Narrative:

Aircraft Y was over yuson the outer marker for the ILS on a visual approach to isn airport. I got a call from flight service requesting a departure clearance for aircraft X ready to depart isn. I gave a clearance roughly 'this will be a hold for release clearance. Aircraft X cleared to the ZZZ airport from the isn airport as filed; climb and maintain 070; squawk [code]; contact ZLC 126.85 on departure. Hold for release; expect 4 minute departure delay due to aircraft on the visual approach.' flight service read the clearance back including the hold for release information. My d-side opened; I briefed that controller about the hfr (hold for release) situation. Shortly after; the flight service line starts ringing. Its flight service with the down time on the aircraft Y going into isn. As they're off the line I see the track for aircraft X track up off isn out of 033. They quickly call up. I acknowledge their check on. I ask them a moment later if they had received their clearance through flight service. The answered in the affirmative. I quickly explained that they should have received a hold for release clearance and were to wait on the ground for the release from flight service. They apologized and explained that they thought they were to wait 4 minutes or until their company was on the ground. I then proceeded to handle them as a normal IFR departure.due to them being aware of the inbound traffic and waiting for that traffic to be on the ground before departing I don't feel that this situation posed a serious risk to either aircraft for this particular situation. However a misunderstanding of a hfr clearance has huge potential of risk in the NAS. I do not know if this misunderstanding arose from a miscommunication from flight service; or due to a misunderstanding of the hfr procedure and an uncontrolled airport by the pilot. It could have also been a combination of the two. Recommend education of the pilots and flight service as to the proper procedure in handling a hfr clearance. I work a lot of uncontrolled airports in my airspace; but for some unknown reason the pilots flying for carriers in and out of isn seem to be very unfamiliar with ATC procedures in an uncontrolled airport. Many seem to treat it in the same way as an airport with a tower or departure control. Another situation of misunderstanding procedures is that many will be cleared 'as filed' but then fly runway heading waiting for ATC instruction to be put on course not understanding their responsibility for terrain avoidance or course guidance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZLC Controller reported of an aircraft that misunderstood communications during a hold for release situation.

Narrative: Aircraft Y was over YUSON the outer marker for the ILS on a visual approach to ISN airport. I got a call from flight service requesting a departure clearance for Aircraft X ready to depart ISN. I gave a clearance roughly 'This will be a hold for release clearance. Aircraft X Cleared to the ZZZ airport from the ISN airport as filed; climb and maintain 070; Squawk [code]; Contact ZLC 126.85 on departure. Hold for release; expect 4 minute departure delay due to aircraft on the visual approach.' Flight service read the clearance back including the hold for release information. My D-side opened; I briefed that controller about the HFR (Hold For Release) situation. Shortly after; the flight service line starts ringing. Its flight service with the down time on the Aircraft Y going into ISN. As they're off the line I see the track for Aircraft X track up off ISN out of 033. They quickly call up. I acknowledge their check on. I ask them a moment later if they had received their clearance through flight service. The answered in the affirmative. I quickly explained that they should have received a hold for release clearance and were to wait on the ground for the release from flight service. They apologized and explained that they thought they were to wait 4 minutes or until their company was on the ground. I then proceeded to handle them as a normal IFR departure.Due to them being aware of the inbound traffic and waiting for that traffic to be on the ground before departing I don't feel that this situation posed a serious risk to either aircraft for this particular situation. However a misunderstanding of a HFR clearance has huge potential of risk in the NAS. I do not know if this misunderstanding arose from a miscommunication from flight service; or due to a misunderstanding of the HFR procedure and an uncontrolled airport by the pilot. It could have also been a combination of the two. Recommend education of the pilots and flight service as to the proper procedure in handling a HFR clearance. I work a lot of uncontrolled airports in my airspace; but for some unknown reason the pilots flying for carriers in and out of ISN seem to be very unfamiliar with ATC procedures in an uncontrolled airport. Many seem to treat it in the same way as an airport with a tower or departure control. Another situation of misunderstanding procedures is that many will be cleared 'As filed' but then fly runway heading waiting for ATC instruction to be put on course not understanding their responsibility for terrain avoidance or course guidance.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.