Was that instruction a clearance??

[GoneWest]

VFR training aircraft reports 15 miles to the East of the boundary.

ATC says "Report entering the zone". Clearance or instruction?? Does this require readback - or "Wilco".

Aircraft gets closer to the airfield, calls Tower...

"Enter left hand downwind" Clearance or instruction?? Readback or "Wilco"??

Would appreciate if you would say which Country when you consider answering.

[tacpot]

As a UK PPL, I would say the first is both an instruction and a clearance, I would read back the clearance and assume that the controller would assume I would follow the clearance as given (i.e to report on entering the zone).

The second I would interpret as a clearance requiring a readback.

[AF1]

I would assume that the pilot would assume that the controller would assume that the assumed clearance would be followed by the pilot, presumably ... :D

There should never be this doubt, and its up to the ATCO to make it clear. If in doubt, ASK!

[Spitoon]

In the UK the relevant rules about clearances are as follows:

An air traffic control clearance authorises an aircraft to proceed under conditions specified by an air traffic control unit. Clearances are based solely on known traffic conditions and are required for any flight, or portion of a flight, which is provided with an air traffic control or advisory service.

and

An air traffic control clearance shall include the following items:
- Aircraft identification;
- Clearance limit;
- Route;
- Levels of flight and changes of levels.
So, in the UK, I would say that the first ATC call was not a valid clearance. As AF1 points out the scenario described involves a lot of assumptions.

The circuit joining instruction is a clearance and instruction but here there is no real distinction between the two - it might be more correct to say that the joining instruction was a modification to the clearance to enter the airspace.

[HugMonster]

Spitoon, that is very far from being a definitive explanation of the difference between a clearance and an instruction.

There are many, many clearances which do not include level, routing, etc. etc.

"Report entering the zone" is not a valid clearance to enter but an instruction to call again upon entering. I assume that a valid clearance would have been issued previously in the conversation, and the further assumption is that it is at the previously reported altitude etc.

eg:- "ABC123 clear to enter the zone at QWERTY VRP maintaining VFR at 3,000 on the XYZ QNH 1007 - Report entering the zone".

[tacpot]

Hug,

I had to think long and hard about this, and basing my response solely on the information given by GoneWest, I believed that the ATCer did intend "Report on entering the zone" to be a clearance (and an instruction). I'd agree that phrasiology is not ideal, but not having flowing in the US, I'm not upto speed with what would be considered correct.

The clearance may not be formed correctly, but I do beleive it to be a clearance.

AF1 rightly points out the problems with woolly phrasiology, which is why the stanrd phrasiology was developed and why it should be followed.

[Spitoon]

Hug,

Not wishing to be too pedantic - I didn't say that I was giving a definitive answer simply extracting what the MATS Part 1 says.

As far as aircraft in the air are concerned I'm not sure that I understand what you mean by 'There are many, many clearances which do not include level, routing, etc. etc. '. Some examples might help - the one you give may not be a particularly good one.

The real problem is that although we've got a description of a clearance in the official book, there is no equivalent for what an instruction is - hence my suggestion that it is a modification to a previously issued clearance.

[Tinker]

I tend agree with Huggy, often you will hear something like 'cleared to enter controlled airspace report xxxVRPxxx not above xxx' but if you don't you can't assume it's a clearance, even if local knowlage dictates otherwise.
I suscribe to the addage if in doubt ask and in the past I have made myself look like a plum doing so but I've kept it legal.
One example I can recall quite vividly was on final, the tower freq was buisy, there was little doubt that I was able to land without any conflict and i'm sure that atc assumed I had taken my clearance as read but I still blurted out during a break 'confirm g-xxx cleared to land'. I figured that way at least my backside was covered.
Just ask if aren't sure in my opinion but then again I am still a relatively low time pilot.