I gave it some more thoughts and have refiled with EDFM as destination and EDFE as alternate. I did put in a remark that EDFE is really my destination. That way French ATC has not to do anything unusual and I get make “arrangements” with Langen Radar once I’m in contact with them. That’s probably playing nicer than the other way.
Stephan_Schwab wrote:
All I can critique is the system that creates those situations in the first place.
In that document about Basic IR, they mentioned something like that it would be helpful if routes filed were closer to routes actually flown instead of those convoluted ones created just to make Eurocontrol’s computers happy which are then not flown. It even mentions a free route concept for lower levels. So there is some hope.
aart wrote:
How about using 300 Knots in your planning? Surely they won’t check that as well, or am I underestimating the Deutsche Gruendlichkeit?
Eurocontrol most likely won’t accept such a flight plan. They check your flight plan against the performance of the aircraft type.
Stephan_Schwab wrote:
I gave it some more thoughts and have refiled with EDFM as destination and EDFE as alternate. I did put in a remark that EDFE is really my destination. That way French ATC has not to do anything unusual and I get make “arrangements” with Langen Radar once I’m in contact with them. That’s probably playing nicer than the other way.
This seems like a situation where you can use “RIF” in item 18 of the flight plan. “RIF” (reclearance in flight) is intended for a situation where you can’t (legally or reasonably) plan directly to your intended destination but you believe there is a good chance that things will change enroute (e.g. if you expect that you will use less fuel than you must legally have).
So file to EDFM with RIF/EDFE in item 18 and when you approach EDFM you request reclearance to EDFE. That is much cleaner than filing EDFE as alternate.
Ah! Interesting information. Thanks.
I flew earlier today with EDFM as destination and EDFE as alternate. The moment I got handed off to Langen I told them about my request and after a few seconds got “direct RID” (RID is the last point before EDFE) and that was it.
Shortly after my departure from Sabadell I was approaching the mothership 
Beautiful, but is that not a nasty lenticular rotor cloud which gives you lots of turbulence? If I would see a thing like that just south of the Pyrenees and the wind would be from the North I would not go near it. Did you end up close to it, and if so, any turbulence?
aart wrote:
Beautiful, but is that not a nasty lenticular rotor cloud which gives you lots of turbulence?
It is a wave cloud, not a rotor cloud so you shouldn’t have any turbulence, but you may encounter very strong up- or downdrafts in the wave.
Correct. Pretty strong updrafts and downdrafts. The downdraft was as strong as 1500 fpm and stopped my climb temporarily. The air was very smooth. Glider pilots love these things.
I agree, but I have also seen clouds just like that and there was no movement in the air. They just formed that way. I recall one flight Shoreham to Welshpool, with an old gliding pilot / instructor in the RHS, and he pointed out that there must be turbulence there. There was a whole field of them. Well, I said, let’s find out There was absolutely nothing…
