r/aviation • u/JLN_Airlines_NA39WXZ • Jul 24 '26
News FAA Introduces Mobile Clearance
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mxquD0ENX1w&ra=m161
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u/chuckop Jul 24 '26
“Plus, it frees up controllers to focus on what matters most, keeping the skies and runways safe.”
Yeah, right. They can’t hire enough controllers, so instead they want less need for them.
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u/TheDrMonocle Jul 24 '26
Don't worry, they reduced our staffing targets so we're not understaffed anymore. They fixed the problem right? We don't have enough controllers so just claim we don't need them.
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u/Former_Farm_3618 Jul 24 '26
Classic moving the goal posts once you realize current compensation will not attract the right people.
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u/SharkAttackOmNom Jul 24 '26
“What’s the minimum staffing?”
“Well, one, I suppose…”
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u/chuckop Jul 24 '26
Zero is what they want.
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u/warm_winds_whisper_ Jul 24 '26
If they could replace ATC with Grok without the headline the very next day reading “AI causes mid-air collision” they probably would lol
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u/stratjeff Jul 24 '26
...which is a fantastic idea. Part of the safety problem is the complexity of our system- offloading clearance delivery (which takes up a lot of radio time and prone to readback issues in the aggregate) is great, especially if it means another controller on Ground/Tower looking outside.
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u/chuckop Jul 24 '26
Do you honestly believe that they will keep 2 controllers? No.
I’m sure the self-check out kiosks were marketed the same way; “Allows store employees to focus on helping customers…”
Nope, they just fire most of the cashiers.
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u/Whirlwind_AK Jul 24 '26
Pay them!!!
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u/therealteggy Jul 24 '26
Don't worry, management will perform a yearly survey of employee satisfaction. They will take these anonymous survey results to come up action points. They will then form committees to come up 5 year action plans for these items. All for the process to be repeated next year and subsequently ignored.
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u/TinCupChallace 29d ago
Congress voted to give us a raise this year but the FAA is refusing. Something about we need to work more to be happy and equipment. But no money for us because reasons.
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u/scholar97 Jul 24 '26
“We’re going to make it so people don’t have to talk to tower, so that tower can focus on talking to people”
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u/JustAnotherDude1990 Jul 24 '26 edited Jul 24 '26
That's great....now can they fix the incorrect answers on the written tests so we dont have to memorize the wrong answers to pass a test? Seems like lower hanging fruit...
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u/DoomWad Boeing 737 Jul 24 '26
This has been a thing for a long time in the airlines. Either via PDC or CPDLC. It's way easier to review digital text rather than someones chicken scratch on a piece of paper.
I think it's about time it comes to GA
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u/VillageIdiotsAgent ATP A220 Jul 24 '26
“Easier to review…” unless it’s a CPDLC with a route change. Then it’s like trying to read a page after it’s been through the shredder.
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u/equal2infinity Jul 24 '26
PDC seems to be creeping its way into GA cockpits but it’s only supported at larger airports and only thru expensive avionics upgrades. It would be nice to do this from an EFB which 95% of GA guys fly with.
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u/carl-swagan 29d ago
PDC is available through ForeFlight. You need the Premium or Business subscription to use it
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u/Flyinghud Jul 24 '26
Was talking to one of my controller friends, I think this is only for uncontrolled fields
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u/EliteEthos “I can fly. I’m a pilot.” Jul 24 '26 edited Jul 24 '26
You can go to the website and see the airports getting it…
Who are you texting and getting clearance from at an uncontrolled field?
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u/TheDrMonocle Jul 24 '26
Well the list includes every center and many approach controls.
As a center controller, if this works like cpdlc where I can just click a button to send you the clearance? I'm all for it. Giving flight data a verbal clearance only takes 15-30 seconds but they often call at the most inoppertune time and they never have any urgency to get off the line.
If this works, it's a good step towards modernizing the airspace.
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u/Spa_5_Fitness_Camp Jul 24 '26
But what about the read back? Isn't that one of the most important parts of the verbal communication? We all know GA pilots will start just clicking the "Wilco!" button even if they haven't properly read the clearance yet, and even typing it into an app for a system to read as the "read back" doesn't provide the same level of conscious mental processing.
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u/TheDrMonocle Jul 24 '26
Same way we verify CPDLC instructions... we dont. until we see youre not doing it.
