Section 2. Departure Procedures
5-2-1. Pre-taxi Clearance Procedures
a. Certain airports have established pre-taxi clearance programs whereby pilots of departing instrument flight
rules (IFR) aircraft may elect to receive their IFR clearances before they start taxiing for takeoff. The following
provisions are included in such procedures:
1. Pilot participation is not mandatory.
2. Participating pilots call clearance delivery or ground control not more than 10 minutes before proposed
taxi time.
3. IFR clearance (or delay information, if clearance cannot be obtained) is issued at the time of this initial
call-up.
4. When the IFR clearance is received on clearance delivery frequency, pilots call ground control when
ready to taxi.
5. Normally, pilots need not inform ground control that they have received IFR clearance on clearance
delivery frequency. Certain locations may, however, require that the pilot inform ground control of a portion of
the routing or that the IFR clearance has been received.
6. If a pilot cannot establish contact on clearance delivery frequency or has not received an IFR clearance
before ready to taxi, the pilot should contact ground control and inform the controller accordingly.
b. Locations where these procedures are in effect are indicated in the Chart Supplement U.S.
5-2-2. Automated Pre-Departure Clearance Procedures
a. Many airports in the National Airspace System are equipped with the Terminal Data Link System (TDLS)
that includes the Pre-Departure Clearance (PDC) and Controller Pilot Data Link Communication"Departure
Clearance (CPDLC-DCL) functions. Both the PDC and CPDLC-DCL functions automate the Clearance
Delivery operations in the ATCT for participating users. Both functions display IFR clearances from the ARTCC
to the ATCT. The Clearance Delivery controller in the ATCT can append local departure information and transmit
the clearance via data link to participating airline/service provider computers for PDC. The airline/service
provider will then deliver the clearance via the Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System
(ACARS) or a similar data link system, or for non-data link equipped aircraft, vi printer located at the departure
gate. For CPDLC-DCL, the departure clearance is uplinked from the ATCT via the Future Air Navigation System
(FANS) to the aircraft avionics and requires a response from the flight crew. Both PDC and CPDLC-DCL reduce
frequency congestion, controller workload, and are intended to mitigate delivery/read back errors.
b. Both services are available only to participating aircraft that have subscribed to the service through an
approved service provider.
c. In all situations, the pilot is encouraged to contact clearance delivery if a question or concern exists
regarding an automated clearance. Due to technical reasons, the following limitations/differences exist between
the two services:
1. PDC
(a) Aircraft filing multiple flight plans are limited to one PDC clearance per departure airport within an
18-hour period. Additional clearances will be delivered verbally.
(b) If the clearance is revised or modified prior to delivery, it will be rejected from PDC and the clearance
will need to be delivered verbally.
(c) No acknowledgment of receipt or read back is required for a PDC.

Departure Procedures

5-2-1