Flying VFR in and out of Sea-Tac International Airport

Flying VFR into Sea-Tac

Flying VFR into Sea-Tac is a bit different than most other Class B airports. Usually, you contact the Class B approach/control (TRACON) on the appropriate frequency listed on the Terminal Chart or in the AFD. However, at Sea-Tac you may fly just outside the “surface box” (area where the floor of the Class B extends to the ground) and contact the tower directly.

Approaching from over Vashon Island (it’s best to approach Sea-Tac for landing from either Vashon or Kent… unless you are already in the Class B with flight following… with clearance!)

Pilot Actions: Obtain ATIS on 118.0. Remain clear of the Class B airspace while flying between at between 1,500 and 2,500. Then contact the tower on 119.9.

Pilot: Seattle Tower, Archer 4-3-7-7-9 (type aircraft, is a “Cessna 172” redundant if you say “Archer” or “Skyhawk” with your N-Number), over Vashon Island at 2,500, Landing Sea-Tac with information Bravo.

Seattle Tower: Archer 4-3-7-7-9, squawk 3-0-2-6 and ident. (or “standby for a beacon code” they may add “remain clear of the Class Bravo airspace” or “maintain VFR”… but you should always do this anyway).

Pilot: Squawk 3-0-2-6 and ident, Archer 7-7-9.

Seattle Tower: Archer 7-7-9 is radar contact, cleared into Class Bravo airspace. Maintain VFR at 1,500. Enter a left downwind for Runway 3-4 Left (for north flow, 1-6 Right for a south flow). Traffic is a Delta 767 on a 3-mile final for the left.

Pilot: Maintain VFR at 1,500, left downwind for 3-4 Left, looking for traffic.

Some variations: Tower may make reference to Three Tree Point (“proceed to”, “cross north/south of”…). Three Tree Point is the piece of land jutting out directly west of Sea-Tac. In addition, Tower may have you enter on a base leg or use different altitudes. Expect a base or downwind midfield entry. Think about which runways are in use and what Tower is trying to do. If in doubt, always ask!!! They won’t turn you away…

Pilot Actions: Simply fly the requested entry and make the requested reports. Always be on the lookout for traffic on final and departing. Maintain VFR and plan for wake turbulence avoidance. There is plenty of runway to avoid nearly all wake turbulence situations. Also, don’t let them rush you… but try to plan your speed to avoid delays/causing a go-around. Be prepared to fly a lot faster than you usually do!!!

Pilot: Traffic in site, Archer 7-7-9.

Seattle Tower: Archer 7-7-9, follow that traffic, maintain visual separation, cleared to land Runway 3-4 Left, caution wake turbulence.

Pilot: Cleared to land number two, Archer 7-7-9.

Pilot Actions: Keeping your speed up throughout the pattern and on final is a good habit at a Class B airport. You have plenty of time to slow down and lots of runway to use. Slipping is often used when flying a pattern at a Class B airport… to make a short approach or to slow down on final.

After rolling out…

Seattle Tower: Archer 7-7-9, turn left at November and hold short of Runway 3-4 Right.

Pilot: Left at November and hold short of Runway 3-4 Right, Archer 7-7-9.

Seattle Tower: Archer 7-7-9, cross 3-4 Right and contact ground on 121.7.

Pilot: Cross the right and contact ground 121.7, Archer 7-7-9.

Pilot Actions: “Always look both ways before crossing the street”… be careful not to taxi out onto Bravo. Switch to ground and turn off lights AFTER crossing the runway.

Pilot: Seattle Ground, Archer 4-3-7-7-9 is on November at Bravo, request taxi to Signature.

Seattle Ground: Archer 4-3-7-7-9, taxi via Bravo to Signature.

Note: Ground may ask you “are you familiar with signature / airport”… they may also ask you to “hold for” or “follow” other aircraft. Watch out for large jet aircraft taxiing off high-speed intersections onto Bravo! Also, when taxiing behind moving or parked aircraft, you must use cross wind corrections. When the jet is in front of you, turn into it with the ailerons. When the jet is behind you “dive away” with the ailerons and rudder. Rotating beacons on jet aircraft mean that the engines are running or about to start.

About Class B: When you know what to expect, Class B airports are some of the easiest airports to fly in & out of! I completed all of my training, Private through Instructor, at Phoenix Sky Harbor International (at the time the 14^th busiest airport in the world). As a student pilot, my second solo was out of a Class B (and each solo after that). In Class B, ATC tells you what to do… what headings to fly, what altitudes, where the traffic is and even vectors you into the pattern or onto final. You are like the autopilot doing what they say…. However, always look for traffic, maintain VFR and keep your own obstacle clearances. Question anything that you don’t understand or that doesn’t seem right.

Departing Sea-Tac VFR

If you have an instrument rating, or you are working on it, then you are familiar with clearance delivery. It’s the ATC facility that gives you your IFR clearance at busier airports. Well, at Class B airports even VFR traffic needs to contact clearance delivery. Think about it… you need clearance from approach to enter Class B, right? Well, someone needs to give you clearance to enter Class B when you depart… because you will enter the Class B airspace as soon as your wheels leave the ground.

Pilot Actions: Before engine start, obtain ATIS on 118.0… then switch to Clearance Delivery on 128.0.

