in west Texas, about half my flights heading home I'll receive nothing from tower crossing the Class D boundary (or even a couple miles past it) and I'll just call them up with "Clear of Class Delta, changing frequency."
 
airguy said:
KSJT is particularly bad about this in west Texas, about half my flights heading home I'll receive nothing from tower crossing the Class D boundary (or even a couple miles past it) and I'll just call them up with "Clear of Class Delta, changing frequency."
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The tower is not doing anything wrong, because there is no requirement to say "frequency change approved" when you leave class D airspace. And per AIM 4-3-2, you are not required to ask permission to leave the tower frequency once you are outside their surface area.
 
JohnAJohnson said:
When departing a Class D airport, when is it acceptable to leave the runway heading? If memory serves, Class C towers (or departure, after being handed off) will tell you when to resume, but I'm uncertain about the proper way to resume in Class D.
Click to expand...
.
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"Sacratomato Exec, Three Charlie Quebec turning on course and departing your frequency, have a great day."


Jim
 
Shawn said:
No, it is not required...but if a I am on a frequency in communication with ANY controller, I am gonna let them know I am switching as a courtesy if I am gonna do it right away rather than just dropping off the "radar". I have had tower provide traffic advisories of other VFR traffic when I was outside their Delta airspace as I departed.

Now if I am 20 miles out without no communication up to that point, sure, no need to announce.
Click to expand...

If everyone is making courtesy calls it's going to chew up a lot of bandwidth. I monitor the tower frequency until I know I'm out of their usual radar range (14 miles is where our tower usually sets their range.) They don't assume you're on freq beyond the D airspace, but will attempt to give advisories if you're still on their screen. I will usually get a "One Two Whiskey, are you still on frequency" call if that need arises.
 
We have one controller that will usually include "report clear of D" to her instructions. The rest don't seem to bother.
 
airguy said:
KSJT is particularly bad about this in west Texas, about half my flights heading home I'll receive nothing from tower crossing the Class D boundary (or even a couple miles past it) and I'll just call them up with "Clear of Class Delta, changing frequency."
Click to expand...

Even though the AIM tells you it is not necessary to do so? Why?

Bob Gardner
 
ScottK said:
We have one controller that will usually include "report clear of D" to her instructions. The rest don't seem to bother.
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You get that near KEAU, but I think that's because they don't have radar.
 
Unless otherwise told, I'll start my turn once I'm 700ft-ish above the departure end.

In terms of reporting clear of the Delta, if the airwaves are slow, I'll call up and say something like "Groton Tower, zero eight uniform is clear to the east, thank you and have a nice day." If they are busy then I'll switch freqs once clear on my own with no announcement.
 
airguy said:
Valid question - I was trained that way and never questioned it.
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In the realm of questionable things CFI's have occasionally taught people, I suppose this one is small potatoes.
 
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