Departing Non-Towered Airports

摘要

When departing IFR from a tower-controlled airport, planning your initial route is easy. You may have a challenging departure procedure, but you depart as cleared or as directed, immediately under positive control. It sounds complicated, but it's actually easier than the alternative. The alternative, since you asked, is an IFR departure from a non-towered airport. In this case, you're entirely responsible for terrain clearance until you make it into controlled airspace and you must plan an obstacle clearance departure route on your own. Your options (and responsibilities) are different depending on whether it's VMC, marginal VFR or IMC. What do you need to consider? How do you choose?