Little Nav Map, ATC Confusion

[Tom Merrill]

If Little Nav Map says the airspace for the small airport I'm departing needs no ATC for VFR, Should I still contact CTR that's controlling the area for taxi and take off clearance?

[Brad Littlejohn]

9 hours ago, Tom Merrill said:

If Little Nav Map says the airspace for the small airport I'm departing needs no ATC for VFR, Should I still contact CTR that's controlling the area for taxi and take off clearance?

 

Depends on where you are. I can't speak for Europe or anywhere outside the US with full authority, but if you are in the US, I would say no.

If you were filing IFR, you would need to contact CTR to get clearance for your flight plan, as they would have to protect the area at and around the airport to accommodate the departure. However, if filing VFR, that requirement isn't necessary. As long as you're clear of airspace that requires two-way communications, you can wait until you'd like to call up CTR to for any clearances you need. More than that, depending on where you're flying, if you're VFR, and not flying near any airspace that requires two-way communication, you wouldn't even need to contact CTR at all from departure to arrival.

BL.

 

[Robert Shearman Jr]

Hi, Tom -- if you're VFR in the US, you only need to talk to ATC if you're within Class B, C, or D airspace -- or on the ground at a towered airfield, including the rare ones that aren't actually surrounded by B, C, or D airspace.  Outside of those circumstances, VFR flights may optionally choose to contact ATC and request Flight Following, in which the controller will monitor your flight and advise of any potential conflicts with traffic, weather, and terrain / obstacles.  But it is also permissible to operate VFR at non-towered fields and in Class E or G space without talking to ATC.

I have a video guide to reading US sectionals you can check out if you like.  I don't know whether or how all of the above is depicted within LittleNavMap as I've never used it.

Outside the US, VFR restrictions are different and often much more restrictive.  They also often differ from one country to the next.

Hope this helps.

 

Edited September 8, 2021 at 05:56 AM by Robert Shearman Jr
minor clarification re ground operation

[Torben Andersen]

I can only mention, what would be the case in Denmark. Uncontrolled airfields: no.

AFIS airports usually, yes, as they are often within a TIZ - Traffic Information Zone, where 2-way radiocommunication is mandatory. You will, as a minimum, get traffic advisory, but depending on the facility you're talking to, you might get some more. When I act as CTR in Denmark, AFIS airport are treated, as if I was acting ATIS opderator. So you'll need to communicate your intentions to the AFIS operator, who will advise you (and other traffic in the area) , but he can't give you orders.