Peter wrote:
You need to know what to do.
What’s the MSA?
Are you saying that cleared for the approach and cleared for the ILS are different? In my experience, before being cleared, I would have requested a particular approach if different from the approach being given on ATIS or by an ATSO. Therefore I know what approach I am going for and have the appropriate chart to hand. Depending on the direction I am approaching from I will already know which IAF I am going to start the approach at.
Only going by the section of the chart you have posted, which does not show the MSA within the 25nm radius of the ARP. However as it is over the sea I would assume (without downloading further charts) that the MSA is 2000ft. I would therefore choose a TOD approx 6 minutes out from that IAF and request descent.
If it is granted I will descend to 2000ft. If I am not cleared to descend I can go to IAF OPKEM and descend in the hold.
There is 4.1 nm between OLMAV and TUKVI where I could descend but at 100kts it would not be very comfortable for my passenger’s eardrums besides being expected to be at 2000ft passing OLMAV.
Peter wrote: 
Then you are inbound to LFAT at 5000ft and “cleared for the ILS”. You need to know what to do.
At 5kft mid channel, you are flying OCAS anyway, sorry if it’s obvious
On a side note, these RNP ILS in EASA land (or “Hybrid ILS” in FAA-land) are not very intuitive, I have asked if you can fly LFAT ILS13 on Radar Vectors without having a GPS and I am still waiting for an answer?
Also my understanding, Lille has Radar but can’t vector down to 2kft at TUKVI from UK: you are off their radar chart, outside controlled airspace, outside Echo airways, in other words: the ground belong to you, ATC don’t own it, if in doubt ask them they may ask you to descend to 4kft or fly 220 mid English channel but it’s on a FIS service, “mais c’est de l’information de vol” !
If you hear “clear for the approach”, you can descend to 2kft direct IAF (e.g. TUKVI) or intercept LOC (if vectored after TUKVI)
You can get vectored between TUKVI and FAF as it’s in Echo airspace TMA up to 6500ft
gallois wrote:
I would therefore choose a TOD approx 6 minutes out from that IAF and request descent.
Better inform them of your descent rather than asking for clearance, it’s Golf airspace and you are outside Radar Coverage 
gallois wrote:
Are you saying that cleared for the approach and cleared for the ILS are different?
Yes. If you’re simply “cleared for the approach”, you can use any approach you want.
So you ignore runway and approach in use given by ATIS or AFIS?
Peter wrote:
Then you are inbound to LFAT at 5000ft and “cleared for the ILS”. You need to know what to do.
In 10 years of instrument flying it never happened to me that I got cleared to an arifield as waypoint – therefore I haven’t been “inbound LFAT” so far.
In my limited experience in such situations I’ve either been in uncontrolled airspace – so I could do what I wanted and much depended on the clearance I get for entering controlled airspace or I had a clearance to a specific point at a specific altitude or have been on vectors at a specific altitude.
As said before: For me the only practically relevant case for the question discussed here is if you are on vectors to the localizer when you get cleared for the approach. In such cases I would keep the assigned altitude until established on the localizer. If that altitude is lower than the glidepath at the point where I intercept the localizer I don’t have any problem, when I’m expecting to be above the GS when intercepting, I’d simply ask ATC what they expect me to do.
Btw: Also a key learning for the Newbi asking this question. Even when IFR flying the key rule in interaction with ATC is “When in doubt, ask!”
It is the same when reaching a clearance limit enrout and have no further clearance. The school book solution is obviously that you enter a hold at your clearance limit with last track as inbound course. While being 100% correct, in 99% of cases, however, that would come as an extreme surprise to ATC and they (and therefore you) might get in trouble (in your case not legal one but practical ones). The only right solution to that in practice is to call ATC early enough in advance with a hint like “D-… approachin XYZ”
I think some people should fly more
Ibra is indeed correct in that at LFAT you are OCAS and can do what you want. However, French law is different to UK law in that in France on an IFR flight above 3000ft you must maintain 2 way communication with ATS.
It also brings some other questions.
1/Are airways CAS?
2/ Are SIDs and Stars CAS even when they pass OCAS.?
3/ Are IAPs CAS even when the airfield is class G?
Ibra is indeed correct in that at LFAT you are OCAS and can do what you want. However, French law is different to UK law in that in France on an IFR flight above 3000ft you must maintain 2 way communication with ATS.
It also brings some other questions.
1/Are airways CAS?
2/ Are SIDs and Stars CAS even when they pass OCAS.?
3/ Are IAPs CAS even when the airfield is class G?
Airways are always Echo in France, they are not plotted as such but I keep in mind +FL65 is Always Echo
For the rest, it depends if the AD has ATC or not?
SID, STAR+IAF, IAF+IAP, MAP+HOLD can be OCAS but I understand you need will clearance to fly them IFR all the way if the associated aerodromes are controlled, SID+STAR+IAF are part of your FPL, IAP+MAP+HOLD are not…anyway if the wind change you can fly as you wish
Some people will say only runway surface is controlled, some say only the portion bellow MDH, some say only bellow circuit height, some say 2kft agl, some say 3kft amsl, some say all the way to Airway MEA or Radar MVA…in UK & France, these published IFR routes OCAS are are treated like advisory Class F airspace for arriving & departing traffic (it’s what written in some ATC manuals), where it gets tricky is for transiting traffic: there is the concept of ATZ which is explicit in UK but France has something as well if you dig deep in French law
It’s a bit like joining the published circuit at Shoreham or circuit at Saint-Cyr, do you need clearance to overfly and fly their circuit? it’s uncontrolled airspace after all but the runway, departures & arrival are managed by ATC
If no ATC at the aerodromes, it’s Golf, you will be given QNH & IAF, what you do on SID & ILS is 100% your own business
PS: Maybe worth checking this logic in Germany when SID/IAP touches Golf in AFIS RMZ, I think the bits bellow 1000ft agl are uncontrolled
gallois wrote:
So you ignore runway and approach in use given by ATIS or AFIS?
Did I say that? Also, far from all instrument airports have ATIS. As regards AFIS, they can’t decide on approach or runway, only suggest.
