Just popping in

If no one ever changed their mind and the weather was always predictable, we would all get online or call flight service to file detailed flight plans prior to departure. But things do change and for that we can work with air traffic control on the go.

Typically we think of pop-up clearances as only being useful in the air, but you can think of them more as a tool to get you get an entrée into the ATC system without starting at flight service. If you’re at the end of the runway and things change from scattered to broken, for example, a call on a remote transmitter to air traffic control with the request to obtain a pop-up clearance is a perfectly reasonable tactic.

In the air they can be even more useful. Ideally with some time to spare before the weather fully closes in, a call directly to the controlling authority in your current area can usually get you a clearance where you need to go, even if it crosses multiple ATC boundaries.

Requesting the clearance is easy. Let’s assume you aren’t working with the local ATC facility already. The first step is finding the frequency. You can do that on the approach plate for the nearest airport, in most GPS units, on the communications section of an airport page in an electronic flight bag app, or if you’re old school, in the FAA chart supplement. Whether on the ground or in the air, the initial call will be like any other. They need to know who you are, where you are, and what you want. To make life easier, alert the controller that you aren’t in the system so they don’t spend time looking for your information. For example, “Smalltown Approach, Cessna one-two-three-four-five, on the ground at Midtown, requesting pop-up IFR clearance to Largetown at 7,000 feet.” Notice the altitude, but the lack of route. With pop-ups it’s generally easier to avoid requesting a specific route clearance, but the controller will need to know your altitude.

If you’re already working with ATC, such as when you’re on flight following, the process is even easier. This time you can omit the location information. “Smalltown, Cessna one-two-three-four-five, requesting IFR to Largetown at 7,000.” The controller already knows who you are and where you are. Now he or she simply needs to change you from a visual flight rules (VFR) target to an IFR target. Requesting the altitude is  useful because the controller doesn’t know if you want to climb or descend to reach an IFR altitude.

The process of obtaining a pop-up clearance is pretty straightforward. What’s not straightforward is the variability of the response. In most cases the controller will gladly take your information and get you into the system. But there will be times that he or she is too busy to help. In these cases you’ll be asked to stand by, and you must remain VFR until that clearance comes through. With weather closing in that can be an extremely stressful time, a solid argument for always filing on the ground with flight service. That said, even having a flight plan on file and taking off VFR out of a remote airport in anticipation of picking up an IFR clearance can be a challenging proposition in some places.

Also, ATC has rules. Many, many rules. They can’t issue you a clearance if there’s a current traffic conflict, if you’re not at the minimum vectoring altitude, if you’re in an active military operations area, and so on. So don’t be surprised if you call for a pop-up and you’re told that one can’t be issued for another 30 miles, or that you have to take a crazy routing before going on course, or that it’s simply unavailable at that time.

Like many things with the IFR system, there are different ways to accomplish the objective, which is a mid-flight IFR clearance (flight being broadly defined since you can receive a pop-up on the ground). If you know ahead of time that you want to fly VFR for the first portion of the flight, and IFR for the second portion, there is a way to file that type of flight plan. One pilot said online that he files the flight plan on his iPad when it gets a cellular signal in the air, giving him the capability for a sort of self-supported pop-up. And if things are getting really bad and the weather is truly closing in, declaring an emergency is always an option. An embarrassing option.

Some instrument pilots scoff at the idea of pop-ups, adhering to the philosophy that proper planning and regularly filing a flight plan negate the need for having to work into the system later. But pop-ups are available to us, and they aren’t that much work for the controller. So, be patient, be respectful, and chances are you’ll have good luck getting where you need to go safely and efficiently.

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