MDT DEPARTS WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative

WE DEPARTED THE RAMP AREA AT CEDAR RAPIDS; IA; WITH A CLRNC TO TAXI TO RWY 31. AS WE NEARED THE END OF THE RWY WE INFORMED CEDAR RAPIDS TWR THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO POS OUR ACFT ON THE TXWY IN THE DIRECTION OF THE DEP RWY TO CHK FOR TSTMS. CEDAR RAPIDS TWR INSTEAD TOLD US TO TAXI ONTO THE RWY TO DO THE DEP PATH CHK. WE THEN TOOK OFF UNEVENTFULLY. AFTER TKOF THE CAPT AND I QUESTIONED EACH OTHER WITH REGARDS TO WHETHER OR NOT WE HAD BEEN GIVEN AN OFFICIAL CLRNC TO TKOF. THE TWR CTLR TOLD US TO SWITCH TO DEP FREQ. BEFORE WE SWITCHED FREQS WE ASKED THE CTLR IF HE REMEMBERED IF HE HAD CLRED US FOR TKOF. HE REPLIED THAT HE WAS NOT SURE THAT HE HAD. I BELIEVE THAT THIS PROB COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF WE HAD BEEN GIVEN A STANDARD POS AND HOLD CLRNC BY THE CTLR. IF THERE ARE ONLY 2 POSSIBLE SITS FOR WHEN AN AIRPLANE IS TAXIED ONTO A RWY -- #1 BEING CLRED FOR TKOF AND #2 BEING TAXIED INTO POS AND HOLD; IT SIMPLIFIES THE PROC GREATLY AND DURING THIS HIGH WORKLOAD PHASE OF FLT WILL RESULT IN LESS CONFUSION AND LESS LIKELIHOOD OF AN ACFT INADVERTENTLY TAKING OFF WITHOUT A CLRNC.