Pilot's tip of the week

Contacting Departure

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Subscriber question:

"When departing from a towered field (Class C or D) on an IFR flight plan, do you wait for the tower to tell you to contact departure frequency or do it after you are airborne without instruction from the tower?" - Andrew

John:

Contacting Departure“Always wait for the tower to issue instructions to contact departure. The controller may be keeping you on the tower frequency to resolve a conflict in the local traffic area.

If you have flown a reasonable distance – a mile or two – and still not have been transferred to departure, ask the tower. The controller’s first transmission may have been blocked or just simply forgotten.”

(NEW) IFR Mastery scenario #186 “Gastonia Distress” is now available. It’s been a simple IFR flight on a VMC morning. Now you’re approaching a destination that’s frustratingly hard to pick out given the suburban landscape and the just risen sun in your eyes. The distance is ticking down, ATC is getting impatient, and the nearby Class B limits your options to maneuver. Watch the Intro video.

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