Since April 3, 2014 the FAA has been issuing “Climb Via” clearances at airports with published Standard Instrument Departure (SID) procedures. The “Climb Via” clearance and the familiar “Descend Via STAR” clearance in pilot/controller communications are intended to reduce the amount of radio communication between pilots and controllers. “Climb Via” and “Descend Via” are shorthand phrases. When they are issued in a clearance, they relieve the controller from re-stating any altitude or speed restrictions that might be published on a SID or STAR. However, receipt of a “Via” clearance requires careful attention on the pilot’s part. Failing to comply with a “Via” clearance carries all the usual negatives of failing to comply with any other clearance. As you might expect, ignorance of what a “Via” clearance requires does not seem to be a defense.
The Essence
The essence of “VIA” clearances is that the pilot must fly the assigned SID or STAR procedure as published. Compliance with the procedure’s lateral path and any speed and altitude restrictions along the procedure’s route is required.
Once established on the assigned SID or STAR procedure, the pilot must fly the depicted courses to navigate along the procedure’s path, and use pilot discretion to adjust aircraft speed and altitude to comply with restrictions. The pilot is expected to do so without additional instruction from the controller. ATC anticipates that the pilot will climb or descend as necessary, or begin adjusting speed at the minimum distance necessary prior to a published restriction so as to cross waypoints or fixes as required by depicted restrictions.
Pilot Readback Required
A Climb Via SID clearance may be issued in a pre-departure clearance, or in the before-takeoff departure clearance, but can also be issued in flight. Most often a Descend Via STAR clearance will be issued to a pilot in flight. In any case, when the pilot receives a Climb Via SID or Descend Via STAR clearance, the pilot must read the clearance back verbatim. Abbreviating the read back will result in the controller repeating the instructions until the pilot gives a verbatim read back of the clearance.
Following a frequency change in flight, the pilot must advise ATC on initial contact of the aircraft’s current altitude followed by “climbing via” or “descending via” with the procedure name, and appropriate transitions if assigned. For example, the pilot may report: “NTC01 9,000 descending via MONAH TWO arrival.”
Top Altitude – Bottom Altitude
The “Top Altitude” is a part of every SID clearance. SIDs may be published with a “Top Altitude” contained in the procedure description, or the top altitude may be assigned by ATC. For example, “Maintain 7000” may appear in the procedure’s description, meaning that the top altitude of the SID is 7000 feet. If a SID does not have a published top altitude, the controller will assign a top altitude. For example, the controller may clear the pilot to “Climb via SID maintain one-five-thousand.”
Whether published in the procedure description or assigned by the controller, the “Top Altitude” is important! It is the highest altitude to which the pilot may fly on a “Climb Via SID” until the pilot has been cleared otherwise. The pilot should note that the SID’s “Top Altitude” is not the same as an “expect altitude” or the pilot’s “filed altitude.”
A “Bottom Altitude” is a part of every “Descend Via STAR” clearance. Similar to the SID’s top altitude, the “Bottom Altitude” may be published in the STAR’s procedure description, or may be assigned by ATC. A clearance to “Descend Via STAR” authorizes descent at the pilot’s discretion to meet all published or assigned altitude or speed restrictions and navigate laterally on the STAR down to the bottom altitude. The bottom altitude is the lowest altitude to which the pilot may descend until the pilot has been cleared otherwise.
The “Top Altitude” of a SID is the published or controller-assigned altitude limit until cleared to climb higher by ATC. Likewise, the “Bottom Altitude” on a STAR is the lowest published or controller-assigned altitude authorized until cleared to descend further.
Speed Restrictions
Pilots must comply with published speed restrictions on a SID or STAR independent of any Climb Via or Descend Via clearance. Receiving a “Climb Via SID” or “Descend Via ARRIVAL” clearance requires the pilot to comply with the procedure’s published speed restrictions. Receiving a Climb Via or Descend Via clearance cancels any previously assigned speed restriction, however, the published speed restrictions on the SID or STAR are mandatory.
As with other published elements of a SID or STAR, the controller may modify speed restrictions as necessary. If so modified, the speeds become mandatory.
Amended “Via” Clearances
ATC may amend any of the restrictions published on a SID or STAR. Such an amended clearance might sound like the following: “NTC01 descend via the MONAH TWO arrival except cross SAXLY at or above 6000.” The key word “except” alerts the pilot that the published “Via” clearance has been amended by the controller. All other aspects of the procedure remain as published; only the portion amended by “except” is changed.
Following a frequency change to a new controller the pilot must advise ATC on initial contact of the aircraft’s current altitude followed by “climbing via” or “descending via” with the procedure name, and any restrictions or amendments issued by the previous controller.
If ATC alters the aircraft’s lateral or vertical navigation while on a SID or STAR, the terms “climb via” or “descend via” may be used to instruct the pilot to resume or rejoin the procedure’s lateral path and to resume the climb or descent to comply with all published altitude and speed restrictions.
Summary
This article summarizes some of the “Via” clearance concepts, but it is not a comprehensive discussion. Since complying with “Via” clearances diligently is critical, pilots are encouraged to seek the additional information that can be found in FAA Order 7110.65U or on the NBAA’s web site. Also see www.faa.gov/tv and search Climb Via.
Not complying with a “Via” clearance can easily result in a pilot deviation being filed by the FAA. Fortunately, “Via” clearances are not difficult to comprehend, but if you are unsure about any element of the clearance, ask for clarification!
Safe and happy flying to all!
Tim Dewhurst is in charge of Courseware Development at SimCom Training Centers, Dallas.
