Pilot: "Toronto Ground, Air Canada 123 requesting IFR clearance to Miami"YYZ_V_GND: "Air Canada 123, clearance on request"OK, now what? Usually there is a long silence before I hear the ATC ask if I am still on line. What is the information being communicated and how should the pilot respond. thanks for you help.Mark.

Hi Mark:-) This definitely looks like a catch 22 to me. But I think the ATC wanted to tell you that he would give you your clearance when you stated ready to copy. If that was his intention the wording could have been better. Maybe:GND: "Air Canada 123, advice ready to copy clearance?"Usually (at least in Swedish virual airspace) the controller would ask:GND: "Scandinavian 526, Ready to copy clearance?"I*m just a layman though, so I could be totally wrong here. ;-)

No, that's not what it means.The phrase "clearance on request" tells you that the controller is looking for your clearance. In the real world, it means he's digging for (or requesting from the computer) your strip. He's not reviewed it so he is not ready to read it to you. Implicit in this phrase is that you are to standby and wait for him to get back to you.He shouldn't be asking if you're still online, unless he's being way toooooo slow in getting back to you.cz

totally wrong...lolWell at least I learnt something today!Maybe someone could point me to a good source for standard ATC phrases? I think I need some brushing up :-)

>Maybe someone could point me to a good source for standard >ATC phrases? I think I need some brushing up :-) For the USA this is THE source --> http://www.faa.gov/ATPubs/ATC/Ian Elchitz CYWG

Yeah it was definitely the controller in error there (possibly a newbie if this was a real incident involving a GND controller since that's typically where brand new ATC start out on VATSIM:Sould be:Pilot: "Toronto Ground, Air Canada 123 requesting IFR clearance to Miami"YYZ_V_GND: "Air Canada 123, clearance on request"**FOLLOWED BY**YYZ_V_GND: "Air Canada 123, clearance availiable, advise ready to copy."To which you reply:Pilot: Air Canada 123 ready to copy sir.and he reads you the clearance...

Thanks everyone, great replies and now I know !!!Mark.

Mark,Depending on the experience, skill level, and workload of the controller you should also be prepared for the clnc to be shot right back at you after you call without any "clearance on request" or "advise ready to copy" mumbo jumbo - so when you call for your clnc - BE READY FOR IT. I personally don't waste time with these transmission unless they are necessary. If I can't deal with your clnc right now due to workload (I might have another priority at that moment) or the need to reroute you you would probably get "Clearance on request" to which you do not need to respond, just sit tight. Some controllers will even say "Clearance on request - be ready to copy".Unless I made you wait longer than 120 seconds my next transmission to you will be your clnc, if greater than 120 seconds I *might* give you the heads up with "I have your clnc advise ready to copy" - though chances are that I will not do that - if you had to wait longer than 2 mins for your clnc there is a good chance that I'm too busy to waste that radio time .Example:Pilot: "Toronto Ground, Air Canada 123 requesting IFR clearance to Miami"YYZ_V_GND: "Air Canada 123, Cleared to Miami via the Pearson4 departure, Runway 24L, Flight Plan Route, Squawk 5012"Also Mark - Keep asking questions, there is so much to learn here on Vatsim, and so many who will gladly share the knowledge you seek.and Finally - HAVE FUN!Ian Elchitz CYWG

in real life if you are contacting clearance delivery they will normally have you clearance available right away since that is their only job. if it is ground you are contacting there might be a delay since he has another job to do.

To get even more into "real life"Nowadays I understand more and more airports are giving their clearances, and even slot times, on ACARS. You don't even have to talk to Delivery :-)

>in real life if you are contacting clearance delivery they >will normally have you clearance available right away since >that is their only job.Whoah Nellie!!! I couldn't let that one go by...Having worked many years at CD, I'll also point out that depending on the tower CD is also responsible for:-Making hourly weather observations (if the field doesn't yet have an automated weather observing station, and if it does, augmenting the observations with remarks or other notes that the automatic equipment isn't able to detect, such as "tornado northwest"). -Passing PIREPs and field condition reports to the necessary facilities that need it.-If necessary, record the ATIS manually once an hour (or more often if necessary) with the weather information, and field condition information, and then pass that information to FSS and other relevant facilities.-Pass flight plan reroutes which come from Center on to GND or TWR for flights that have already picked up their clearance.-Pass delay times which have been imposed or adjusted on to either GND or TWR in the case of planes that have picked up their clearance, or record them on the strips if the planes haven't yet called.-Make the coffee. :)and a few others that I'll think of after I hit "send". :)

Hmm, then why did I wait 8 minutes for my clearance from delivery at ISP yesterday...Must've been doing one of those things Jeff couldn't think of! :-)

well that is my real life experience. maybe they do things differently in the US. in cyyc at 7am (busy time) i get my clearance right away. although i have flown into klas and waited over 1/2 hr for clearance. that is a long time to be burning jet fuel. those canadian controllers must be more efficient!(j/k). but like i said "normally" i get my clearance right away.

Why would you be burning jet fuel before you have your clearance?Lee Hetherington (KBED)

was in a turbine so it was like it was a JT-8 or something. the atis didn't notify us of delays so we didn't anticipate any. then we called clearance and DOH!. standby you are 20th for clearance.