IFR Communications

INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES WORKBOOK

CHAPTER EIGHT

altitude,

type of flight plan (VFR), and

destination airport.

Example:

Navy 6E432 was over the Crestview VORTAC at 1427, altitude 6,500 feet, enroute to NAS

Whiting Field on a VFR flight plan.

"CRESTVIEW RADIO, NAVY 6E432, CRESTVIEW 27, 6,500, VFR, NAVY WHITING."

IFR Communications

ATC has been delegated the responsibility to maintain air traffic separation of all aircraft flying

on an IFR clearance. Your aircraft will be under the control of ATC from takeoff until landing

DPC during the climb, ARTCC during the enroute phase, and APC during the descent into the

terminal area).

DPC/APCs are located at airports and ARTCCs are located strategically around the country. The

term ATC means one or all three collectively. As you will note in the text, the ATC clearance

which you first receive will be the basic enroute clearance from the ARTCC.

ARTCCs are capable of direct communications with IFR air traffic on certain frequencies.

Maximum communications coverage is possible through the use of remote center/air ground sites

comprised of VHF and UHF transmitters and receivers. These sites are located throughout the

United States and are indicated on the IFR Enroute Charts. Although the sites may be several

hundred miles away from the ARTCC, they are remoted to the centers by land lines or

microwave links. As IFR operations are expedited through the use of direct communications,

pilots are requested to use these frequencies strictly for communications pertinent to the control

of IFR aircraft. DPC, through the tower, will provide a specific departure clearance when you

are ready for takeoff, and APC will issue your approach clearance upon your arrival at your

destination.

Departure Control, through the tower, will provide a specific departure clearance when you are

ready for takeoff and Approach Control will issue your approach clearance upon your arrival at

your destination.

When a pilot flies a flight plan with base operations, the processing of the clearance begins.

Flight plans should be filed at least 30 minutes prior to your desired takeoff time. Base

operations personnel will relay the request to Air Traffic Control (normally via a Flight Service

Station) where it is placed in a computer with other clearance requests. The computer will

analyze flight times, routes, altitudes, etc., and grant a specific clearance to each aircraft. ATC

will relay this clearance to Ground Control/Clearance Delivery at the departure airport.

(Normally ATC will wait until the clearance is requested.) Ground Control/Clearance Delivery

INTRODUCTION TO GROUND, AIRBORNE, LOST COMMUNICATION, AND

EMERGENCY VOICE PROCEDURES 8-11