Clearance delivery at Class D?

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NoBShere

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NoBShere
looking at flying to an airport I have visited before, Napa. They have a published clearance delivery frequency. I haven't visited a class d with a cd frequency before, how common is it? Is it in use all the time? Thanks.
 
Where I fly out of, it's only used for IFR

ATIS will normally mention if you need to use Clearence delivery or not. Also check the US Chart Supplement (formerly known as the A/FD)
 
NoBShere said:
looking at flying to an airport I have visited before, Napa. They have a published clearance delivery frequency. I haven't visited a class d with a cd frequency before, how common is it? Is it in use all the time? Thanks.
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I am assuming you're VFR, so unless local,procedures dictate otherwise, there's no need to contact CD; just call ground when you're ready to leave and let them know what direction you're departing on initial call up. If they want you to call CD, they'll tell you.
 
NoBShere said:
how common is it?
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Not verry common but not unusual. There are a few out there with CD.

Brad Z said:
I am assuming you're VFR, so unless local,procedures dictate otherwise, there's no need to contact CD; just call ground when you're ready to leave and let them know what direction you're departing on initial call up. If they want you to call CD, they'll tell you.
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I assume the opposite. If there is CD, I start always with CD unless ATIS advises otherwise...but then again I am usually also looking for FF and a squawk on departure.
 
CD at the home Delta. Nobody but IFRs use it. Everyone else just contacts Ground per usual. It's just another frequency to get the long-winded clearances off of the busy ground freq. YMMV.
 
Thanks folks. I am vfr and will be requesting FF, I'll be near Oakland on the way home and like heads up regarding the their traffic.
 
My local 'drome has a CD which is only used for IFR; VFR folks just call ground on initial. As others have said, that's the norm for VFR unless otherwise specified on ATIS (which I haven't ever heard at a D, but have in several Cs).
 
I have been there a few times. It isn't real busy. For VFR, I think you just contact ground. It will be on the ATIS, if needed. I only remember having to do that a couple of class C's like Santa Barbara and Oakland. Even then, if you contact CD and it is wrong, they will just tell you to contact ground. Not a big deal.
 
Thanks. it was different to me so the old, lopsided wheels in my mind started turning.
 
NoBShere said:
looking at flying to an airport I have visited before, Napa. They have a published clearance delivery frequency. I haven't visited a class d with a cd frequency before, how common is it? Is it in use all the time? Thanks.
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Some do. Some don't. Some that do, it is in the tower. Some it is located at a nearby Approach control facility or Center. Those located in the tower are often combined with Ground controller. Some use it only for IFR Clearances. Many in Class C and B's want VFR's to use it. There is no Pat Answer. At Napa I would guess it's only used for IFR clearances, maybe only when the Tower is closed. It seems to be located at Oakland Center. When in Napa, do as the Naponians do.
 
mtuomi said:
Class B/C VFR = use CD, Class D = don't use CD.
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What he said. Class B=always, I don't ever recall a Class C where it wasn't required or a Class D where it was required. Technically the Class D tower guys CAN arrange FF, but I think it depends on workload whether they WILL. Most of the time at less busy towers, I'll request FF on ground freq when I call for taxi, adding "if you have time". If they have time, it's no biggie since most of the locations that come to mind are in the boondocks and the guy working departures is sitting right there in the cab. Around Denver, due to high workload, the SOP, at least at Centennial, is to obtain FF from TRACON after clearing the Delta. CD used for IFR only at Centennial. Last time I flew out of Napa I contacted NORCAL after departure with the request.
 
The way I figure it is, that if you need comms with the airspace around the tower, use CD. Clearance in class B will be the one who clears you out of(that is, clears you "in") class bravo, for example. And class C, it gives you the departure frequency you have to talk to to legally fly in the C around the field.
 
The only time I've seen a Delta where departing VFR traffic is required to call up CD is one with a TRSA, and KAPC does not appear to have a TRSA. That said, as others have indicated let the ATIS be your guide. If it does not say to contact CD then I would contact Ground instead. If they want you to contact CD after all they'll say so, no harm, no foul.
 
mtuomi said:
Class B/C VFR = use CD, Class D = don't use CD.
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Not at all that simple.

KOAK and KMRY do not use CD for VFR. KFAT does. All are Class C.

Listen to ATIS for a clue, and if you still don't know, contact CD. It's usually quieter than Ground and they'll just hand you off if you're wrong.
 
mtuomi said:
The way I figure it is, that if you need comms with the airspace around the tower, use CD. Clearance in class B will be the one who clears you out of(that is, clears you "in") class bravo, for example. And class C, it gives you the departure frequency you have to talk to to legally fly in the C around the field.
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Ground does the exact same thing in some C's. "Fly direct Mormon Temple remain below 2000 departure frequency 125.35 squawk 1234."
 
I've never been at a class D airport where VFR flight isn't arranged through ground control. As pointed out (and this is one of those pieces of local knowledge you'll need to know as it's rarely documented), some CD frequencies are direct to center/approach and only used when the local controllers aren't there (tower is closed).

While a tower/ground/CD controller can try to get you a squawk code, and you can certainly ask, it's often not done not just for "workload" issues but because the overlying radar facility just won't accept it. This was the case at HEF for years before the ADIZ/SFRA came along. Dulles would never give you a squawk in advance, even if you were heading into IAD. The tower would typically just give you a frequency change as soon as you broke ground so you could call them directly.
 
You won't get flight following on the ground at Napa. That's outside NorCal airspace, and Oakland Center doesn't seem to do that anywhere.
 
KFTW is D. They seem to be traffic dependent. Most days you can get FF on Ground, but on a busy weekend morning they'll say "contact xxx.xx with your request and report back ready to taxi"
 
mtuomi said:
Class B/C VFR = use CD, Class D = don't use CD.
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Provision of Class C services to departing VFR aircraft does not require a call to Clearance Delivery. There is nothing in the AIM that suggests that it does. That being said, there are facilities that do require it. Those that do so should put that information on their ATIS.
 
At my airport, only IFR uses CD. Every airport is different though.
 
I didn't realize KAPC even had a clearance delivery frequency. I've always gone through ground for IFR clearance.
 
KADS (Addison) has a CD frequency which, if active, is used for both IFR Clearance and VFR Flight Following. When the field is less busy, they combine CD and Ground on the Ground frequency. The two functions (setting up Flight Following and securing IFR Clearances) are never on separate frequencies.

As referenced above, you'll generally be told which to use in the ATIS message.
 
Timbeck2 said:
Sooooo boys and girls what we've learned here is:

1. Every airport is different.
2. Listen to the ATIS


Simple ain't it? :)
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Party pooper! I was hoping to get another 2 pages of "At my airport, we..." :D
 
Mr_peanut.png


Sorry. ;)
 
yep, get the atis, do what it says. got it.
 
NoBShere said:
yep, get the atis, do what it says. got it.
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Except for the time I checked the airport's official website for the noise abatement procedure. It said to call ground and didn't say anything about contacting CD. I got the d-ATIS and it didn't say anything about contacting ground or CD. So I called ground and they said to contact CD.
 
The airport I work at, BJC, has a CD frequency. Only the IFR guys use it. 99.999% of the time, the person working CD is also working GC.
 
If only there were some chart supplement or automated radio announcement to answer this question for a particular airport. ;-)
 
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