Every instrument flight begins with a moment that can feel overwhelming to the newly rated pilot: the controller reads a rapid-fire ATC clearance, and you have seconds to write it down, parse it, read it back accurately, and then act on it. Instrument flying demands precision from the first radio call, and the FAA has identified five standard components that make up every IFR clearance. Learning to recognize and record each component instantly is one of the most practical skills you will build during instrument training.
The acronym CRAFT is the industry-standard memory tool that organizes those five components into a logical sequence. Used by student pilots on their first simulated IFR flight and by airline captains every day, CRAFT transforms an overwhelming wall of words into a structured checklist you fill in as the controller speaks. This article explains what each element means, why it appears in the clearance, how to write it down efficiently, and what the FAA knowledge test loves to ask about it.
The Five Components of an IFR Clearance
C — Clearance Limit
The clearance limit is the point to which you are authorized to fly under IFR. In the vast majority of cases this will be your destination airport, stated by its identifier (e.g., "cleared to Midway Airport"). However, a clearance limit can also be a navaid, fix, or intersection if ATC cannot yet issue a full-route clearance — a practice called a short clearance. If you reach a clearance limit that is not your destination and you have received no further clearance, 14 CFR 91.185 specifies what you must do: if the limit is a fix from which an approach begins, you should commence descent or approach as close as possible to the expect-further-clearance (EFC) time if one has been received, or — if no EFC was given — as close as possible to the estimated time of arrival computed from the filed or amended flight plan. Understanding clearance limits is therefore directly connected to lost-communications procedures, a major IFR knowledge-test topic.
R — Route
The route component tells you exactly how to get from your departure point to the clearance limit. It may be expressed as a Standard Instrument Departure (SID), a series of airways (e.g., "Victor 25, then Victor 105"), direct routing between fixes, or any combination. Occasionally, ATC will issue a clearance that reads "cleared as filed," meaning they accept your proposed route exactly. Even then, you are responsible for knowing your filed route, because you must fly it — ATC is not going to re-read it to you.
Routes are typically read in sequence from departure fix outward: departure procedure first (if any), then en route airways or direct segments, then the arrival procedure or transition (such as a STAR — Standard Terminal Arrival Route). Write each element in the order given, using abbreviations. A common shorthand system uses a forward slash between fixes and route segments, keeping the scrawl legible when time is short.
A — Altitude
The altitude component specifies both your initial altitude (what to climb to immediately after departure) and often an expect altitude within a specified time or distance (e.g., "climb and maintain 3,000, expect 8,000 ten minutes after departure"). The expect altitude is critical: it is not an instruction to climb to that altitude on your own initiative, but it does serve as a planning value for lost-communications purposes under 14 CFR 91.185. If radio contact is lost, you would use that expected altitude as guidance for what altitude to fly, along with the highest MEA (Minimum Enroute Altitude) along the route.
Altitudes in a clearance are stated in hundreds of feet MSL for most operations (e.g., "five thousand" means 5,000 feet MSL). Flight levels are used at and above FL 180 in Class A airspace. Always read back altitudes clearly and confirm: altitude readback errors are among the most common and potentially dangerous mistakes in IFR operations.
F — Frequency
The frequency component covers the departure control frequency (or center frequency) you should contact after leaving the tower environment, as well as any relevant handoff information. In many busy terminal environments this is given as a discrete departure frequency. At airports without a control tower, your clearance may be delivered by a remote clearance delivery frequency, and the first frequency to contact after takeoff may be approach or center directly.
Write the frequency down exactly and set it in your standby comm radio before takeoff so you can flip it instantly when departure control calls. Losing your departure frequency because it was not written down is an avoidable distraction during one of the most workload-intensive phases of IFR flight — the climb-out.
T — Transponder
The final component is your assigned transponder code, also called a discrete beacon code or simply a squawk code. ATC uses this four-digit octal code (each digit ranging from 0 to 7) to positively identify your aircraft on radar. You will be instructed to "squawk" a specific code such as 4721, set it into your transponder before departure, and confirm with ATC that radar contact is established.
Some codes are reserved by regulation and convention regardless of any clearance: 7500 signals hijacking, 7600 signals lost communications, and 7700 signals a general emergency. These are never assigned as discrete IFR codes; knowing them is both a regulatory requirement and a safety imperative. ATC Mode C (altitude encoding) is required in most controlled airspace environments where IFR operations occur, as outlined in 14 CFR 91.215.