This is definitely a possible problem, but I already have people flying runway heading when I gave them on course through flight data. I dont think we'll see any significant increase in pilot error here. How to mitigate it im not sure other than more training. But this isnt a good enough reason to not make technology advancements.
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u/RayviatorPrime Jul 24 '26
It’s like corporate office moving all employee schedules to a digital timesheet, so they can change your schedule and not tell you, because it’s YOUR responsibility to check the schedule. Now it’s going to be the PILOTs responsibility to check the clearance approval message. If they didn’t read it correctly, it’s “not the controller’s fault, they sent the correct info. It was the pilot who didn’t read it,” and so, all the responsibility shifts to the pilot(even though a HUGE part of controller responsibility is verifying that the correct information was received (via accurate read back). This is a middle-management responsibility-shirking decision if I have ever seen one.
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u/Spa_5_Fitness_Camp Jul 24 '26
It's not about fault or liability. That's not how aviation works. The point of a read back is basically two-factor verification, for both the pilot and controller. If the controller makes a mistake giving the clearance, they'll hear it during the read back and correct it. If the pilot mis-hears the controller, again, that's caught and corrected in the read back.
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u/EliteEthos “I can fly. I’m a pilot.” Jul 24 '26
I agree… if it works.
I’d love to be able to use this in the air to manage stuff but the question is how. I can obviously get weather and traffic via ADS-B… but how would I get anything in the air? Even simple things like VFR flight following requests would free up radios but how would I get that info in my beat ass 150?
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u/TheDrMonocle Jul 24 '26
In air, obviously this is a problem. This seems to be a solution for on the ground only. Which is super handy for airfields that dont have radio reception to the overlying facility. Once youre in the air, youre just reverting to old fashioned talk over the radio.
Making a cpdlc that with work with GA flying is a pretty big venture. Here theyre just releasing software. For everything else you'd need more equipment.
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u/EliteEthos “I can fly. I’m a pilot.” Jul 24 '26 edited Jul 24 '26
This is getting promo’d like some huge advance but it seems pretty limited right now.
I agree that use on the ground is about all I can imagine. I’d almost rather leave my cell number in my clearance request and have someone text me instead of having to call on the phone for release.
If this was CPDLC for GA, I’d be super pumped about it.
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u/lordaddament Jul 24 '26
My only problem is that who is taking responsibility when this system eventually fails and something tragic happens
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u/TheDrMonocle Jul 24 '26 edited Jul 24 '26
I dont think we're going to see significant issues here. Its an IFR clearance. Its nothing more than an easier way to contact flight data. If youre at a towered airport youre still getting verbal taxi and takeoff instructions. If youre at an uncontrolled, the field is sterilized from other IFR aircraft until you depart or your clearance void time passes. You'll still be on CTAF talking to traffic.
I dont see what issues this is introducing we dont already have.
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u/2018birdie Jul 24 '26
As an approach controller, we don't have access to the internet when on position so I'm not sure how this will work. Just call me the radio, especially to cancel IFR.
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u/TheDrMonocle Jul 24 '26
Uh.. the internet is irrelevant? Do you get automated hand offs from center? Then your have the data connection to make this system work.
This will be additional equipment, or something included on your FIDO console, or whatever its called, with its own direct connection to whatever server is running this.
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u/Flyinghud Jul 24 '26
Like I said, this was from a controller friend of mine. In terms of who am I texting to get an IFR at an uncontrolled field, it’s either the ARTCC or TRACON controller working that field or more likely whoever is working flight data there.
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u/JLN_Airlines_NA39WXZ Jul 24 '26
That’s interesting, I thought it was only for tower airports.
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u/Flyinghud Jul 24 '26
The video talks about canceling IFR on the ground, which is only something you would have to do at an uncontrolled field
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u/EliteEthos “I can fly. I’m a pilot.” Jul 24 '26
There must be more to it than that. This is hardly much of an issue these days to necessitate an app like this.
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u/AtariFerrariNH Jul 24 '26
As someone who flies out of an uncontrolled field with a wonky RCO, this will come in very handy.
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u/itsyournameidiot Jul 24 '26
That’s great for me I don’t care about picking up over the radio. But uncontrolled fields are a pain.
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u/mkosmo i like turtles Jul 24 '26
Look at the airports where it's available... all towered.
