Thanks guys.
Getting directs within a single country seems to be easy – getting longer directs was immediately refused. Is this normal?
That is normal in the lower airways system (below about FL200). I think it is an ATC coordination issue. Probably possible with some phone calls, but …
I have managed to get DCTs to waypoints fairly deep in another country but very very rarely.
Approach seem to give “descend when ready” 20+ miles before I’m ready (happened to me three times). Are they really happy with me carrying on another 10 minutes before I start descending?
I’ve had both – too early or too late.
Normally, in clear weather, an early descent doesn’t matter because in most cases ATC doesn’t mind if one descends slowly (below the min 500fpm required) because there is little or no jet traffic in the same airspace, and a slow descent (e.g. -200fpm) is very fuel efficient.
A late descent can obviously require a high VS, but is generally preferable if there is embedded convective stuff around because you want to fly the minimum track length in such wx, and one would slow down as much as possible. It is also preferable if over water (higher for longer = better).
You seem to have to know the full names of VORs. Amsterdam in particular rattled off a couple of VORs I had never heard of and expected me to find them. I ended up asking them to “spell the identifier”. Is it normal to be caught short like this, or should I just learn all the VORs within 50 miles of my route?
A plog produced by a proper IFR flight planning product should contain the long version of the navaid name, but I don’t suppose many people fly with the plogs from say Flitestar nowadays
But one can just ask ATC to spell it and then they tend to realise what’s happened, and give you the short name.
Likewise, I was given a couple of off-route RNAV points to navigate to – one was obvious from the pronunciation, the other I had to ask for them to spell.
That is common… ATC seem to use waypoints in their general area just to send you where they want you.
It does create interesting questions about the lost comms scenario (“how do I get back to my filed route”) but …
Finally, Langen had me direct to DG012 – a point on the RNAV approach for EDDG. Luckily the GTN has all these points so that was easy.
That is very unusual. Never seen that before!
What other oddities should I be aware of?
Loads 
You will learn them as you go along…
IFR flight is a purely RNAV waypoint to waypoint exercise nowadays, with headings given sometimes. Navaid names are used as RNAV waypoints – without regard for the navaid’s DOC.
Always keep decisionmaking in the cockpit. If you need to avoid a buildup, ask ATC, but if you get no response just do it and tell them you are doing it. Same with climbs and descents – in more extreme cases (they go home at 5pm or whatever but you might ice up and die). Often, especially in Germany or France, they absolutely refuse a shortcut due to military activity. Nothing you can do about that. But if you have to “request 20 degrees left to avoid” a buildup in the same situation, they will try to put on a lot of pressure to stop you doing it, but they ultimately have to accept it. Always remember this. If you enter a TCU and turn into an icicle, you will plummet…
Very often ATC cannot understand you even if you speak standard terminology. Yesterday, on the trivial Shoreham-Calais flight, I could not make out some frequencies and did incorrect readbacks, suspecting so and thus speaking in my best clearest English. It was obvious that the 2 or 3 ATCOs (who must hear English all day long) could not understand English numbers properly, or simply weren’t listening. It was obvious that readbacks were a waste of time and I could have had a monkey doing them. Now, this is N France. Imagine what Italy or Spain can be like. Their normal procedure (esp. Spain) is to ignore you, because that leaves no evidence on the tape.
Stick to standard terminology. Too many pilots, usually Brits, speak casual-English when abroad, and it is extremely obvious the ATCO cannot (in most cases) understand them. One hears tons of this on every flight in France… Often, stuff like “would like” or “looks like we have to climb” etc will not be understood.
Be clear about your flight rules. Sometimes there is confusion (especially if you are at sub-oxygen altitudes) and you absolutely do not want to be treated as VFR. Yesterday I heard a Brit being asked if he was VFR or IFR (I guess he was IMC Rated, in France 
) and he replied he was IFR but would be OK with a VFR approach (or something like that). The ATCO apparently didn’t have a Eurocontrol FP for him…
Brief the approach and read the plates 100nm out
Totally usual in Germany.
Finally, Langen had me direct to DG012 – a point on the RNAV approach for EDDG. Luckily the GTN has all these points so that was easy.
Germany put in the transitions as overlays for the RV pattern (with the DXxxx waypoints) years ago. I first got a DG0xx waypoint about 7 or 8 years ago. Very useful. Load the transition into your FPL in the GTN. In principle you don’t have to have a database for BRNAV, but everyone has a GPS these days so they tend to expect you to be able to go to those waypoints.
You seem to have to know the full names of VORs. Amsterdam in particular rattled off a couple of VORs I had never heard of and expected me to find them. I ended up asking them to “spell the identifier”. Is it normal to be caught short like this, or should I just learn all the VORs within 50 miles of my route?
Interesting. There aren’t many left. They normally spell out SPY. Which were difficult? Rekken, Osnabruck, Costa, Nicky?
Germany put in the transitions as overlays for the RV pattern (with the DXxxx waypoints) years ago. I first got a DG0xx waypoint about 7 or 8 years ago. Very useful. Load the transition into your FPL in the GTN. In principle you don’t have to have a database for BRNAV, but everyone has a GPS these days so they tend to expect you to be able to go to those waypoints.
If given as enroute (not terminal area / approach) waypoints?
If given as enroute (not terminal area / approach) waypoints?
Never seen them being used that way, only when you intend to land at the airport or at a smaller aerodrome in the vicinity. Overheard several times in the last few weeks “sorry, can’t find the waypoint” – “I bet you have a Garmin 430/530?” – “affirmative”. In the pre-W Garmins, a lot of those transition waypoints were erased some months ago.
A plog produced by a proper IFR flight planning product should contain the long version of the navaid name, but I don’t suppose many people fly with the plogs from say Flitestar nowadays
It’s interesting you mention the 1972 Flitestar as “proper IFR flight planning product” when there is a 2014 product that is much more proper
Germany put in the transitions as overlays for the RV pattern (with the DXxxx waypoints) years ago. I first got a DG0xx waypoint about 7 or 8 years ago. Very useful. Load the transition into your FPL in the GTN. In principle you don’t have to have a database for BRNAV, but everyone has a GPS these days so they tend to expect you to be able to go to those waypoints.
Does this happen only when you are going to make an RNAV approach? Or are these waypoints also on the German plates for non-RNAV approaches?
All types of approaches. These are usually depicted on the RNAV transtition charts, not on the approach charts.
Take this as an example. If runway 25 is in use, they will, on a vectored ILS approach, initially clear you to
-HL145 if coming from the south or southwest
-HL125 if coming from the west or north
-and HL165 if coming from easterly directions.
Less workload for both the controller and the pilot (compared to a “classical” vectored approach, which usually has a few more heading changes).
Looking for a route from EGNX LFBH, why has the router sent me North to almost Sheffield, then back South instead of the Daventry SID.
-(FPL-XXXXXXX-IG -1PA34/L -SDFGRY/S -EGNX0900 -N0166F130 TNT3P TNT/N0166F150 N57 DENBY L975 BARTN N615 LISTO P18 TELBA L151 KIDLI N859 CPT Y321 PEPIS Q41 ASPEN DCT REVTU DCT KOKOS V20 BETOG DCT KURIS DCT BOBRI DCT RL MAREN3D -LFBH0453 -DOF/141006 RMK/CREW CONTACT XXXXXXXXX TOC:D10F030T0007 BOC:D10F030T0007 TOC:D60F150T0106 TOD:D524F150T0451 PBN/B2D2S1 -P/TBN R/VE J/L C/XXXXXXXXX)
