IFR clearance phone number?

bobmrg said:
To the best of my knowledge, the national number is for FILING, not for picking up clearances. That's because terminal airspace is regional, not national
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888 766 8267 IS the National Clearance Delivery Number. You pick up the clearance "ATC CLEARS..." via that though in some airspaces it can be daunting. Filing is done via the regular 800WXBRIEF number and file with the briefer. The old "Fast File" option is gone.

The only hard routed numbers are the special "Leesburg" number for the FRZ and a new non-toll-free lines for border crossings.
 
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Bob, I have to disagree as well. I've never heard any implication that the number is for filing only. Given that TRACON phone numbers aren't published in a central repository, how are pilots supposed to pick up clearances from non-towered fields which don't have an RCO/GCO?

When I call the number, I receive generally good service. They either relay the clearance to me, "ATC clears..." (as stated above), or they politely give me the local TRACON phone number and say, "they've asked us to have you call them directly..."

At no point have I gotten the feeling that they felt I shouldn't have called the 800 number to begin with.
 
Sounds like some folks are taking the last sentence of Bob's post out of context. The post he was replying to was talking about calling LockMart FSS. I suspect he was referring to THAT number (not the national CD number), and if so, then he was correct, it is not for picking up clearances.

Also, note that the national CD number is an 888 number, not an 800; LockMart FSS is 1-800-WX-BRIEF.
 
MAKG1 said:
I agree it's weird. We interpreted to mean you must use circling minimums even for a straight-in.

If you want even weirder, the circling minimums were exactly the same as the straight in minimums, for all categories.

http://155.178.201.160/d-tpp/1606/09480R34.PDF

Under these circumstances, why not just publish circling minimums only?
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Based on my experience, I suspect there may be 135 operators out there with opspecs that forbid them from flying approaches with circling minimums only.
 
Brad Z said:
Based on my experience, I suspect there may be 135 operators out there with opspecs that forbid them from flying approaches with circling minimums only.
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To THAT airport? I suppose, but it really is the middle of nowhere, and it's hard to imagine any air taxi going there.
 
MAKG1 said:
To THAT airport? I suppose, but it really is the middle of nowhere, and it's hard to imagine any air taxi going there.
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As a general policy, FAA flight procedures will keep both unless there's something that prevents the airport from having straight in approaches at all (i.e. VFR runway markings, 20:1 surface obstructions, etc.).

Disclaimer: I'm not a TERPS expert and my knowledge in approach design and policy is about 10 years old.
 
azure said:
Sounds like some folks are taking the last sentence of Bob's post out of context. The post he was replying to was talking about calling LockMart FSS. I suspect he was referring to THAT number (not the national CD number), and if so, then he was correct, it is not for picking up clearances.

Also, note that the national CD number is an 888 number, not an 800; LockMart FSS is 1-800-WX-BRIEF.
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Yeah, might have been a small lack of clarity in the use if the term "national" number. That term seems to be generally used by most of us to refer to the 888 CD number rather than the 800 flight service number. As in, I call "Lockmart" or I call "Flight Service" for weather or filing, but call "National Clearance Delivery" to pick up an IFR clearance.

I have no doubt Bob knows the difference between the two.
 
Even with the correction to Bob's post, I disagree. Nothing improper about picking up a clearance from 800WXBRIEF the CD number is just an express lane for clearances only. If I want weather update and my clearance, I'll call the 800WXBRIEF number and it's never been a problem for the briefer to get me my clearance.
 
flyingron said:
Even with the correction to Bob's post, I disagree. Nothing improper about picking up a clearance from 800WXBRIEF the CD number is just an express lane for clearances only. If I want weather update and my clearance, I'll call the 800WXBRIEF number and it's never been a problem for the briefer to get me my clearance.
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I guess you are right. Like Flight Watch (was), the 888 CD number is just a dedicated line with a specific function. It doesn't necessarily take away the ability to use the general number.

I don't use WXBRIEF for that 'cuz I figure if 888-CD is going to be busy, WXBRIEF will be even busier. That, of course, may be changing as we rely more and more on weather briefing sources other than the telephone.
 
I've actually used 1800WXBRIEF twice to get my clearance. They put me on hold and then relayed the information to me with a void time.

In one case they had me call the TRACON for the clearance, which worked out well with a Bluetooth headset. I was already at the end of the runway so, when they asked me when I'd be departing I said something like 30 seconds :).
 
Caramon13 said:
I've actually used 1800WXBRIEF twice to get my clearance. They put me on hold and then relayed the information to me with a void time.

In one case they had me call the TRACON for the clearance, which worked out well with a Bluetooth headset. I was already at the end of the runway so, when they asked me when I'd be departing I said something like 30 seconds :).
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Interesting, I didn't know you could do that and never heard of anyone using WXBRIEF for clearances. Not sure why anyone would use it when the 1-888 number is intended for that purpose, but I guess I stand corrected on that point.
 
azure said:
Interesting, I didn't know you could do that and never heard of anyone using WXBRIEF for clearances. Not sure why anyone would use it when the 1-888 number is intended for that purpose, but I guess I stand corrected on that point.
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Me too, azure.