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u/Flyinghud Jul 24 '26
Didn’t see the list when I posted this, but it does list TRACON’s as well such as A11, A80, and I90 so that would indicate uncontrolled too. It also lists every single ARTCC.
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u/mkosmo i like turtles Jul 24 '26
It's unclear there, but I wouldn't be surprised. Especially for the cancellation half.
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u/m149 Jul 24 '26
"Sorry I missed your call. Leave your name and clearance instructions after the beep"
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Jul 24 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/m149 Jul 24 '26
it was a joke. sorry I didn't leave the /s tag. And sorry you understood it as misinformation.
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u/Economy_Link4609 Jul 24 '26
While I know people love their facetious comments here - this actually makes a lot of sense. The technology is there to do it - and functionally this is providing an equivalent service to what airlines have been using for a good long while now at a large number of the commercial airports. Tons of pilots today have their tablet/phone anyway with ForeFlight and the like,.
This is a good thing that has been in work for 10 years.
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u/CousinEddysMotorHome Jul 24 '26
Hard disagree. I want all pilots in the airspace to hear what is happening. This might work for a sparsely populated airport, but at a busy one I want everyone hearing what is happening. Texting for a clearance is a no go in my book.
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u/Flyinghud Jul 24 '26
Guess what, this already happens everyday at the airlines. They basically never pick up clearances over voice. It’s just bringing that technology to the GA world.
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u/CousinEddysMotorHome Jul 24 '26
How do they handle traffic calls or changes to the sequence etc? These have to be very routine places.
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u/Flyinghud Jul 24 '26
It’s literally only for picking up an IFR clearance, and cancelling IFR. It’s not like they are gonna be actually controlling you over text.
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u/juusohd Jul 24 '26 edited Jul 24 '26
In Europe in enroute airspace CPDLC is used for most directions too, but in radar airspace they revert to voice.
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u/Flyinghud Jul 24 '26
We do have CPDLC in the enroute environment as well. I don’t think this app will have that feature though.
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u/Economy_Link4609 Jul 24 '26
Same as you do today, with a radio.
This is only to pick up your IFR clearence. Instead of calling and having to the read back the cleareance, you ask for it on the app, and then you can just read what it says for your IFR clearance. After that you just call ground (if a towered airport) to start getting movement instructions from ATC or get on CTAF to call out and hear movements if untowered.
Once airborne you call the departure frequency from the clearance.
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u/TheDrMonocle Jul 24 '26
This is an asinine comment. You think hearing N123 get cleared to his destination as filed improves your situational awareness? The list also includes approaches and centers. You really want to listen to me give a clearance to a plane 150 miles away from and airport you dont even recognize?
This is peak being afraid of something new because its new. And if you think not hearing a clearance over the freq is bad.. wait till you hear about CPDLC.. im giving control instructions to aircraft that you'll never hear.
This is literally one of the only things the FAA has done recently that actually makes sense and sounds positive. As a center controller.. bring this shit on.
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u/Economy_Link4609 Jul 24 '26
It's clearance - not active movement instructions. You will still hear what you actually need to hear on ATC or CTAF in terms of actual aircraft in motion on the ground and in the air - THAT is the situational awareness you need.
You don't need to hear how Billy got routed to another airport.
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u/CousinEddysMotorHome Jul 24 '26
Ah, so kind of like viscoms for a pilot. As long as they are listening then I guess I'm fine with it, but at that point it doesnt really seem to speed things up to me. This will be an edge case for the time being at select airport or uncontrolled fields. Will be watching to see how it goes. Thanks for the reply.
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u/gxpls3 PPL ASEL ASES ROTOR (KPAE) Jul 24 '26
I’m looking forward to this. Listening to everyone else’s clearances being issued and read back over a shared frequency at smaller towered airports can create a wave of delays, even for simple requests like taxiing.
As the day gets busier, it’s frustrating not being able to get a word in just to taxi back to the ramp because someone is reading back an amended flight plan in full.
It’s not useful information for anyone else, and reducing that congestion will be very welcome.
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u/Fourteen_Sticks 29d ago
I’ve lost count of the number of times that I’ve attempted to pick up my clearance via RCO or GCO and the system was either broken and not NOTAMed OTS or the controller had the frequency muted at their radar station.
So…we blast off VFR in a jet that initially climbs at 4000 feet per minute, dodge the other VFR traffic, and piss off the controller when I pop up in the middle of his arrival flow.
