Definition
Preplanned instrument flight rule (IFR) procedures published by the FAA that provide obstacle clearance from the takeoff runway to the en route phase of flight. Departure Procedures come in two forms: Obstacle Departure Procedures (ODPs), which are flown for obstacle clearance and may be used without ATC clearance unless an alternate departure procedure is specifically assigned, and Standard Instrument Departures (SIDs), which are issued by ATC to provide obstacle clearance and a transition from the airport into the en route structure while reducing pilot/controller workload and radio congestion.
Plain English
A published set of instructions that tells an IFR pilot exactly how to fly out of the airport — what heading to take, how fast to climb, and what route to follow — so the airplane stays clear of terrain and obstacles on the way up to cruising altitude.
Context Anchor
Seen during instrument flight planning, in a clearance before takeoff, and in the first few minutes after departure from an airport.
Derivation
‘Departure’ comes from the Old French ‘departir’, meaning to divide or go away. ‘Procedure’ comes from the Latin ‘procedere’, meaning to go forward. Together the term simply means a set, step-by-step way of leaving — which is exactly what a DP is: a published, agreed-upon way to leave the airport safely under instrument conditions.
Why Pilots Care
They guarantee safe obstacle clearance and a predictable path into the en route system, reducing the chance of controlled flight into terrain during instrument departures.
Intuition Check
Do not read Departure Procedures as simply “the way you depart.” In IFR flying, a DP is a specific published or assigned path and set of instructions, and its protection only applies when you follow it correctly.
Example Sentence 1
Before takeoff, the pilot briefed the Departure Procedure, noting the required climb gradient of 250 feet per nautical mile until reaching 3,000 feet.
Example Sentence 2
ATC issued a clearance that included the departure procedure to join the airway safely.