Pilot: Seattle Clearance, Archer 4-3-7-7-9 (type aircraft, is a “Cessna 172” redundant if you say “Archer” or “Skyhawk” with your N-Number), at Signature, VFR to Boeing Field (or other destination), with information Kilo.

Seattle Clearance Delivery: Archer 4-3-7-7-9 is cleared out of the Class Bravo Airspace. After departure fly a west heading (or specific number), maintain VFR at 1,500, departure will be the tower 119.9, squawk 1-2-0-0.

Note: At most Class B airports, Clearance Delivery will assign specific headings and altitudes… and will also give you a departure (TRACON) frequency to contact after takeoff and a unique beacon code. However, Sea-Tac is again different from the norm in this regard. Expect what ATC will say, copy and read back before you try to understand, then question anything you are unsure of.

Pilot: Flying a west heading, maintain VFR at 1,500, departure 119.9, squawk VFR, Archer 7-7-9.

Seattle Clearance Delivery: Archer 7-7-9, read back correct. Have a nice flight.

Pilot Actions: Shutdown avionics power and master… proceed with engine-start and pre-taxi checklists. Once the checks are complete, you should complete your run-up PRIOR to contacting ground control. They don’t want your little Cessna or Archer “running up” short of the runway in front of 747’s and 777’s. Try to find a place on the ramp, short of the taxiway, that minimizes windblast. Then contact ground control on 121.7.

Pilot: Seattle Ground, Archer 4-3-7-7-9 is at Signature, run-up complete, ready to taxi.

Note: You don’t need to tell them where you are going… that was the point of telling Clearance Delivery.

Seattle Ground: Archer 4-3-7-7-9, hold for the Alaska 737, then taxi to Runway 3-4 Right.

Pilot: Hold for the 737, then taxi to Runway 3-4 Right, Archer 7-7-9.

Note: Again, ground may ask you to “hold for” or “follow” particular aircraft. Be on the alert for traffic and use crosswind correction techniques behind aircraft. Jets will run-over you, especially Southwest which taxis around at the takeoff speed of most light planes.

Pilot Actions: Switch to tower as you approach the last intersection onto the runway. If you delay in switching to tower… they may have already been yelling at you three or four times by the time you switch. Also, jets like to play “chicken”… by inching forward as you inch forward… at the intersection leading onto the runway. Be sure to understand who was instructed to be number one for departure before you play… also keep in mind that you will usually loose if you force the issue.

Pilot: Seattle Tower, Archer 4-3-7-7-9 is holding short of Runway 3-4 Right, ready for takeoff. (always say intersection as well, if at intersection!!)

Seattle Tower: Archer 4-3-7-7-9, cleared for takeoff Runway 3-4 Right. (of course, they may say the usual “hold short of 3-4 Right” or “taxi into position and hold, Runway 3-4 Right).

Pilot: Cleared for takeoff Runway 3-4 Right, Archer 7-7-9.

Pilot Actions: Again, look both ways before you go out in the middle of the street. Note what you need to do to avoid wake turbulence. With such long and perfectly parallel runways… it’s usually pretty easy to avoid wake turbulence. Keep in mind you will need to turn as soon as possible, or “offset” 10 degrees or so to avoid a departing jet’s flight path (with ATC permission… or by informing them if necessary for safety and offsetting in a direction away from the two runways).

Seattle Tower: Archer 7-7-9, turn left heading 270 (“west”… or some other heading. May assign altitude.)

Note: At most Class B airports… or departing IFR… this is where the tower would tell you to “contact departure”. You would then switch to the departure frequency and say “Seattle Departure, Archer 4-3-7-7-9 is climbing through 800 for 2,000, heading 310.”

Pilot Actions: Follow tower instructions and turn to heading when a safe altitude permits. Again, look for traffic and consider wake turbulence (usually easy to avoid at Sea-Tac).

As you depart from the surface Class B, if your route will keep you below the next layer of Class B, then Seattle Tower will cancel your radar services.

Seattle Tower: Archer 4-3-7-7-9 has departed the Class B airspace. No other traffic observed in your area. Radar services terminated, squawk 1-2-0-0, frequency change approved.

Pilot: Squawk VFR, Archer 7-7-9, good day.

Summary: Flying into Sea-Tac is a lot easier than most people think, and can be lots of fun. Just remember that all of the airlines pilots there were once lower-time pilots just like your self… and when the controllers first started out, they couldn’t understand ATC jargon either.

Landing Fee: You need to pay a fee to land at Sea-Tac which varies on type of aircraft. There is a little shack-like building in front of Signature… and the fee is usually around $15. If you don’t pay the landing fee, the airport will send the aircraft owner a bill for $25.

Note on Signature: Signature is an FBO (this is their worst facility… you should see how nice the FBO’s are at SFO or LAS)… and they charge a ramp fee of $9 if you don’t take fuel. As with most FBO’s, you can often get out of this… tip the van drivers well… and “take me straight to the airplane”. Signature will take you to the main terminal (or pick up your friends at the main terminal) for free in their van. Again, if you want to get anywhere with FBO employees… then tip… and yes, for each way in the van. Usually $3 to $5 is appropriate for routine service.