Some Frightenly Different Beliefs
Well Gentlemen, I'm reading some clearly conflicting interpretations on who is assuming responsibility for providing terrain clearance while under IFR.
Galaxy Flyer ascerts in post 8 that Spannish atc will clear an aircraft to an altitude which does not provide terrain clearance at the aircrafts present position, leaving it up to the crew to choose safe altitudes as they progress. I'm presuming this is while on a clearance direct to a point, or on an airway.
Flyburg in post 9 basically says the same, unless on radar vectors.
While Bookworm in post 13 seems to have a PANS quote that atc accepts responsibility when giving an aircraft a vector or a DIRECT (my bold) routing. However, this does not seem to include clarifying that atc assumes altitude clearance responsibilities if a descent clearance is given while on an airway. Bookworm, could you perhaps elaborate?