All IFR aircraft will need a clearance to depart from any airport within ZLA. When issuing IFR clearances, use the C.R.A.F.T. acronym.
This is the route the aircraft will take to arrive at its destination, and will usually contain a departure procedure (DP), fixes, or even the phrase “direct”, and as arrival procedure (STAR).
The first part of the assigned route should either be a DP, or a route which mimics a DP. (By "mimicking", we mean closely reflecting the path of a standard departure procedure, issuing a set of fixes that can be flown without the chart. For example, GMN4.EHF can be mimicked as "fly runway heading, radar vectors to GMN, direct EHF.) If the pilot's first fix on his flight plan is a transition fix on a DP, a controller can issue the DP, or a mimicked version of the DP to that fix, followed by "then as filed".
Example: A pilot files KLAX DAG KLAS. Clearance should read: "LAXX5 departure, DAG transition, CLARR2 arrival", or "via fly runway heading, radar vectors to SLI, direct DAG, direct LAS, direct".
However, if a pilot has *not* filed a transition fix on his flight plan, controllers still should route the pilot via a standard departure procedure or its mimicked version, but also assign a route *after* the transition fix that will "marry up" or join his filed route.
Example: A pilot files KLAX BLD OZN KSGU. Clearance should read: "LAXX5 departure, DAG transition, direct BLD, then as filed", or "via fly runway heading, radar vectors to SLI, direct DAG, direct BLD, then as filed."
While the initial part of the route should always be a departure procedure or its mimicked version, it's usually not very important what route the pilot files after the transition fix. That part of route can vary depending on the pilot's preference.
Exceptions would be the flights landing in ZLA, such as KLAX - KLAS, KLAS - KSAN, etc, in which case the controllers should verify that the whole route is correct and complies with the local procedures. Same rule applies to the flights landing in the neighboring ARTCC's which ZLA has LOA's with, namely ZDV, ZOA, ZLC, and ZAB (refer to the "Letters of Agreement" section under the "SOP's and LOA's" link). For example, as per the LOA with ZDV, ZLA is required to route the aircraft landing at KDEN via LAS J146 HBU POWDR6, so in this case the controller would have to review the full route.
For local flights within Southern California, there are prearranged routes and altitudes to be used - TEC routes. TEC routes are divided into groups by aircraft classes (see descriptions here: www.laartcc.org/old/tec/aircraftclass.htm). Each aircraft class has a unique TEC route and altitude established for it, those are listed in the TEC table for the departure airport. Altitudes in the TEC tables are expressed in hundreds of feet: 50 = 5000; 110 = 11000, so on. If there's a red "X" under an aircraft class column, the route is not to be used for this class, scroll up or down to find the correct one.
Pay attention to the remarks about abnormal operations, such as "when landing east", etc. Those routes are to be used *only* when the landing configuration at the airports involved changes, which doesn't happen often.
The preferred technique is to assign a standard departure procedure (DP) to the first fix on the TEC route, followed by the TEC route itself. Alternatively, controllers can issue an approved departure heading as specified in the "Assignment of Headings to Departures & Missed Approaches" SOP, followed by radar vectors to the first fix and the TEC route itself.
Example: A pilot files KBUR FIM V186 DEANO V27 KWANG KSBA. The clearance should read: "cleared to the Santa Barbara Airport; VNY7 departure, FIM transition, then as filed", or "via fly heading [approved departure heading], radar vectors to FIM, then as filed".
Sometimes pilots will file only the TEC ID, as opposed to the full route itself. If this is the case, clearance can be issued using the TEC ID itself.
Example: A pilot files KLAX LAXM14 KSBA, the clearance should read: "cleared to the Santa Barbara Airport via the Los Angeles Mike One Four TEC route".
1. Please note that the pilot is NOT required to change the route in his FP if you alter it. The FP route is simply his "requested" route, and does NOT reflect what his clearance actually is. The "CLEARANCE" route is simply what the pilot read back, and THAT is the legally binding route - not what is in the FP box. You may ask him to change it for you, but if you have just changed his DP route, it's usually simpler, and a better service to amend the flightplan in ASRC/VRC, and not to force the pilot to do so.
2. If you are aware of any delays for the pilot's destination, such as Ground Stops, miles-in-trail flow control, Expect Departure Clearance Times, or departure slots, you should normally mention this at this time. (This keeps the pilot from starting up his engines only to find out he can't go anywhere.)
3. If Oakland Oceanic Control (ZAK_FSS) is online, any departure routed over the Pacific Ocean must be coordinated between Clearance Delivery and Oakland Oceanic prior to IFR clearance being issued to the pilot. The Clearance Delivery controller shell then enter the coordinated ETA over the transfer-of-control point in the aircraft's flight plan remarks. (Ref. Oakland Oceanic SOP for more info.)
