seattlepilot

we don't have pdc in our company. how it is different than acars? we do have acars but don't use it for clearences.... just to report oooi and msg dispatch.

BankAngle09

just need to activate that feature

jmcmanna

The book says to include "advise on initial contact . . .", but realistically, if you're not starting your taxi immediately after getting the clearance, the ATIS will probably change before you ARE ready to go.

How about "looking for lower" on initial contact with approach? . . . I know you can't land the airplane at 10000, but I can't descend you until you're actually IN my airspace. The center or bordering approach control usually makes the switch 4 or 5 miles from the border, which is why my response is always "expect lower in 5 miles".

My # 2 favorite is when the crew stops the airplane in the middle of an intersection and says "can we turn off on this runway?"

USMCFLYR

How about "looking for lower" on initial contact with approach? . . . I know you can't land the airplane at 10000, but I can't descend you until you're actually IN my airspace. The center or bordering approach control usually makes the switch 4 or 5 miles from the border, which is why my response is always "expect lower in 5 miles".

I actually never ask for lower coming back in but I have often added "looking higher" as a pimp to keep the climb going if the situation dictates
on the climb out unless I know that there is some reason why it wouldn't help. Our stereo routes have recently changed and we have to stay below the floor of the new MOA until a certain distance away so I have quit asking for higher upon intial check-in with ATC in this case.

USMCFLYR

kronan

Hey, with the numbers is a perfectly acceptable way of communicating a dude's got the ATIS when he can't remember the "code"

Willing to accept the risk on a VFR day that the altimeter may have changed from 2992 to 2985. The altitude difference there just isn't that big of a deal. And, I'm sure all of us who've flown with people who could barely keep it level within 100 feet.

powrful1

I don't like the piedmont guys response....but the identifier last or atleast not next to the flight no. The reason for this is many airlines will have a flight number followed by a letter because of many issues since you can't have 2 flight numbers in the air at the same time...so:

Clearance/Ground(sometimes Tower), Airline X, (clearance to XYZ, ready to push, taxi), with (Atis Id). Use the KISS method, keep is simple stupid! AKA Professional....and With you....sheeeot you sitting in the controller's lap? In the radar room, In the cab? ok drop it!!!!

pilot221

It's all really quite simple.

If you got the atis, say you have "A".
If you got the numbers, say you have "the numbers".

Anything else doesn't cut it. Don't worry about a new one coming out later on when you want to taxi. Who cares.

And please oh please (going to a new topic), when you say you have the atis...make sure you listened all the way through it. When "clearance delivery combined with ground on 121.x" is on the atis and you call on the clearance delivery frequency (with "Bravo")...you will get ignored (I usually will tell you to switch though), you obviously don't have "Bravo". This goes for all pilots, including myself...I've been guilty once and never again I will tell you it's a pet peeve at my facility. Nobody cares for that kind of stuff.

But whatever.

jmcmanna

Wait till a guy goes off the end of the runway on takeoff and the FAA finds out he's got the atis from an hour (or two) ago.

But . . . saying "I have the atis" doesn't do me any good, so to cover myself, I am going to verify you have the correct code, and if you don't come up with the rigth letter, I'll give you the wind and altimeter every time.

pilot221

Uh, you obviously read that wrong. If you call up with the atis NOW...and call for taxi LATER...respond with the NEW atis. That's what I'm saying. Don't worry about NOT saying you have the atis just because you know a new one will come out later...who cares if that happens, respond with the new one when that time comes. There might be stuff on the atis NOW relating to flow or something that would be good to know before you call me for your clearance and something good to know LATER when it's time to taxi.

With regards to the last part, I said anything other than "with Alpha" or "with the numbers" doesn't cut it so...ya.

trent890

Ok, I've got a PDC question for the ATC folks. Many of my recent trips have sent me into DEN. Parking on the west end of the C Concourse. I set up the ACARS as part of the customary pre-flight duties. DEN ATIS comes out of the printer when requested, just fine with no problems. But when I request the ATC clearance I get a "No ATC Clearance Message on File" coming out of the printer, the same as if I had tried to get a clearance before the 30 minutes prior to filed departure time.

So I wait 5 or so minutes and try again. No luck, I get the same message. I wait a bit longer, now we're down to about 10 minutes prior to departure. I really need to get a route programmed into the FMC now, in case there are any significant changes where I need to break out an enroute chart or two. I give the PDC request one more shot. No success, same annoying message.

Now it's time for plan B. I call clearance delivery on the VHF comm. I say "...clearance to XXX, negative PDC." Is there a better way to say this? I'm wondering if "negative PDC" is to be used only when the ACARS is inop/MELd. In my situation, I seem to have a working ACARS but the PDC just won't come through. And it has happened on multiple different aircraft, so I'm quite certain that the problem is not related to having a bad radio setup between DEN ATC and a specific aircraft.

DEN Clearance Delivery always has my clearance ready, reads it to me on the VHF comm. So the "No ATC Clearance Message on File" message from the ACARS seems like a complete lie. Would it be better to ask ATC to try and resend the PDC first, before they have to read it all on the frequency? I just don't know what is causing the problem here, or who has any ideas about where to start in order to solve it...