Pilots

Wheather you are flying IFR or VFR, instrument or visual, ZFW can be a challenging airspace to fly. The Pilot pages on this site are here to get you to where you want to go safely and quickly.

IFR Basics

DFW is a very easy airport to fly in and out of once you understand how aircraft depart and arrive to maintain a safe and orderly flow of traffic. The following information is provided to help pilots understand what is going to happen when they want to fly into or out of the DFW area.

DFW Clearance Delivery

All IFR flights must have an IFR clearance to operate under IFR flight rules. We highly encourage the use of one of the more than 20 available departure procedures for your exit from the airspace. This will make your flight much easier for both you and the air traffic controllers. It is also recommended that learn how to read and follow the charts for DFW. These are the same charts controllers look at when they issue instructions.

At DFW, if you are unable to fly a published Departure Procedure, then departing flights must exit the DFW airspace via 1 of 16 designated departure gates located directly North, East, South, or West of the airport. The departure gates are intersections (fixes) that are listed below:

NORTH: LOWGN, BLECO, GRABE, AKUNA
EAST: NOBLY, TRISS, SOLDO, CLARE
SOUTH: DARTZ, ARDIA, JASPA, NELYN
WEST: FERRA, SLOTT, CEOLA, PODDE

Again, all departing flights must cross one of these fixes. All DPs at DFW will cross one of the gates. Flight plans filed that do not cross one of these gates will be amended to give radar vectors to one of the gates and then as filed on the remainder of the flight plan.

DFW Ground Control

In general, flights departing to the East will takeoff on runways 17/35 (there are 3 of them), while westbound departures will takeoff on runways 18/36 (there are 2 of them). Controllers may assign aircraft to the closest runways at their discretion, but in general it is most helpful if aircraft are parked at terminals appropriate for direction of flight. Terminals A, C, and E are best for east departures. Terminals B and D are best for west departures. Expect to be taxied to an appropriate runway, especially if traffic conditions are busy,

Regional Approach & Departure

The 4 main Standard Terminal Area Arrivals (STARs) into DFW are Bowie (UKW), Bonham (BYP), Cedar Creek (CQY) and Glen Rose (JEN). We highly recommend that pilots use these arrivals procedures to come into the DFW airspace. The charts for DFW and other airports are available in the Operations page.

Arriving aircraft that are unable to fly a STAR should enter the airspace from one of the corner VORs (UKW, BYP, CQY, JEN). All DFW STARs will cross one of these points. If not flying a STAR, please plan to cross these VORs at 11,000. This will make your arrival much easier to manage and will get you on the ground in the most expedient manner.

VFR Basics

Flying VFR at DFW is somewhat restricted - as it is in real life. Pilots wishing to fly VFR patterns should do so at airports outside the Class B airspace. This means that pattern work is not permitted at KDFW or KDAL, as these airports are in Class B airspace at the surface up to 11,000 feet. Pattern work should be conducted at other airports, such as KSHV, KABI, KOKC, KTYR, KLBB, or KMAF. Each of those airfields have tower positions that may be manned by an air traffic controller from ZFW.

Pilots flying VFR around KDFW and KDAL should follow these procedures:

  1. Request clearance through the Class B airspace if departing KDFW or KDAL
  2. Maintain VFR at an altitude appropriate for direction of flight
  3. Contact Regional Approach (or Center) prior to entering Class B airspace.