Ignoring legalities (there are other posts) and sticking to practicalities of IFR flying to VFR airfields using nearby published NAA IAP first (why? say to “test the waters”, “check actual weather”, “get a dose of consciousness”, “don’t trust ATIS”, “log a real approach”…after all if you can’t see the ground with good margins on nearby ILS with Cat1 lights, you won’t make it on luck, watch, compass or crystal balls to green grass strips)
Anyone can offer ATC perspective here, namely can they refuse the following:
- To leave controlled airspace by descent IFR to VFR airfield?
- To leave controlled aerodrome laterally IFR to VFR airfield?
- To takeoff IFR/VFR/SVFR after taxi from IFR controlled aerodrome to VFR airfield?
- To depart IFR/VFR/SVFR after missed from IFR controlled aerodrome to VFR airfield?
- Is there are legal requirement to land/taxi from an IAP if you are not going missed?
- I guess one is always entitled to divert from IFR airfield to VFR airfield?
Assuming PIC has correct combination of filed flight plans (I/I, I/V, I/Y), ATC here means aerodrome and/or airspace controllers
There are some anecdotal evidences on ATC & FPL,
- Some ATC won’t give SID departures until you are on apron (depends on country/airspace? with all EOBT/CTOT sorted)
- Some ATC won’t close FPL while you are airborne or on low pass (you have to land/exit and phone call or ask tower to close)
- Some ATC won’t give any form of departure on live FPL
I never got refused a low pass & departure after “cloud-break” (UK/France) in all shapes & forms while I departed on IFR, VFR, SVFR to a nearby “VFR airfield”, say max 30nm
The only time I was asked to explicitly land and call by phone to close FPL was on ILS approach no TWR ATC at St-Nazaire (my second flight would have been probably a night arrival at LaBaule with ETA > SS+30, I think it was a wise call, it was very dark to circle from ILS even with PCL)
Closing the FPL is a completely different thing from ATC clearing or not clearing you to do anything. Flightplan can be closed when landing is ensured – therefore actually ATC is right not to close a flight plan if you are obviously not landing. But that doesn’t prevent you from doing anything as you can always close it once you are on the ground.
To the most of your question the answer is surprisingly often “yes, in theory they can refuse but in practice they won’t” if the “controlled airspace” you are referring to is not echo.
In airspace Echo you can cancel IFR as a PIC and after that do VFR whatever you want as you do not need any ATC clearance in such airspace.
In other airspaces you need a clearance both to switch flight rules (to be very precise the clearance is needed for the VFR flight after flight rule change) and/or to leave the airspace (to be more precise for the flight within the airspace to it’s border). As the clearance is needed, ATC can theoretically refuse to give it to you. But practically they won’t if there is no reason to do so (e.g. if you are on ILS25R they will obviously not allow you to cancel and turn to the south to cross 25C and 25L approach).
Malibuflyer wrote:
Closing the FPL is a completely different thing from ATC clearing or not clearing you to do anything. Flightplan can be closed when landing is ensured – therefore actually ATC is right not to close a flight plan if you are obviously not landing. But that doesn’t prevent you from doing anything as you can always close it once you are on the ground
Indeed, flight plans and clearances are different, especially with tower controllers who tend to offer all sort of clearances that don’t match the flight plan
In controlled aerodromes, I guess at end of the day: you can always land, close, file, open and depart again
In controlled airspace, either ATC offers a switch on flight rules or you leave airspace by nearest exits…
I had the impression, you are entitled to cancel anywhere (except in Alpha and while in instrument weather conditions inside controlled airspace and near controlled aerodromes), why you can’t cancel in say Delta/Charlie airspace in sunny day? you had separation and it’s gone, getting VFR clearance is not difficult and ATC will be glad to give you one…obviously, you don’t want to do that while IFR in P25 (a prohibited zone for VFR )
Let’s say you want to go to Atlantic Airpark.
You are coming from eg Le Touquet where you have cleared customs. The weather is such that you are not sure that there will be a hole to descend through in the region of Lucon. So you decide against VFR on top and file Y IFR to Atlantic Airpark with a cloud break using the ILS at La Rochelle. Descending on the glideslope at LFBH you request the option and tell the controller what you intend to do. Usually, not a problem. S/he will probably give you a telephone number to call to close your FPL once landed at Atlantic Airpark. Take the number of Bordeaux BRIA with you because some controllers are still grabbing the old IFR/VFR number which they stopped using a few years ago. Make sure you make that call ASAP on landing otherwise they will be chasing you, ringing anybody else they have a number for at the airpark and if no joy setting SAR in motion.You can hear the relief in their voice when you call after a longer delay than expected. Really nice people.
I have done it that way as well, one single Y-FPL, is it fine to depart IFR on LFBH ILS? or it has to VFR/SVFR with low run?
PS: I asked once if I can come back to ILS if I can’t land VFR at destination, even ATC made the joke once “we are 100% you will be back to us, I guess for full stop this time?”…
That sounds like La Rochelle. There is nothing as far as I know which forces you to cancel IFR after the option. As long as ATS know what your intentions are they can be very helpful.
Personally I would keep IFR in VMC until field in sight and cancel then. But it would depend on ceiling.
OK thanks, at least at LaRochelle, the act of flying IAP will not kill your IFR (same at Melun, StNazaire, Southend…) only Y-transition at some hight & position will do it…
Malibuflyer wrote:
Flightplan can be closed when landing is ensured – therefore actually ATC is right not to close a flight plan if you are obviously not landing.
Does a flightplan have to be to a landing destination? I was on a (VFR) flight with a floatplane owner out of Malmi airport in Finland (EFHF). The airport requires a flightplan. The owner filed to a waypoint (NOKKA) just outside the zone. This was quicker and easier than filing the whole route and simpler on arrival too, as we landed at his cottage by the sea. Do you think filing a flight plan like this was a (routine) exception to the rules given the constraints imposed by the airport? Or, is it possible in general to file a flightplan to a location in the sky and proceed thereafter without a flightplan (assuming the rules of the country allow that)
It should not be a problem as long as he closed the FPL, assuming Finland works the same as here. One thing to remember is that cancelling IFR doesn’t close a flight plan it just downgrades it to a VFR flight plan.
derek wrote:
Does a flightplan have to be to a landing destination?
Not sure you can terminate an FPL in some point in space? but for sure you can file ZZZZ and put in place in the ground (name & coordinates in RMK)
You are expected to land before closing FPL but you can ask ATC/FIS if they are happy to do it before landing? you can also close FPL by phone call or sending ARR message yourself after landing (in theory, you can do that while airborne, A20 headsets or 3G internet, I have done this regularly for UK PPR calls/forms but I never done it on FPL though, it feels too naughty 
)