Receiving, Writing, and Reading Back a Clearance
The practical technique most instrument instructors teach is the CRAFT grid: before calling clearance delivery, draw five labeled boxes on your paper or kneeboard — C, R, A, F, T — and fill them in as the controller speaks. This forces your listening to be active and structured rather than passive. If the controller speaks faster than you can write, it is entirely acceptable to say "ready to copy" only when you truly are, and to request a re-read of any portion you missed. Never guess at a clearance element and never read back something you did not actually hear.
The readback is a safety loop. ATC expects you to read back the entire clearance, and controllers are trained to listen for discrepancies. The AIM emphasizes that the pilot is responsible for catching and clarifying any differences between what was issued and what was read back. A missed altitude or wrong transponder code that slips through the readback process can have serious consequences in busy terminal airspace.
Why CRAFT Matters Beyond Memorization
CRAFT is not just a memory trick for the knowledge test — it reflects the actual structure of ATC communication and instrument flight procedure. Each component maps directly to a phase of the IFR flight: the clearance limit defines your destination authority, the route defines your lateral path, the altitude defines your vertical path and emergency backup, the frequency defines your communication plan, and the transponder defines your surveillance identity. A gap in any one of these creates a genuine operational problem.
For the lost-communications scenario — always a heavily tested topic — three of the five CRAFT elements are directly involved: route (fly filed or assigned route), altitude (fly highest of expected, assigned, or MEA), and clearance limit (guides your approach timing). Understanding CRAFT as a structured system, not just an acronym, makes the lost-comms rules feel logical rather than arbitrary.
Key Numbers and Rules
- 7500 / 7600 / 7700 — Reserved emergency transponder codes; never assigned as IFR discrete codes.
- 14 CFR 91.185 — Lost communications procedures; the clearance limit and expect altitude from the "A" and "C" components directly drive these rules.
- 14 CFR 91.215 — Transponder and ADS-B requirements in controlled airspace.
- Expect altitude — Is a planning value for lost comms, NOT authority to climb to that altitude on your own.
- "Cleared as filed" — ATC accepts your route; you must know and fly your filed route without re-reading by ATC.
- Clearance void times — At non-towered airports, a clearance may include a void time; if the aircraft has not departed by that time, the pilot should notify ATC of intentions as soon as possible, and if ATC has not heard from the pilot within 30 minutes after the void time, ATC will assume the flight did not depart.
Memory Aid
The CRAFT acronym stands for:
- C — Clearance limit (where you are cleared to)
- R — Route (how you will get there)
- A — Altitude (initial and expect altitudes)
- F — Frequency (departure or handoff frequency)
- T — Transponder (your assigned squawk code)
A simple way to remember the order: think of it as the life cycle of your clearance, moving from destination backward through path, height, radio, and radar. Some pilots remember it as "Controllers Really Assign Flight Tools" — but the letters themselves are the most useful cue since they double as your kneeboard column headers.
Common Test Traps
- Confusing the expect altitude with a clearance to climb. The FAA frequently tests whether you understand that "expect 8,000 in ten minutes" is a lost-comms planning value only — not permission to climb to 8,000 on your own when you feel like it.
- Misidentifying the clearance limit. If the clearance limit is a fix before your destination, you must hold there and follow 14 CFR 91.185 if you receive no further clearance. Test questions often present a scenario where the limit is an intermediate fix.
- "Cleared as filed" does not mean ATC confirmed your route. Students sometimes think this phrase is a full re-issuance of the route. It is not — if your filed route is unacceptable, ATC would amend it. If they say "as filed," it is your responsibility to know and fly exactly what you filed.
- Clearance void times vs. expect-further-clearance (EFC) times. These are different concepts. A void time cancels the clearance if you are not airborne, and the pilot should notify ATC of intentions as soon as possible; an EFC time tells you when to expect another clearance at a holding fix. Mixing them up is a classic distractor.
- Transponder codes 7500/7600/7700 on a test scenario. The exam may ask which code to squawk in a given emergency — know that 7700 is the general emergency code and that you squawk 7600 specifically for lost communications (which is also what you would have if you needed to use the lost-comms procedures).