B777 ALTDEV ON DEP.

Narrative

WHILE HOLDING ON A TXWY AT PAE FIELD; GND CTL GAVE US THE FOLLOWING: 'B777 CLRED TO BOEING FIELD; PAE 1 DEP; AS FILED; CLB TO AND MAINTAIN 5000 FT; CTR 128.5; SQUAWK XXXX.' AS WE WERE TURNING INTO POS ON THE RWY (34L) THE TWR SAID 'CLRED FOR TKOF; OUT OF 3000 FT TURN L TO 210 DEGS TFC ON APCH SABRELINER RWY 16R; 3 MI. FEELING SOMEWHAT CLR ON THE PROC (WE OPERATE AT THIS ARPT FREQUENTLY) WE TOOK OFF. AS WE LIFTED OFF TWR SAID 'ATC WAIVES NOISE ABATEMENT PROC; START YOUR TURN TO 210 DEGS NOW.' WE DID. WE WERE LIGHT AND CLBING AT A HIGH RATE (APPROX 3000-4000 FPM). AFTER 20-30 SECONDS; I ASKED TWR IF THEY WANTED US TO CONTACT CTR SINCE HE HAD NOT ASKED US TO. HE IMMEDIATELY RESPONDED CONTACT ZSE 128.5 NOW. WE DID. I CALLED IMMEDIATELY AFTER ANOTHER ACFT FINISHED TALKING AND RPTED LEVELING 5000 FT. CTR ASKED WHAT WAS LAST ASSIGNED ALT AND I SAID 5000 FT. HE SAID BY WHOM AND I SAID PAE GND (CLRNC). WE LANDED AFTER ILS TO BFI AND OUR COMPANY TWR ASKED ME TO CALL CTR SUPVR. I LEARNED THIS WAS THE THIRD INCIDENT AT PAE THAT DAY. THE TWR FAILED TO INFORM CTR WE WERE TAKING OFF TO THE N (RWY 34L). WE HAD A POTENTIAL CONFLICT WITH A CH47 N OF PAE (MY TCASII DID NOT INDICATE THIS; HOWEVER). I FURTHER EXPLAINED THAT AS A GENERAL RULE PAE TWR CLRS US TO 3000 FT; TURN L XXX; MAINTAIN 3000 FT; AND I DID NOT HEAR THAT (OR THE REST OF THE CREW -- COPLT AND TEST DIRECTOR); SO I ASSUMED I WAS CLRED TO 5000 FT AS IN CLRNC. I RECOMMENDED CLRNCS NOT BE UPDATED AT THE LAST MIN; AFTER TKOF CLRNC; AND TRY TO INCORPORATE IN DEP PROC (PAINE 1).