Bob
 
azure said:
Interesting, I didn't know you could do that and never heard of anyone using WXBRIEF for clearances. Not sure why anyone would use it when the 1-888 number is intended for that purpose, but I guess I stand corrected on that point.
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I did it once on a CAP mission. I was very far away from any WiFi and needed a weather briefing update as I could see some nice convective cells forming over the mountains. I used it to file an IFR flight plan and get a clearance as well, when the briefing showed a broken ceiling at the destination. Got a 20 minute void time, just like calling FSS on the radio.
 
azure said:
Interesting, I didn't know you could do that and never heard of anyone using WXBRIEF for clearances. Not sure why anyone would use it when the 1-888 number is intended for that purpose, but I guess I stand corrected on that point.
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To come to mind immediately:
  1. Lost the number and remembered WXBRIEF?
  2. Had been flying in and out of towered airports for a long time and either didn't know or forgot it even existed?
I that second one, I still see plenty of questions about how to get a clearance from an airport with no CD frequency from pilots who come across the situation rarely or forgot the little instruction they received on it. On the little instruction, a lot CFIIs file round robin flight plans for the only IFR cross country required for the rating instead of using one nontowered field for a landing and a need to get a clearance of this type. It's entirely possible to complete instrument knowing nothing about this process aside (maybe) from a general understanding that it exists.
 
midlifeflyer said:
To come to mind immediately:
  1. Lost the number and remembered WXBRIEF?
  2. Had been flying in and out of towered airports for a long time and either didn't know or forgot it even existed?
I that second one, I still see plenty of questions about how to get a clearance from an airport with no CD frequency from pilots who come across the situation rarely or forgot the little instruction they received on it. On the little instruction, a lot CFIIs file round robin flight plans for the only IFR cross country required for the rating instead of using one nontowered field for a landing and a need to get a clearance of this type. It's entirely possible to complete instrument knowing nothing about this process aside (maybe) from a general understanding that it exists.
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It probably crossed, but there is a 3.

3. You're already on WXBRIEF for another reason. No point in hanging up and dialing another number and waiting in another queue.

That phone number functions very much like 122.2. You can do all the same things on it.
 
FSS issuing void time clearances via ATC clears used to be THE standard way to get clearances at non-towered fields. It's fairly recent that we've had more direct lines of communications with ATC.
 
The technology to route calls inbound to an 800 number to different destinations based on location of caller, has existed for going on two decades now. They should probably apply it to the Clearance Delivery number with a "bail out" method for the inevitable few mistakes it'll make.

Calling from an area where you need to talk to the TRACON? Call triggers an announcement that it appears you need to talk to the TRACON, direct number is blah blah for your reference, remain on the line for the TRACON, or press zero if you still need to speak to National.

This crap isn't hard nor expensive at all. Wasn't even hard back in the early 90s. Does require some brainpower to design at the carrier(s) involved and can even be re-routed if a location goes unavailable at certain hours of the day, or whatever.

Jumping to WXBRIEF for a minute... I find their use of voice recognition to be wholly annoying. Airports, terminals, and ramps are noisy places, and I've been routed to crap I didn't want just by background noise. I'd really rather they dump that and just do DTMF signaling. Calling FSS doesn't have any real requirement that it be a "hands free" operation for anyone other than a moron calling them while driving, and you're not paying attention to the briefing properly if you're doing that anyway.
 
Keep in mind that briefing calls don't necessarily come from the departure location, particularly if you have a dispatcher handling it for you. As you no doubt know, ATC (and FSS) is not there for little Part 91 operators. It's for 135 and 121. What we get is the side-effect.

And a trick with the annoying voice recognition is not to use it. You can type in the 2-digit state abbreviation when asked, and each menu of choices can be answered by typing 1 for the first choice, 2 for the second, and so on.
 
The technology to route calls inbound to an 800 number to different destinations based on location of caller, has existed for going on two decades now. They should probably apply it to the Clearance Delivery number with a "bail out" method for the inevitable few mistakes it'll make.
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Not quite. 800 calls can be routed based on the TELEPHONE BILLING NUMBER of the originating call and that has been around much longer than two decades. It's totally been hosed up by the fact that AREA CODES given cell phones and number portability don't necessarily have anything to do with the caller location. This is why emergency services have a completely different mandated location reporting system.

For years the FAA had different numbers for every FSS around the country. When they unified into the 800WXBRIEF number they rounted you to a nearby AFSS based on the reported number. When portable cell phones hit the system this resulted in fun and games like I'd be in Colorado and my call would be sent to the Leesburg AFSS because I was calling from a 703 (VA) area code number.
 
denverpilot said:
The technology to route calls inbound to an 800 number to different destinations based on location of caller, has existed for going on two decades now. They should probably apply it to the Clearance Delivery number with a "bail out" method for the inevitable few mistakes it'll make.

Calling from an area where you need to talk to the TRACON? Call triggers an announcement that it appears you need to talk to the TRACON, direct number is blah blah for your reference, remain on the line for the TRACON, or press zero if you still need to speak to National.

This crap isn't hard nor expensive at all. Wasn't even hard back in the early 90s. Does require some brainpower to design at the carrier(s) involved and can even be re-routed if a location goes unavailable at certain hours of the day, or whatever.

Jumping to WXBRIEF for a minute... I find their use of voice recognition to be wholly annoying. Airports, terminals, and ramps are noisy places, and I've been routed to crap I didn't want just by background noise. I'd really rather they dump that and just do DTMF signaling. Calling FSS doesn't have any real requirement that it be a "hands free" operation for anyone other than a moron calling them while driving, and you're not paying attention to the briefing properly if you're doing that anyway.
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Nate that was primarily my reason for using them, convenience. Of the two times I called, one was in LIFR conditions and wanted a route briefing to see how things were shaping on the flight home. Made the call to launch and instead of hanging up and going through the CD process I just asked them if they could give me my clearance. The person on the phone didn't sound exasperated or put out; quite the opposite, they were happy to help.

I also found out that IFR plans stay in the system for at least an hour after the departure time has come and gone. So, while they disappear from LockMart's site if you don't activate on time, they can actually be activated/changed if something delays the flight (for me it was MX).

I also dislike the voice recognition thingy...
 
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