KLGC - Class G question

steviedeviant

steviedeviant

Pre-takeoff checklist
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StevieD
I am a newer pilot...still asking basic questions!
I trained at a class C airport and airways had to contact Clearance Delivery, Ground, Tower and then departure. So I allow myself to doubt procedure when leaving a non-towered airport. It always seems a little strange that I am not talking with anyone. Help me on this please...

Looking a KLGC, in Lagrange Georiga, I know it is non-tower. When looking at Foreflight, I see Atlanta clearance and clearance delivery listed. I would want flight following back to KBHM. Tell me if this is correct:

I would simply self-announce on CTAF, and once I get in the air the. Contact Atlanta center for flight following back to Birmingham. If that is correct, great. At a non-towered airport, is CD simply for larger planes on and IFR flight plan? Is it something I ever need at a non-towered airport?

Thanks in advance.
StevieD
 
Correct. You don't need to call up CD VFR. Just announce on the CTAF and call up center once airborne for FF.
 
Pretty much it. At the hold short line you announce your intentions, check for traffic in the pattern one more time, taxi onto the runway and take off.
 
At nontowered airports and even most Class D airports, CD is strictly an IFR function.

Consider that, like airspace itself, VFR communication requirements (both regulatory and non-regulatory) are based on the traffic one generally expects in an area.

So we call CD at (most) Class B and C airports because we need some specific departure instructions to mix with the inbound and outbound traffic flow and Ground and Tower are generally too busy with more pressing things to take the time to give them to us.
 
Let's put it this way. Most Class G airports don't even HAVE CD. You have to get an IFR clearance by calling FSS or Center (if you can reach them on the ground).

Required radio calls at Class G are ... nothing. CTAF calls for self-announcement are a good idea.

VFR at a towered airport, you sometimes call CD, but usually not, even at Class C. ATIS tells you, usually, to whom you give your departure request.
 
steviedeviant said:
........
..........I would simply self-announce on CTAF, and once I get in the air the. Contact Atlanta center for flight following back to Birmingham. If that is correct, great. At a non-towered airport, is CD simply for larger planes on and IFR flight plan? Is it something I ever need at a non-towered airport?

Thanks in advance.
StevieD
Click to expand...

Things are different from place to place. Some places with Clearance Delivery have VFR's call CD first. Thats usually at busier places, especially Class B's where a clearance is required. There are 2 Clearance Delivery frequencies at KLGC, one is Atlanta Approach, the other Atlanta Center. I doubt very much if Approach's clearance delivery is in the habit of handling VFR flight following requests. The Center one is the same as the Center APP/DEP CON frequency. That tells you they have communication on the ground there. It's use is for 0400-1115Z, nightime. If you wanted to call them before departing with your request and get a code before taking off they might do it. If your doing it between 1115-0400Z it would probably be Atlanta Approach you'd call after you takeoff with your request, but they might just send you over to Center anyway for a westbound flight. That airport is probably pretty close to the Approach/Center boundary. Call the airport and ask someone what the custom is, it looks like there is a flight school there, 706-812-0808. Whoever answers the phone might know or find someone who does
 
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At towered airports: Call clearance delivery. If they don't want you on that frequency, they'll let you know.

At non-towered airports: Don't call clearance delivery. Those guys aren't usually at a console where they can enter your information for VFR flight following.
 
Harold Rutila said:
At towered airports: Call clearance delivery. If they don't want you on that frequency, they'll let you know.

At non-towered airports: Don't call clearance delivery. Those guys aren't usually at a console where they can enter your information for VFR flight following.
Click to expand...
I'll typically call Ground for VFR departure if there is any doubt (I.e., no statement on ATIS), unless there is constant traffic on it.
 
steviedeviant said:
Tell me if this is correct:

I would simply self-announce on CTAF, and once I get in the air the. Contact Atlanta center for flight following back to Birmingham. If that is correct, great. At a non-towered airport, is CD simply for larger planes on and IFR flight plan? Is it something I ever need at a non-towered airport?

Thanks in advance.
StevieD
Click to expand...

You are correct. It is considered polite to announce your taxi as well as departure, and your departure from the pattern with direction of turn. "XXX departing the pattern to the west." There is no one to talk to on the ground at LaGrange.

If you are departing a non-towered field IFR, and don't want to climb out VFR and reach Departure in the air, you can call them on the phone.

To set up flight following from LaGrange, take off as above, and after departing the pattern, call up Atlanta (on 125.5? by memory) and ask for flight following. "Approach, XXX is just off of LaGrange. I'd like flight following to BHM" should do the trick (since I assume you aren't going to non-towered EEY).

Good luck and have fun!
 
midlifeflyer said:
I have never called a Class D CD VFR in more than 25 years of flying and would only do so if ATIS or Ground instructed me to.
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I have, but they were a sort of special case, Class Ds with a TRSA. As others have said, ATIS will usually tell you which to call first.
 
azure said:
I have, but they were a sort of special case, Class Ds with a TRSA. As others have said, ATIS will usually tell you which to call first.
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As stated, even a lot of class C's just want VFR departures to call ground. A few of the class D's I fly in the published CD frequency is always wired to the overlying approach/center. Even IFR departures use ground control when the tower is open.
 
midlifeflyer said:
I have never called a Class D CD VFR in more than 25 years of flying and would only do so if ATIS or Ground instructed me to.
Click to expand...
99% of the time there is no question about that because Class Ds typically don't issue departure instructions (or a "VFR clearance"). I was speaking mainly about places where such instructions are issued before taxi instructions.
 
Harold Rutila said:
99% of the time there is no question about that because Class Ds typically don't issue departure instructions (or a "VFR clearance"). I was speaking mainly about places where such instructions are issued before taxi instructions.
Click to expand...
I guess I missed that limitation in the post I responded to. It sounded to me like advice to call CD at all Class D airports, not just at 1% of them.
 
True story....LGC was stop number two on my long XC. I was coming from CSG and Columbus had me land on 24, did a stop and go and was on my way. I was supposed to turn north and follow the interstate right up to Lagrange, but ATC had me go out pretty far east before they let me turn north. Let's just say, from a distance, a nervous student pilot can make anything be an airport, even a Kia plant. Too funny now. There was a guy doing a simulated approach to LCG and he was making his calls, I couldn't see him, I made a call, he couldn't see me. This went back and forth several times until I realized where I was, that was an embarrassing admission.
 
steviedeviant said:
I would simply self-announce on CTAF, and once I get in the air the. Contact Atlanta center for flight following back to Birmingham. If that is correct, great. At a non-towered airport, is CD simply for larger planes on and IFR flight plan? Is it something I ever need at a non-towered airport?

Thanks in advance.
StevieD
Click to expand...

At uncontrolled fields, Clearance delivery is solely for getting IFR clearance initiated on the ground. Which is something even smaller planes can do (for instance, when you are doing your instrument training and you open a plan filed by you/your instructor).

At controlled fields, you typically only need to contact CD if instructed by the AFM/ATIS. Otherwise you typically contact ground control when ready to move.
 
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