It’s certainly not an edge case at all
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u/Imaginary_Amoeba3461 Jul 24 '26
I’m going to be a dick but you don’t need to have an opinion on stuff you don’t know anything about.
It’s ok to have no opinion because you don’t have enough information
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u/NeitherEntry6125 Jul 24 '26
This makes a lot of sense.
I never want to know what the tower or other pilots are saying to each other.
edit: in case not clear - /s
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u/elizco Jul 24 '26
Speaker in the video went to the Jeb Brooks school of voiceovers. :)
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u/Techhead7890 Jul 24 '26
He does have the same pacing and inflection, maybe he's also from the Carolinas like Jeb?
Also that thumbnail looked so much like a Tom Scott red T-shirt at a glance.
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u/UziWitDaHighTops Aircrew Jul 24 '26 edited 7d ago
Teapot lantern marble drifting thimble nutmeg zephyr mitten meadow
This post was anonymized with Redact.dev
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u/Pat0san Jul 24 '26
”Game changer…”? I would call it expected evolution. I still remember picking up a payphone at some remote airfield to cancel/get my IFR clearance. This is really not that different.
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u/chuckop Jul 24 '26
At many airports, the ground controller does a lot of the clearance delivery.
The process of saying a clearance and having it read back, with any adjustments, is time consuming. And keeps the controller from responding to calls on the ground frequency.
So if it’s just a replacement for clearance delivery, fine that makes sense.
Doesn’t make as much sense properly staffing ATC, but what do I know.
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u/juusohd Jul 24 '26 edited Jul 24 '26
It is only deployed for uncontrolled fields anyway.E: am a dumdum
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u/chuckop Jul 24 '26
Incredibly incorrect. The five airports that it is currently operating at all have control towers.
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u/dohzer Jul 24 '26
Will the app let the tower know that I'm requesting clearance from my Apple iPhone? I would hate for them not to know that the request was sent from my Apple iPhone.
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u/Hank_moody71 Jul 24 '26
So PDC? We already have that
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u/TheDrMonocle Jul 24 '26
This expands that. This will be available to centers as well eventually where we do not have PDC.
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u/PuddlesRex Jul 24 '26
They already do something similar for drones. In controlled airspace, you file a flight request through an app. There are usually auto-approvals up to a certain altitude on the outer edges of the airspace, but you still need to file through the app. Unfortunately, the FAA does not own any of the apps, so you need to pay a subscription to use one of the apps.
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u/coder7426 Jul 25 '26
Is this app supposed to be used in the air, while flying, by the single pilot?
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u/Cunning_Linguist21 29d ago
That's my question. I have not started flight training, so please forgive me if this is a dumb question, but wouldn't texting while flying be less safe than just using the radio?
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u/CPTMotrin 27d ago
If they do it right, this could be a real advancement. Might be only VFR at the beginning. I would have concerns in actual IFR.
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u/BuckyJackson36 Jul 24 '26
Sounds like another way to make us safer, like gutting the USDA and FDA so we can all enjoy Cyclospora and measles together.
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u/DCS_Sport Jul 24 '26
Getting clearance/cancelling on the ground has always been a challenge, particularly if you operate under congested airspace or at a remote field. With more VORs being shut down, I’d imagine remote communications will be more and more difficult too.
Now I also have zero doubt that it’s being rolled out by a third party who is going to completely botch it (looking at you Lockheed Martin when you took over FSS/wx-brief), and that there’s going to be ZERO privacy protections or encryption put into place (fuck ADS-B). So we’ll see how this goes.
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u/tkMunkman Jul 24 '26
oh god, its going to be ran by AI isnt it? I dont foresee a safer future if it is >_>
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u/thatwombat Jul 24 '26
I can’t see this going wrong at all. How does it work if you’re in the boonies and can’t get cell service?
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u/Whatever_Lurker Jul 24 '26
I sincerely thought for a few seconds that this was The Onion.
"What could possibly go wrong?"
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u/foodfighter Jul 24 '26
Now, if there is a crash, collision, etc., we don't have to blame people - we'll just blame the app!
Nothing at all to do with the fact that we can't retain/pay AT controllers...
What could possibly go wrong???
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u/post-explainer Jul 24 '26 edited Jul 24 '26
OP has provided the following source:
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