I don’t see how there can legally be mandatory routes in uncontrolled airspace for VFR (or IFR!) unless that airspace is also in an R- or P-area. Recommended routes, yes.
Yes, but it’s an academic point. If it’s published as a mandatory route, then it is what it is and you are obliged to be aware of it. You might want to protest against it, but please don’t do it with the poor ATC guys whilst in the air, but rather with ANSP / their ministry of transport. Good luck.
Years ago I was regularly overflying Slovenia between Graz and Terst/Gorizia via RADLY. Only once I was lucky to cross LJLJ TMA, most of the time I had been asked to follow VFR corridor – east and south of LJLJ. So this is “almost mandatory” VFR route
terbang wrote:
However, when we flew one last summer, ATC (Lisboa Information IIRC) clearly expected us to follow the routes.
There could be lots of historical reasons for these things, that seems odd today. Similar to those monkeys and ladder business cartoon posted here somewhere. It isn’t that many years ago that radio was no requirement and there were no airspaces like we have today.
Today with GPS, moving maps, ADSB, transponders, radios and whatnot, all these airspaces serves no purpose anymore (if they ever did). C and G is more than enough. I also think that standard VFR routes could be a good idea for travelling, CAS or not, because this would greatly simplify things for everybody.
VFR routes are also used in Morocco.
I think boscomantico gave a good example on this chart with the routes to Corsica.
But I’ve heard that is it s indeed possible to deviate slightly from said route.
As for reading this chart (which looks like a 1/500k IGN) It’s indeed quite hard and also why IGN has edited a few 1/250k charts for better readability.
It’s way easier than to get all actors to agree on simplifying the airspace…. (not from a pilot’s point of view obviously…)
What I still don’t get is how you can have a “mandatory” route OCAS.
What exact authority does ATC have for this?
You could 100.000% legally turn off your radio and fly anywhere OCAS you want (usual caveats apply e.g. P D R areas, border crossings, etc).
They may as well put on the map that everybody flying there must wear pink underpants.
Uncontrolled airspace does not mean there are no rules or procedures for flying within that airspace. It merely means there is no control (in the sense of radio contact and mandatory adherence with ad hoc ATC instructions).
You could 100.000% legally turn off your radio
Sure.
and fly anywhere OCAS you want
Not if there are published rules that say otherwise.
Minimum altitudes is a similar thing: You can’t go below it just because it’s uncontrolled airspace.
You can test it at court if you like, but otherwise, I recommend to just acccept it. These published procedures are rare enough not to worry about them. Also, as said, you can always negotiate deviations from such routes on the spot.
I am no expert on regulation but from my experience with Corsica, the routes are there because of the overflight points that do not get validated otherwise in your flight plan. You may be OCAS but are still expected to report overflying these points to FIS. That being said, whenever I have asked for more directs, say halfway the crossing asking for a direct to Propriano, I have always gotten this…
Peter wrote:
What exact authority does ATC have for this?
dunno, but if AIP says you have to have a FPL with reporting points and contact some ATC, I guess you should even if it is OCAS…
