Narrative:

I was on the ground after runup at the runup area near the end of runway 13 ready for departure. I had filed an IFR flight plan that am prior to my trip to council bluffs, (cbf) but had modified my departure time about 2 hours before with the FSS. It is apparently known in the area that sometimes omaha departure is hard to raise on radio on the ground, and both omaha departure and FSS frequencys are posted on the ground at cbf. I have a new small aircraft aircraft, and the radio being used was a nem/6 watt radio with the antenna on the top of the fuselage. I was at the most advantageous spot to attempt radio communications with omaha from ground obstruction advantage. I attempted several times to contact omaha departure to no avail. I therefore switched to FSS. Who attempted to be quite helpful. The WX was reported as 1100 overcast with at least 3 mi visibility, but we were well on top of a hill and I questioned this ceiling in several areas. I preferred to receive my clearance on the ground, deciding this might be safer. Flight service requested I stand by, and when he returned he requested I contact omaha departure on the ground, I replied unable, and stood by another few mins, when FSS returned I was told that my clearance would not be issued unless I took off and received it in the ari, or taxied back to the FBO and called omaha departure on the telephone. I took off, and there were frequent low areas in the clouds that required my flying at 300' AGL in variable visibility in an unfamiliar area. I was requested to remain VFR because my flight plan could not be located, and the direction I had requested to fly was the worst WX. After a significant wait I received my clearance. My question is, if I could get a clearance on the telephone get back in my aircraft with passengers, taxi back to the runway and depart, why could I not get a clearance from FSS just as well, and depart 10-15 min faster then using the telephone (and tying up the airspace for a shorter time) and safer than what I did. I thought a pilot could get a clearance from FSS, why did I not? Another question. If contact with departure is required for a clearance, then why is there not a rco on the field, or reliable radio communication with departure by radio, either of the above would prevent further encouragement of flying in marginal conditions. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Called oma TRACON and talked to pps. He said this is not their standard practice. The controller can talk to aircraft on the ground in certain areas of the airport, but not all areas. A pilot can file either with FSS or with the TRACON and a release should be given with a void if not off time or through FSS. The pps says they have not had any problems like this before. He speculated that the controller involved might have been working heavy traffic at the time and couldn't find the clearance right away.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT HAS DIFFICULT TIME DEPARTING NON CONTROLLED ARPT ON AN IFR FLT PLAN.

Narrative: I WAS ON THE GND AFTER RUNUP AT THE RUNUP AREA NEAR THE END OF RWY 13 READY FOR DEP. I HAD FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN THAT AM PRIOR TO MY TRIP TO COUNCIL BLUFFS, (CBF) BUT HAD MODIFIED MY DEP TIME ABOUT 2 HRS BEFORE WITH THE FSS. IT IS APPARENTLY KNOWN IN THE AREA THAT SOMETIMES OMAHA DEP IS HARD TO RAISE ON RADIO ON THE GND, AND BOTH OMAHA DEP AND FSS FREQS ARE POSTED ON THE GND AT CBF. I HAVE A NEW SMA ACFT, AND THE RADIO BEING USED WAS A NEM/6 WATT RADIO WITH THE ANTENNA ON THE TOP OF THE FUSELAGE. I WAS AT THE MOST ADVANTAGEOUS SPOT TO ATTEMPT RADIO COMS WITH OMAHA FROM GND OBSTRUCTION ADVANTAGE. I ATTEMPTED SEVERAL TIMES TO CONTACT OMAHA DEP TO NO AVAIL. I THEREFORE SWITCHED TO FSS. WHO ATTEMPTED TO BE QUITE HELPFUL. THE WX WAS RPTED AS 1100 OVCST WITH AT LEAST 3 MI VISIBILITY, BUT WE WERE WELL ON TOP OF A HILL AND I QUESTIONED THIS CEILING IN SEVERAL AREAS. I PREFERRED TO RECEIVE MY CLRNC ON THE GND, DECIDING THIS MIGHT BE SAFER. FLT SVC REQUESTED I STAND BY, AND WHEN HE RETURNED HE REQUESTED I CONTACT OMAHA DEP ON THE GND, I REPLIED UNABLE, AND STOOD BY ANOTHER FEW MINS, WHEN FSS RETURNED I WAS TOLD THAT MY CLRNC WOULD NOT BE ISSUED UNLESS I TOOK OFF AND RECEIVED IT IN THE ARI, OR TAXIED BACK TO THE FBO AND CALLED OMAHA DEP ON THE TELEPHONE. I TOOK OFF, AND THERE WERE FREQUENT LOW AREAS IN THE CLOUDS THAT REQUIRED MY FLYING AT 300' AGL IN VARIABLE VISIBILITY IN AN UNFAMILIAR AREA. I WAS REQUESTED TO REMAIN VFR BECAUSE MY FLT PLAN COULD NOT BE LOCATED, AND THE DIRECTION I HAD REQUESTED TO FLY WAS THE WORST WX. AFTER A SIGNIFICANT WAIT I RECEIVED MY CLRNC. MY QUESTION IS, IF I COULD GET A CLRNC ON THE TELEPHONE GET BACK IN MY ACFT WITH PAXS, TAXI BACK TO THE RWY AND DEPART, WHY COULD I NOT GET A CLRNC FROM FSS JUST AS WELL, AND DEPART 10-15 MIN FASTER THEN USING THE TELEPHONE (AND TYING UP THE AIRSPACE FOR A SHORTER TIME) AND SAFER THAN WHAT I DID. I THOUGHT A PLT COULD GET A CLRNC FROM FSS, WHY DID I NOT? ANOTHER QUESTION. IF CONTACT WITH DEP IS REQUIRED FOR A CLRNC, THEN WHY IS THERE NOT A RCO ON THE FIELD, OR RELIABLE RADIO COM WITH DEP BY RADIO, EITHER OF THE ABOVE WOULD PREVENT FURTHER ENCOURAGEMENT OF FLYING IN MARGINAL CONDITIONS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. CALLED OMA TRACON AND TALKED TO PPS. HE SAID THIS IS NOT THEIR STANDARD PRACTICE. THE CTLR CAN TALK TO ACFT ON THE GND IN CERTAIN AREAS OF THE ARPT, BUT NOT ALL AREAS. A PLT CAN FILE EITHER WITH FSS OR WITH THE TRACON AND A RELEASE SHOULD BE GIVEN WITH A VOID IF NOT OFF TIME OR THROUGH FSS. THE PPS SAYS THEY HAVE NOT HAD ANY PROBS LIKE THIS BEFORE. HE SPECULATED THAT THE CTLR INVOLVED MIGHT HAVE BEEN WORKING HVY TFC AT THE TIME AND COULDN'T FIND THE CLRNC RIGHT AWAY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 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.