Which statement accurately describes a non-SID departure?

• A. A non-SID is a published departure route.
• B. A non-SID requires no ATC instruction to depart.
• C. A non-SID relies on radar vectors or pilot navigation to the first fix.
• D. A non-SID is the same as a SID.

Answer: (C)

A non-SID departure is used when there is no published route from the runway to the en route structure. Because there isn’t a published path, ATC provides guidance to get you onto the en route network—typically by issuing radar vectors or directing you to navigate to the first fix. That’s why the statement that a non-SID relies on radar vectors or pilot navigation to the first fix is the best description.

This departure type isn’t published as a specific route, so saying it’s a published departure route is incorrect. It also isn’t instruction-free—ATC must give you instructions to depart. And a non-SID isn’t the same as a SID; a SID is a published path, while a non-SID has no published route.