Class D VFR Clnc Del required if dedicated frequency?

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Delawareguy77

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Delawareguy77
If a class D airport (KPHF Newport News for example) has a dedicated clearance delivery frequency listed, is it required to make initial contact with them? This airport specifically has 2 military airfield on both sides so I wonder if this is required.
 
Delawareguy77 said:
If a class D airport (KPHF Newport News for example) has a dedicated clearance delivery frequency listed, is it required to make initial contact with them? This airport specifically has 2 military airfield on both sides so I wonder if this is required.
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Usually, the procedure is to listen to the ATIS for weather, which often includes instructions such as "VFR departures contact Clearance Delivery with route of flight and requested altitude."

So, yes, I'd contact Clearance with those details, and then call Ground for taxi clearance. I don't think the presence of military airfields has anything to do with this normal procedure.
 
Delawareguy77 said:
If a class D airport (KPHF Newport News for example) has a dedicated clearance delivery frequency listed, is it required to make initial contact with them? This airport specifically has 2 military airfield on both sides so I wonder if this is required.
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For VFR, not usually, unless it's inside a TRSA. If it's inside a TRSA it operates similar to a Class C.

Though some airports will arrange Flight Following for you on the ground if you ask. Clearance Delivery would be the place to do that.

BTW CD might not even be open at the time...always check ATIS first.
 
If you you’re VFR, there’s no point in calling them.
 
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Usually no. CD is primarily for IFR clearances, I know they exist, but in the 30+ years I’ve been flying, including based at one of the busiest Class Ds in the country, for 20 years I have never personally been at one. I would expect it to be mentioned on ATS If the airport wanted it.
 
If you're flying VFR in D and E, if you're not filing a flight plan, not getting flight following, I'm not sure what you'd say to them or ask of them.

I fly out of a class D (KRYY) that is under that Bravo ATL shelf. There is a clearance delivery frequency and phone number. But when flying VFR I've never called it because there is no reason.
 
I've never used CD in a D, when i've tried they just replied ground or contact ground, shrug.
 
midlifeflyer said:
Iincluding based at one of the busiest Class Ds in the country, for 20 years I have never personally been at one.
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What airport were you based at that is one of the busiest class d airports?
 
Delawareguy77 said:
If a class D airport (KPHF Newport News for example) has a dedicated clearance delivery frequency listed, is it required to make initial contact with them? This airport specifically has 2 military airfield on both sides so I wonder if this is required.
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At a joint use military/civilian class C (KCHS) I flew at, all VFR departures had to contact clearance delivery, provide a destination, altitude and get a transponder code in order to fly out.
 
If you want SVFR or OTP I’d call them first as well. They may or may not be the one issuing the clearance but it wouldn’t hurt to call.

Realize also that CD isn’t always in tower either. I did CD from a radar room and if a random VFR called, I wouldn’t have a clue about them. My strip board was full of IFRs. A lot of times there are requests (FF) that as pilots we think are going through CD is actually going through GD. Could be GD coordinating with TC (tower coordinator.)…if there is one.
 
If they want VFR departures to contact clearance delivery prior to taxi then they'll list it on the ATIS. If they haven't listen it on ATIS, it's there fault, not yours, that you called ground first.
 
Justin M said:
What airport were you based at that is one of the busiest class d airports?
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KAPA. And that’s without airline traffic. GA only. #18 of all airports in the US in 2023.
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Kinda funny. When I moved to North Carolina people at my nontowered new home base would talk about how they never flew into RDU because it was so busy. I pointed out that if you added RDU’s annual ops to another nearby Class C’s (GSO) ops and added another 100,000 per year, you’d get to what I was used to.

then there was the time I took a lesson at Atlanta’s PDK :D
 
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WDD said:
PDK should be a C.
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LOL! In the PDK lesson, the CFI warned me how busy it was. At the end, he asked what I thought. “Must be a quiet day today,” I said. I meant it, not being sarcastic. He looked at me like I was nuts.
 
The discussion is missing the two military airports, on either side of the airport, Newport News, in discussion.

I have departed VFR from an airport near an active military one, and asked for flight following, and described my flight destination. The controller advised a large formation of military inbound, arriving downwind, and flying a normal pattern, all jet transports. He suggested that I turn 90 degrees left, for 10 miles, then on course direct to my destination. I followed his request, and had quite a show as a long line of Hercules trundled slowly through the air.

