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FlightStrips Docs

Issuing a clearance

Use the flight-plan window to check and, when necessary, correct the clearance. Flight-plan data already received by Flight Strips is shown automatically; you only need to change fields that are wrong or incomplete.

  1. Open the flight plan

    Find the flight in the uncleared bay, then click its Destination / Stand block. This opens the flight-plan window for that strip.

    An uncleared KLM18X strip with an arrow pointing to the Destination and Stand block

  2. Read the automatically populated data

    Start by checking the information that Flight Strips already displays. Callsign (C/S), destination (ADES), CTOT, TOBT, TSAT, aircraft type, requested flight level, remarks, spoken callsign, and registration are populated from the flight and are normally read-only.

    The white controls are the fields you can act on: RNAV capability, SID, SSR, EOBT, runway, route, heading, initial altitude, and stand. Change a field only when the clearance requires it.

    The Flight Strips flight-plan window showing the automatic data and editable clearance controls

  3. Assign the SID

    Click SID, then select the cleared SID. The list contains the SIDs available for the assigned runway; the current selection is green. ERASE clears the SID and ESC closes the selector without changing it.

    The SID selector with NEXEN2C selected

  4. Confirm the departure runway

    Click RWY and select the runway used for this departure. The selected runway is shown in green. Changing the runway updates the strip and changes which SIDs are offered in the SID selector.

    The departure runway selector with runway 22R selected

  5. Set the initial altitude and heading when required

    Click ALT to choose a preset altitude or enter another value. If you use ERASE, Flight Strips falls back to the configured initial altitude for the assigned runway; if no configured value exists, it keeps the current altitude. Altitudes above the transition altitude are displayed as flight levels.

    The altitude selector with FL70 selected

    Click HDG to choose a preset heading or enter a heading from 000 to 360. Use ERASE when no heading is part of the clearance.

    The heading selector with heading 220 selected

  6. Check SSR, EOBT, and route

    • Click SSR only when a new squawk is needed. Flight Strips requests a generated squawk and temporarily disables the button while it waits for the result.
    • Edit EOBT when it is wrong, then press Enter or click away to save it.
    • Edit ROUTE when the cleared route differs, then press Enter or click away to save it. If an ECFMP mandatory route applies, the route is shown in yellow and cannot be edited directly; Flight Strips asks you to confirm it when you click CLD.

  7. Issue the clearance and click CLD

    Read the clearance to the pilot. After the clearance has been issued, click CLD. For a voice clearance, Flight Strips moves the strip to CLEARED and closes the flight-plan window.

    The flight-plan window with an arrow pointing to the CLD button

  8. Verify the result

    Confirm that the strip appears in CLEARED. You do not need to drag the strip there after using CLD.

    The KLM18X strip in the CLEARED bay with an annotation explaining that it moved automatically

When PDC or a mandatory route applies

Section titled “When PDC or a mandatory route applies”

The CLD action follows the state of the strip:

  • For a normal voice clearance, it moves the strip to CLEARED.
  • For a requested PDC, it issues the PDC instead. REVERT TO VOICE is available while a PDC is requested, including a request with validation faults.
  • For a manual-PDC configuration, Flight Strips asks for confirmation before issuing the PDC.
  • When an ECFMP mandatory route applies, Flight Strips opens a confirmation dialog. For a voice clearance, confirming can update the SID and route, send the mandatory route to the pilot in a private message, and move the strip to CLEARED.