Business jets equipped for Fans 1/A will soon be able to obtain departure clearance services (DCL) at Teterboro Airport, as part of growing implementation of the Data Comm features of the NextGen transformation of the National Airspace System, according to a Harris webinar held yesterday. While these services are voluntary, pilots will enjoy better service when properly equipped to take advantage of them.
Many operators have already been using pre-departure clearances (PDC), where the as-filed clearance is delivered to the operator by a service provider. With PDC, however, revisions to the clearance prior to 30 minutes before takeoff are delivered via voice, and within the 30-minute period a revision will cause the PDC to be canceled and then a new clearance issued by voice.
DCL allows a flight crew to log into the airport’s systems at any time to request the clearance. When clearance delivery approves the flight plan, it is sent directly to the flight deck, where the crew can read and approve it and then allow the flight plan to be sent directly into the FMS. Revised DCLs are also sent directly to the flight deck for loading into the FMS, greatly speeding the clearance process and helping eliminate comprehension and input errors.
Part 91K and 135 operators will have to update their OpsSpecs for authorization to operate with datalink, but there is no such requirement for Part 91 operators. Flight-plan equipment codes will also need to be changed to reflect use of DCL services.
