Los Angeles Departure Procedures: A Detailed Look

Posted on Jan 28, 2025 in Other subjects

Special Instructions

  1. The flight plan of each aircraft requesting a clearance must be examined for appropriateness, with attention to route and requested cruising altitude.
  2. Aircraft that have not filed an approved departure procedure (DP) shall be issued the most appropriate DP for the route of flight (see below).
  3. Aircraft filing “no DP”, or those that refuse an approved departure procedure, shall be issued a clearance that will route the aircraft along an approved departure procedure (DP) routing, through an approved departure gate, to the next appropriate fix in the flight planned route, and then as filed.
  4. Aircraft filing incorrect altitudes for direction of flight should be issued corrected final altitudes.
  5. When Los Angeles is departing to the west, all IFR departures assigned a SID should be issued 5000 or their requested cruise altitude, whichever is lower. When Los Angeles is departing to the east, all IFR departures should be issued an initial climb to 3,000, and told to expect their requested cruise altitude/flight level 5 minutes after departure.
  6. LAX_DEL must amend all flight strips to reflect the route as cleared.
  7. Aircraft requesting a VFR departure should be cleared out of Los Angeles Bravo airspace, and in case of flight following, assigned departure frequency & squawk. (Note: all turbine aircraft (turboprop or jet) are required to obtain flight following for departure from the Los Angeles Class Bravo airspace.)

LAX_DEL will issue one of the following sets of instructions to VFR departures that do not request flight following:

  • Northbound departures: “Cleared out of Los Angeles Bravo airspace. Make a right crosswind departure at the shoreline. Maintain VFR at or below 2500 feet.”
  • Southbound departures: “Cleared out of Los Angeles Bravo airspace. Make a left crosswind departure at the shoreline. Maintain VFR at or below 2500 feet.”

VFR aircraft requesting or requiring flight following will be issued one of the following sets of instructions:

  • Non-turboprop/turbojet departures: “Cleared out of Los Angeles Bravo airspace. Maintain VFR at or below 2500 feet.”
  • Turboprop or turbojet departures: “Cleared out of Los Angeles Bravo airspace. Maintain VFR at or below 3000 feet.”

8. All flight strips must have the correct voice tag (/v /r /t), and have the appropriate scratch code.

Departure Routes

Northwest-bound departures shall be issued the CASTA, FIXIT, GMN or VTU departure. Non-Turbojet departures may be issued radar vectors to V165, in addition to the above departures, as their initial departure routing.

Northeast-bound departures shall be issued the LOOP.DAG departure. Aircraft that cannot comply with the performance requirements of the LOOP departure shall be issued OSHNN.DAG. Aircraft not capable of the OSHNN SID may be issued the SEBBY SID, DAG transition.

Eastbound departures shall be issued the LAXX.TRM departure. RNAV-equipped aircraft may be issued the HOLTZ.TRM

Southeast-bound departures shall be issued the LAXX departure, as appropriate for the route of flight. RNAV-equipped aircraft may be issued the KARVR.

Southbound departures shall be issued the LAXX departure. RNAV-equipped aircraft may be issued the KARVR.

Oceanic departures shall be issued the PRCH, VTU, or ZILLI departure.

Non-turbojet northeastbound, through southeast-bound departures may be issued either the SLI departure, or for departures via PMD, may be issued radar vectors V165 V518 PMD, or for departures via DAG, radar vectors V165 V518 PMD V12 BASAL V394 DAG. RNAV-equipped aircraft may be issued the JEDDD departure in lieu of the SLI departure.