Peter wrote:
I wanna know how you do that
I put the performance figures in SD/AR and set power according to the POH….
I think I get my IFR squawks pretty much on the ground. Either from a tower or by calling NATS directly, so I’m not sure how that would « help » them
Yes; you can get the squawk as a part of a departure clearance.
I think what NATS objected to was traffic departing without any DC (non towered, FP binned by London Control due to being too low, etc) and climbing into CAS. Eurocontrol generates a squawk for every IFR flight even if it is totally OCAS and in the UK that isn’t supported by “the system”.
Otherwise, what could possibly be the objection? AR was issuing squawks for a long time.
Peter wrote:
any DC (non towered, FP binned by London Control due to being too low, etc) and climbing into CAS
Did people really go into CAS without a departure clearance just because they got a squawk?
Are you saying that to “defeat the system” it would be enough to dial your own squawk?
Peter wrote:
It is obvious why NATS didn’t want AR to issue the transponder code.
It’s incredibly stupid. Getting squawk doesn’t give you any clearance – it just lowers ATC workload in identifying the aircraft on first contact. Can the UK come with anything intelligent in last few years or it’s just Boris Johnson IQ level that rules the island?
For a brief period, ForeFlight included transponder codes in the US. They carried a clear warning, do not use the transponder code unless issued in a clearance. A King Air pilot entered the code into the transponder and decided to depart VFR. Once airborne, they contacted ATC and requested their IFR clearance. ATC says, so you took off without an IFR clearance squawking a transponder code assigned to an IFR flight. Big stink as the ATC radar locked onto the target and departure control tried to find out how the aircraft got released and from ATC perspective it was NORDO. It did not take long before that was no longer possible.
I have been told by ATC that, in Europe, once ATC radar picks up the Eurocontrol-allocated squawk, your plane pops up on a “strip” on the ATC screen. Then, when you call them up (typically, London Control for southern UK) they have all your details already.
It sounds like the US works the same way, but ATC interpret the possession of the squawk as implying an IFR clearance has been issued (by a human).
However, there is no difference between
In both cases the ATC radar will see it as soon as you get airborne.
Peter wrote:
However, there is no difference between
- setting a squawk obtained from a departure clearance from the tower (say at EGKA)
- setting a squawk obtained from the Autorouter
Exactly, but in one case you have a clearance and in the other you don’t.
Not sure how it works for EGKA but in case of other airports I have flown from such as EGLK, EGTF, EGTK the AFIS/Tower would need to get the IFR release before you depart. Before someone says that EGLK and EGTF are technically uncontrolled and therefore I do not need a takeoff clearance, I have not and am not planning to take off if I am told “hold for release”, which is the standard phrase I get when calling ready for departure.
It therefore would make a difference whether the squawk is obtained from the local AFIS/Tower or Autorouter as in the former case AFIS/Tower would coordinate with and inform the relevant sector of the departure. In the latter case, local AFIS/Tower wouldn’t know that you are departing IFR.
Does EGKA not work the same way?
Not too different from the US: When departing from an uncontrolled airfield, one obtains the clearance, squawk code etc from either FSS, Depature, or Center controller and the clearance contains release and void times. If then wishing to depart VFR (e.g. because the arriving IFR flight has not arrived or closed its flight plan), one normally gets the instruction to squawk VFR for departure (must be for the reason mentioned bc NCYankee above).