Clearance delivery may try to co ordinate the active military traffic with the civilian pilots, to reduce the eyeball workload after you depart. Even if you will not be delayed for departure, it can be nice to know just what those other planes are going to do.

Pensacola in Florida has that service, and it was great to know that an airborne refueling training flight was inbound across my intended track, so delayed for a few minutes for the wake turbulence to settle. Purely voluntary on my part, but I have experienced in flight wakes twice, do not need any more.
 
Class Bs almost always want everybody on CD. Class C and below are a mixed bag. Absent a remark in the chart supplement or on the ATIS, you don't know unless you've been there before (or you can hear other people making the calls). I just call CD and take the "make that request with ground" advise if given.
 
flyingron said:
Class Bs almost always want everybody on CD. Class C and below are a mixed bag. Absent a remark in the chart supplement or on the ATIS, you don't know unless you've been there before (or you can hear other people making the calls). I just call CD and take the "make that request with ground" advise if given.
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B's are pretty universal on this since, after all, VFR flights need a "clearance" in Class B. Plus, Ground tends to be too busy with actual taxi instructions (CD vs Ground is all about division of work, nothing more).

I know Cs are a mixed bag. I recall hearing of one or two examples of Cs which don't want you to call CD but after almost 35 years have never been in one. Ron, do you know of any current examples?
 
RIC pretty much wants you to just make the request on ground the last few times I've been in there (but it's been a while).
COS was the same way.

There are probably others. I just take the "make that request with ground" and go on without worrying about it.
 
Our ground and tower are usually the same guy, and his frequencies are very busy. Figured it a favor to him to go through CD first so initial call up would be fast for taxi ...
 
Velocity173 said:
If you want SVFR or OTP I’d call them first as well. They may or may not be the one issuing the clearance but it wouldn’t hurt to call.
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In what circumstances would you not talk to clearance delivery to get a VFR-on-top clearance?
 
iamtheari said:
In what circumstances would you not talk to clearance delivery to get a VFR-on-top clearance?
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Well both GD and LC are completely qualified in issuing all the clearances that CD issues. They generally just don’t have the time. If it’s a filed IFR to a destination and the pilot requests OTP, that’s gonna show up on CD’s board. If it’s a non filed aircraft calling out of the blue and wanting a short range OTP, it can easily be handled by GD with coordination with TRACON. They can issue the clearance or even LC issue it in the hold short.
 
elvisAteMySandwich said:
At a joint use military/civilian class C (KCHS) I flew at, all VFR departures had to contact clearance delivery, provide a destination, altitude and get a transponder code in order to fly out.
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KCOS was that way when I flew out of there.
 
I find most dedicated CD frequencies are unmanned, and ground, or even tower monitors.
I believe they do want you to call, but if you don’t ground (or tower) accomplishes the same thing.
Even CD frequencies at large airports are somewhat deserted, as most airliners have PDC.
 
I fly out of a class C (KGRB) and have never once contacted Clearance/Delivery for a VFR flight.
 
Kevin Eggert said:
I fly out of a class C (KGRB) and have never once contacted Clearance/Delivery for a VFR flight.
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I usually do at Green Bay. Haven't been there for a few months, but I thought it was advised on the ATIS there. Perhaps it is combined with one controller handling Clearance Delivery and Ground.
 
dmspilot said:
For VFR, not usually, unless it's inside a TRSA. If it's inside a TRSA it operates similar to a Class C.

Though some airports will arrange Flight Following for you on the ground if you ask. Clearance Delivery would be the place to do that.

BTW CD might not even be open at the time...always check ATIS first.
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TRSA traffic service is not mandatory - nor is a transponder. If you are feeling antisocial, just call ground like any other class D.
 
Clip4 said:
TRSA traffic service is not mandatory - nor is a transponder. If you are feeling antisocial, just call ground like any other class D.
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And maybe be explicit about not wanting TRSA services. KFAR ground tends to give you a squawk code and departure frequency without prompting. As the classic song goes, “the air is polluted and the mayor’s a dork, they dress really bad and they think they’re New York.”
 
Lot of over thinking on the subject. Typical POA. If you require a clearance, call CD, if you don’t, call GD. It’s that simple.
 
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