Pre-Departure Clearance (PDC) FAQs

What is PDC?

PDCs are official text clearances issued for US IFR flight plans, and include the filed route, the cleared altitude, transponder code, departure frequency, and any special instructions. A PDC replaces (and is the same as) a verbal clearance from Clearance Delivery.

Which subscription do I need to have to receive PDC?

PDC is available to customers on Performance Plus or Business Performance. If your tail number is registered for PDC, everyone filing with that tail number at a PDC-enabled airport is required to have a Performance subscription in ForeFlight.

Does PDC through ForeFlight cost extra?

No, PDC is available as part of the Performance Plus or Business Performance plans at no extra charge.

How do I register for PDC through ForeFlight?

Click the Login button at the top of this page to log in to your account, click the Aircraft tab on the left and select the aircraft you want to register, then click "Enable" under Clearance Delivery. Answer the two registration questions in the window that appears and click Continue, then agree to the terms and conditions and submit your request. Our Customer Success Team will forward your registration to the FAA and activate PDC for the selected aircraft, or contact you to request more information if necessary.

There are multiple pilots who fly my aircraft.  Can I register PDC for myself only?

No, PDC is tied to the tail number and/or callsign.  Therefore, anyone who flies a registered tail number or uses a registered callsign will also be expected by the FAA to use PDC at PDC-enabled airports.  Please ensure that anyone using your tail number or callsign is aware of this FAA expectation.

Can I receive mobile PDC from ForeFlight if I currently use a data service provider for my aircraft? 

ForeFlight has partnered with Satcom Direct and Honeywell to provide PDC. Your aircraft can only be registered to receive PDC from one data-service provider at a time, meaning you must be receiving services from Satcom Direct or Honeywell or no data service provider at all.

Do I need to still contact clearance delivery once I receive PDC?

No, PDC is your clearance and includes the assigned squawk code.  Once you have received PDC you are able to bypass calling clearance delivery.  If for some reason you do not receive PDC, you must contact clearance delivery as normal.

How long will it take after registering before I can start receiving PDC?

PDC registrations get updated each Thursday and should be available for use the following Monday.

Who will the PDC get sent to and how is it sent?

PDCs are delivered via email and SMS to the phone number and email listed in the flight plan filing form.  The PDC will also be sent to the account holder’s email if the email listed in the filing form differs from the account email.  PDC through ForeFlight is not available to be uploaded into your avionics.

When should I expect to receive the PDC and how long is it valid?

You should expect to receive the PDC about 20-30 mins prior to ETD and it is valid for 2 hours beyond the filed time of departure. In some circumstances the air traffic controller may choose to not deliver the PDC or the flight may not be eligible to receive PDC. If you do not receive a PDC, contact clearance delivery to receive your clearance.

Why did I not receive PDC?

It is ultimately at the air traffic controller’s discretion whether to deliver the PDC. A few common reasons why it may not be delivered include:

• PDC does not support any type of flight plan amendments made by the pilot, so any pilot-originated changes to the flight plan will automatically render the flight ineligible for PDC. PDC does allow for some limited route insertions automatically applied to the flight by ATC computers, such as adding or changing a SID or other method to join the filed route.

• If the aircraft already received a PDC from that airport within the past 18 hours (An aircraft may receive only one PDC per airport per 18-hour period).

• In some cases when a TEC route is issued.

Once registered, what do I need to do to receive the clearance?

The only thing you need to do is file your flight plan through ForeFlight and ensure that you have included your email address and phone number in the filing form.

 

At which airports are PDC and D-ATIS available?

PDC and digital ATIS are available through ForeFlight at 70+ major airports including:

ABQ	Albuquerque International	ADW	Andrews AFB
ALB	Albany International	ANC	Anchorage International
ATL	Atlanta Hartsfield International	AUS	Austin-Bergstrom International
BDL	Windsor Locks Bradley International	BNA	Nashville International
BOI	Boise Air Terminal	BOS	Boston Logan International
BUF	Greater Buffalo International	BUR	Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena
BWI	Baltimore Washington International	CHS	Charleston International
CLE	Cleveland-Hopkins International	CLT	Charlotte/Douglas International
CMH	Port Columbus International	CVG	Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky
DAL*	Dallas Love Field	DCA	Washington National
DEN	Denver International	DFW	Dallas/Fort Worth International
DTW	Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County	ELP	El Paso International
EWR	Newark International	FLL	Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International
GSO	Greensboro Piedmont Triad International	HNL	Honolulu International
HOU	William P Hobby - Houston	HPN	Westchester County - White Plains
IAD	Washington Dulles International	IAH	Houston Intercontinental
IND	Indianapolis International	JAX	Jacksonville International
JFK	New York Kennedy International	JSJ	San Juan Marin International
LAS	Las Vegas McCarran International	LAX	Los Angeles International
LGA	New York LaGuardia	LIT	Little Rock Adams Field
MCI	Kansas City International	MCO	Orlando International
MDW	Chicago Midway	MEM	Memphis International
MIA	Miami International	MKE	Milwaukee Mitchell International
MSP	Minneapolis Saint Paul International	MSY	New Orleans International/Moisant Field
OAK	Metropolitan Oakland International	OKC	Oklahoma City-Will Rogers
OMA	Omaha Eppley Airfield	ONT	Ontario International
ORD	Chicago O’Hare International	PBI	Palm Beach International
PDX	Portland International	PHL	Philadelphia International
PHX	Phoenix Sky Harbor International	PIT	Pittsburgh International
PVD	Theodore Francis Green-Providence	RDU	Raleigh-Durham International
RNO	Reno-Tahoe International	RSW	Southwest Florida International
SAN	San Diego International-Lindbergh	SAT	San Antonio International
SDF	Louisville Standiford Field	SEA	Seattle-Tacoma International
SFO	San Francisco International	SJC	San Jose International
SLC	Salt Lake City International	SMF	Sacramento Metropolitan
SNA	John Wayne Orange County	STL	Lambert-Saint Louis International
TEB	Teterboro	TPA	Tampa International
TUL	Tulsa International	VNY	Van Nuys

*Certain airports have specific rules concerning the types of aircraft that controllers will issue PDCs for. Please review the SIDs to ensure you receive your clearance correctly.