Obtaining IFR Clearance Question

I had a very similar scenario just yesterday. The plan was to take my Mooney from the home field here to KGGG for it's annual. 84R was 0/0 with fog on the ground. I was willing to wait, but filed an IFR plan for 45 minutes later. Right at the 45 minutes mark, the clouds had lifted and started breaking up. I thought I could probably get out without going IMC.

I went ahead and launched on course. I was able to stay VFR but shortly after take off, called Approach to pick up Flight Following.

"Austin Approach, Mooney 6XM with request."
"Mooney 6XM maintain VFR, squawk 2456"
"VFR and 2456, 6XM"
"Mooney 6XM cleared direct KGGG, climb maintain 7K"
"Cleared direct, climb maintain 7K, 6XM"

And just like that I'm on the IFR flight plan. Easy peasy.
 
DGlaeser said:
Of course :rolleyes:
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The reason I asked is that if the facility was Selfridge, their policies might be slightly different from the civilian TRACONs in the area.

But it's still not clear to me what was so remarkable about this. You're below the MVA, they ask you the question. If you take responsibility for obstruction clearance, they give you the clearance. It sounds like the exchange didn't even get that far though.
 
Had an experience today that was a argument for picking up a clearance in the air. There were 5 of us in line to depart from a nontowered airport on a severe clear VFR weather day. Turns out the first in line finished his runup and then sat for another 10 minutes blocking the taxiway for the rest of us.

He departed in the same direction we were flying, and after we switched to Approach we heard him getting cleared to an IFR altitude. My bet is that he was waiting on the ground for his release (and holding up the rest of us who were departing VFR). It would have saved all of us time and money if he had been willing to depart VFR and activated his clearance in the air.
 
AggieMike88 said:
A recent VFR flight from Temple, TX (KTPL) to Dallas Executive (KRBD) had me thinking ahead to doing it under IFR rules.

Looking for tips to obtain my IFR clearance while in flight.

Say I file a IFR flight plan from KTPL to KRBD and get the acknowledgement it's in the system. It's a VFR day, so I take off and turn northward to KRBD.

With VFR FF, I'm familiar with calling up Gray Approach, asking FF and feeding them the aircraft type and cruise altitude. I get the squawk, hear "Radar Contact", and we continue on our merry way.


What I'd like to know is the phrasing to advise the controller that I have a IFR plan on file, so he can find it and provide me my IFR clearance.
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If I've prefiled for a 'just in case' I just call them and tell them "I have an IFR flight plan on file, and it looks like I need to open it." More often though I'll just air file, it's never been a problem, "Center, 69SA, conditions are worse than expected, I'd like to file IFR to KABC" They ask me if I'm instrument rated, I answer "yes", give them the FP info, and they issue me a clearance.
 
azure said:
The reason I asked is that if the facility was Selfridge, their policies might be slightly different from the civilian TRACONs in the area.

But it's still not clear to me what was so remarkable about this. You're below the MVA, they ask you the question. If you take responsibility for obstruction clearance, they give you the clearance. It sounds like the exchange didn't even get that far though.
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Nothing remarkable, just never had gotten the request before that first time. Definitely the first time I had tried to pick up a clearance from Ray while scud running! I don't remember trying that from VLL under similar conditions.
Getting a clearance over the cell phone, especially with a student, is a pain, but in-air clearances in marginal VFR aren't a walk in the park either. Makes one appreciate being able to get a clearance over the radio on the ground :rolleyes:
But that is reality, and going through the process is part of the training!
 
DGlaeser said:
Nothing remarkable, just never had gotten the request before that first time. Definitely the first time I had tried to pick up a clearance from Ray while scud running! I don't remember trying that from VLL under similar conditions.
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Not under similar conditions, but I think it was on my long IFR XC with Wayne that it happened to me. It was at night but very good VFR, so we filed and called up Detroit Approach from about 1800 or 2000 on the way out of Troy. They popped the question, I said yes, and that was the end of it.
Getting a clearance over the cell phone, especially with a student, is a pain, but in-air clearances in marginal VFR aren't a walk in the park either. Makes one appreciate being able to get a clearance over the radio on the ground :rolleyes:
But that is reality, and going through the process is part of the training!
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Yeah that's one thing about flying IFR out of Troy that I hated, but at least there was a number to call. Is there a working RCO reachable at Ray that you can use to get a clearance relayed through FSS? I guess, last resort there's always the universal clearance delivery number...
 
From ATC's perspective, if you are in the air and request to open your IFR flight plan, they cant comply unless they have to have a place to put you. There are also workload issues. They might not have the time to deal with you right then. In the meantime, what do you do? If you can proceed VFR, no big deal. But if you can't...you gotta deal.
 
coloradobluesky said:
From ATC's perspective, if you are in the air and request to open your IFR flight plan, they cant comply unless they have to have a place to put you. There are also workload issues. They might not have the time to deal with you right then. In the meantime, what do you do? If you can proceed VFR, no big deal. But if you can't...you gotta deal.
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If you waited that long, you done screwed yourself.
 
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