CAT-3 and stating intentions

[AndreasB]

It's been some time since I was flying in the sim, but I remember I was left with some questions I have yet to ask:

For the CAT-3, I was going with the comms example from the CAT-3 description, however tower said they were unaware of what I was doing and that I should have stated my intentions. In hindsight this makes sense, as there aren't really detailed flight plans filed for VFR and the tower wouldn't know we want to do pattern work. However the CAT-3 comms example has one stating your intentions to ground when requesting taxi, but only report holding short to the tower. I guess it's the example that isn't right/misleading?

The other thing (in CAT-4) was that tower told me to depart via left downwind. I took off, flew the pattern up to the downwind at pattern altitude, and left the downwind at, I think, around abeam the threshold in the direction of my destination and climbing. Tower didn't complain, but later I questioned whether I did the right thing. Amusingly, while I was looking this up, I found that real world controllers aren't really clear about that either: https://www.stuckmic.com/threads/left-r ... ure.10986/ . Anyway, what do PE controllers really mean when they say downwind departure?

[Keith Smith]

Most times, if you tell ground the departure request, they'll relay it tower. It's still good to make the request with the tower, though, I'll update the transcript.

"downwind departure" has a few connotations as you said. There are different opinions on when to turn on course and when to climb above pattern altitude. As long as you exit the pattern on the downwind, you're off to a good start.

[AndreasB]

In hindsight, I'm not sure whether I really stated my intentions to ground (I'm pretty sure I did), whether ground missed it, or whether the controller was just insistent on simulating that ground doesn't tell tower all the little details. I was going to incorporate telling tower of my intentions into how I do things anyway, just to be safe.

Until I get to flight following from ground, that is. I guess there is no way tower won't be informed of that.

[nolandanz]

The tower and ground controllers are human too, sometimes they forget.