MLG FLC FAILS TO FOLLOW PUB DEP PROC.

Narrative

WHILE TAXIING OUT TO DEPART ON RWY 14 AT ITH ARPT; THE TWR ADVISED US THAT THE VISIBILITY HAD DROPPED 3/4 OF A MI. THE MINIMUM VISIBILITY FOR THE VOR APCH TO RWY 14 IS 1 MI. I ASKED THE CAPT IF HE WANTED ME TO GET US A TKOF ALTERNATE; HE SAID YES AND THAT HE WOULD MONITOR THE TWR. WHILE I WAS TALKING TO OUR COMPANY ON THE #2 RADIO; THE TWR CLRED US FOR TKOF. I THINK HE SAID FLY RWY HDG. THE CAPT TOLD THE TWR CTLR THAT WE WOULD BE A MIN. AFTER I RECEIVED OUR TKOF ALTERNATE; I ADVISED THE TWR THAT WE WERE READY AND HE CLRED US FOR TKOF. JUST AFTER TKOF; THE TWR CTLR SWITCHED US OVER TO ELMIRA DEP CTL. I FIRST CHKED IN AT ABOUT 400 FT. THE CTLR SAID TO TURN R TO A 120 DEG HDG. AFTER WE CLBED TO ALT ENRTE TO PITTSBURGH; I ASKED THE CAPT IF HE WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE IFR DEP PROC FOR RWY 14. HE SAID THAT HE WAS NOT. IT STATES THE FOLLOWING: 'RWY 14; CLBING R TURN TO 2500 FT VIA ITH VOR R200 BEFORE PROCEEDING ON COURSE.' THIS IS LISTED ON THE 11-1 PAGE OF OUR OPS MANUAL. I THEN ASKED THE CAPT IF WE SHOULD HAVE FLOWN THE PROC BECAUSE THE TWR CTLR DID NOT SPECIFY ANY INSTRUCTIONS OTHER THAN 'CLRED FOR TKOF.' THE CAPT INDICATED THAT HE DID NOT KNOW (THIS WAS OUR SECOND TKOF CLRNC). I BELIEVE THAT WE SHOULD HAVE INITIATED THE PROC SINCE WE DID NOT RECEIVE ANY OTHER INSTRUCTION OTHER THAN CLRED FOR TKOF FROM THE TWR ON OUR SECOND CLRNC. DURING IFR CONDITIONS THE TWR CTLRS SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO ISSUE SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS. SUCH AS 'FLY THE IFR DEP PROC FOR RWY 14; CLRED FOR TKOF.' THIS WOULD ALERT THE CREWS THAT THERE IS A PROC. THE 120 DEG HDG WOULD HAVE PREVENTED US FROM FLYING THE PROC ANYWAY.