Originally Posted by ccysam
My point is, why not just clear us to 3000 on the airways clearance. Saves a lot of winding and the potental for an incorrect setting in the busy period just before takeoff.
You are usually issued an airways clearance 15-20min prior to departure (sometimes even longer). The level restriction that you get with the take off clearance depends on the traffic at the time and would be different if you were departing a minute earlier or a minute later. There is no possible way to know at the time of issuing the airways clearance what traffic will be around and therefore what tracking or level restriction will be required.
RI