AN HS125 CREW DEPARTING HWD ON IFR CLRNC RECEIVED FROM OAK TWR AND ON CONTACT WITH DEP CTL WAS ADVISED AS HAVING NO FLT PLAN.

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IN THE EVENING WE DEPARTED HAYWARD (HWD) OFF RWY 28 WITH WHAT WE BELIEVED TO BE AN IFR CLRNC. I RECEIVED THIS CLRNC FROM OAKLAND CLRNC AS HAYWARD TWR WAS CLOSED. THE CLRNC I COPIED; READ BACK AND OAKLAND CONFIRMED WAS AS FOLLOWS: 'ACFT X CLRED TO RENO; ENTER CTLED AIRSPACE ON A HEADING OF 160 DEGS; RADAR VECTORS TO VICTOR SIX; SACRAMENTO; DIRECT;. CLB AND MAINTAIN 2000 FT; EXPECT FL210 IN 10 MINS; CONTACT DEP ON 136.4; SQUAWK XXXX.' MINS LATER; WE DEPARTED RWY 28; TURNED TO A HEADING OF 160 DEGS AND CONTACTED DEP. IT TOOK A FEW MOMENTS TO ESTABLISH CONTACT; AS THE FREQ WAS BUSY. ONCE CONTACT WAS ESTABLISHED; ATC RPTED HAVING 'NO IFR FLT PLAN' ON US; TO WHICH I RESPONDED THAT WE HAD BEEN ISSUED A CLRNC. MOMENTS LATER; WE WERE HANDED OFF TO ANOTHER CTLR WHO CONFIRMED OUR DEST (RNO); GAVE US A NEW ALT AND HEADING AS WELL AS A DIFFERENT SQUAWK. SHORTLY AFTER THAT; THEY (ATC) REISSUED OUR ORIGINALLY ASSIGNED XPONDER CODE AND GAVE US FURTHER VECTORS TO THE ARR INTO RENO. AFTER THIS POINT; NO FURTHER CONFUSION ENSUED. IT SEEMS AS THOUGH ATC'S CONFUSION IS A MAJOR CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IN THE EVENTS SPELLED OUT ABOVE. IN HINDSIGHT; IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A GOOD IDEA TO CONTACT OAKLAND CLRNC IMMEDIATELY BEFORE DEP; THOUGH WE DID NOT BELIEVE THIS NECESSARY GIVEN THE CONTENT OF OUR CLRNC. IN THE FUTURE; A SIT LIKE THIS COULD BE AVOIDED BY THE CREW DOUBLE-CHKING WITH ATC; REGARDLESS OF CLRNC; THAT IT IS READY FOR THAT ACFT WHEN DEPARTING NON-TWRED ARPTS. A SUBSEQUENT TELEPHONE CALL TO THE NORCAL FACILITY AND CONVERSATION WITH SUPVR INDICATED THAT THE CONFUSION WAS DUE TO A SHIFT CHANGE.