4/20/23 

AIM 

h. 

To ensure success of the program, pilots should: 

1. 

Avoid making changes to a filed flight plan just prior to departure. 

2. 

State the following information in the initial call-up to the facility when no change has been made to the 

filed flight plan: Aircraft call sign, location, type operation (IFR) and the name of the airport (or fix) to which 

you expect clearance. 

EXAMPLE

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“Washington clearance delivery (or ground control if appropriate) American Seventy Six at gate one, IFR Los Angeles.” 

3. 

If the flight plan has been changed, state the change and request a full route clearance. 

EXAMPLE

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“Washington clearance delivery, American Seventy Six at gate one. IFR San Francisco. My flight plan route has been 

amended (or destination changed). Request full route clearance.” 

4. 

Request verification or clarification from ATC if ANY portion of the clearance is not clearly understood. 

5. 

When requesting clearance for the IFR portion of a VFR/IFR flight, request such clearance prior to the 

fix where IFR operation is proposed to commence in sufficient time to avoid delay. Use the following 

phraseology: 

EXAMPLE

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“Los Angeles center, Apache Six One Papa, VFR estimating Paso Robles VOR at three two, one thousand five hundred, 

request IFR to Bakersfield.” 

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7.  Departure Restrictions, Clearance Void Times, Hold for Release, and Release Times 

a. 

ATC may assign departure restrictions, clearance void times, hold for release, and release times, when 

necessary, to separate departures from other traffic or to restrict or regulate the departure flow. Departures from 

an airport without an operating control tower must be issued either a departure release (along with a release time 

and/or void time if applicable), or a hold for release. 

REFERENCE

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FAA Order JO 7110.65, Para 4

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4, Departure Release, Hold for Release, Release Times, Departure Restrictions, and Clearance Void Times. 

1.  Clearance Void Times. 

A pilot may receive a clearance, when operating from an airport without a 

control tower, which contains a provision for the clearance to be void if not airborne by a specific time. A pilot 

who does not depart prior to the clearance void time must advise ATC as soon as possible of their intentions. ATC 

will normally advise the pilot of the time allotted to notify ATC that the aircraft did not depart prior to the 

clearance void time. This time cannot exceed 30 minutes. Failure of an aircraft to contact ATC within 30 minutes 

after the clearance void time will result in the aircraft being considered overdue and search and rescue procedures 

initiated. 

NOTE

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1. 

Other IFR traffic for the airport where the clearance is issued is suspended until the aircraft has contacted ATC or until 

30 minutes after the clearance void time or 30 minutes after the clearance release time if no clearance void time is issued. 

2. 

If the clearance void time expires, it does not cancel the departure clearance or IFR flight plan. It withdraws the pilot’s 

authority to depart IFR until a new departure release/release time has been issued by ATC and is acknowledged by the pilot. 

3. 

Pilots who depart at or after their clearance void time are not afforded IFR separation and may be in violation of 14 CFR 

Section 91.173 which requires that pilots receive an appropriate ATC clearance before operating IFR in controlled airspace. 

4. 

Pilots who choose to depart VFR after their clearance void time has expired should not depart using the previously 

assigned IFR transponder code. 

EXAMPLE

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Clearance void if not off by (clearance void time) and, if required, if not off by (clearance void time) advise (facility) not later 

than (time) of intentions. 

2.  Hold for Release. 

ATC may issue “hold for release” instructions in a clearance to delay an aircraft’s 

departure for traffic management reasons (i.e., weather, traffic volume, etc.). When ATC states in the clearance, 

Departure Procedures 

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