When the Academy FDIO is out of service, what action must the FD position take?

• A. Find an alternate source for weather
• B. Write out GI messages by hand
• C. Copy/request IFR clearances
• D. Include the outage on the next ATIS

Answer: (C)

When the FDIO is out of service, the essential task is to keep IFR operations going by ensuring clearances are still obtained and given to pilots. The flight data position is the point where IFR clearances are prepared and disseminated, so if the automatic FDIO system isn’t available, the controller must manually copy or request the IFR clearances from the appropriate facility (such as Clearance Delivery or the controlling facility) and pass them to the aircraft. This preserves the requirement that pilots operating under IFR have an approved clearance before entering controlled airspace, which is fundamental for maintaining safe separation and orderly flow.

Weather sources and manual hand-written messages are not the immediate, mandated replacement for the lost FDIO functionality, and noting the outage on the next ATIS does not substitute for obtaining and issuing the actual IFR clearance.