Yes; I wrote “at least the UK case”.
When Rochester [EGTO] was used by the Police helicopter, up until two years ago, I believe PCL was available; but on a discreet frequency (which naturally they kept to themselves!).
Peter wrote:
It is AFAIK still “illegal” for licensed airfields.
EGTF Fairoaks has PCL
Peter wrote:
Loss of comms at night, with no lit runway in range, is probable death, I would think.
I was thinking a discreet transponder codes (7700/7600) would lit up the airport lights automatically? but probably too much to ask if the airport does not have a radar screen in the first place or you have comm failure from electrical loss, so you have somehow to rely on ATC help…
Peter wrote:
I also wonder if any ATC in Europe would try sending you SMS messages, even if they had your phone number. AFAIK the details in the bottom part of the flight plan are not distributed to ATC and can be accessed only by SAR.
Noteworthy, in the video, they didn’t find the pilot’s number in the flightplan, but got it from his employer. How they found what hospital he was working at is unclear to me. Maybe they just used a general purpose www search engine on his name?
When filing a flightplan, where your mobile phone number ends up depends on the system used. Some put it in the SAR section (field 19, section N), which what the BE&LU AIP specifies, but others (among which autorouter.aero) put it in field 18 section RMK. Which according to your theory would be more accessible to ATC. Anyway, it would be sad if in an emergency, ATC couldn’t access field 19, even if only by coordinating with SAR! I expect ATC has SAR’s phone number.
FWIIW, on local/training flights in Luxembourg, we routinely change information in field 19 by radioing the change to TWR somewhere between before taxi to before take-off. Stuff like POB, name of PIC, etc. So they can definitely change this field. It would be strange that they can change this field but not read it. These flight plans are usually abbreviated flight plans filed on the phone with the ARO. Whether the situation would be different with full FPL coming in over AFTN, I don’t know.
lionel wrote:
Anyway, it would be sad if in an emergency, ATC couldn’t access field 19
I asked an acquaintance that works the APP desk at ELLX. He says he doesn’t have “direct access” to it, but can ask for it.
Timothy wrote:
Many headsets are Bluetooth enabled. It is a choice on the Bose range.
Yes, the newer Lightspeed headsets have it standard and many of the older models can be modified to add bluetooth.
Maybe they just used a general purpose www search engine on his name?
In the UK, consultants (“higher-end doctors” – like this US pilot likely was) never publish any contact details – because you are not supposed to contact them without a referral by a GP. And I imagine this must be similar everywhere, otherwise they would never get any work done. What you find on google is the phone etc of the secretary 
It may be fast enough for this purpose, if she is at work (the phones tend to be turned off outside working hours).
the newer Lightspeed headsets have it standard and many of the older models can be modified to add bluetooth.
That, however, still gets you only voice, and that usually doesn’t work when airborne, due to disconnections.
Airborne_Again wrote:
Also, in countries like Germany where in practise airfields have to be staffed to be used the question is moot.
Not sure I follow that reasoning. In such a situation, I would want the PCL to work 24hr and really wouldn’t give a d*** if the airfield were open or not.
Peter wrote:
And PCL (pilot controlled lighting) is almost unheard of in Europe, due to dumb airport closure implementations
Quite a few (how many, how to search on them ??) airfields in France have PCL, and where it is available it operates outside of ATS hours (AIP 1.1-8/1.1-9/1.1-10).
