Peter wrote:
A lot of ATC don’t like SD because most users use rubber banding for planning and the resulting FP contains lat/long coordinates which their software cannot plot.
The only way it would work is through validation. The problem is that a lot of VFR plans contain “n’ Importe Quoi” so hard to validate. We addressed this topic already as the routing is not processed for something useful by ATC. The syntax of VFR routing is not defined clearly by ICAO, yes you are allowed to use coordinates but how would that be useful for an ATCO? I try to reduce my VFR leg as short as possible and plan always in (Belgium to pick up IFR asap). Planning a flight with a VFR leg over the FIR boundary for sure will trigger a surprise one day when you do this…..BTW AFTN is the old school and as back up, ANSPS are using PENS which will be the backbone of European ATM.
lionel wrote:
Vref wrote:Who validates the VFR flight plan?Nobody.
That depends! If you submit through e.g. the Swedish or German ARO, they will definitely validate the flight plan and contact you if something is wrong. On the way to AERO Friedrichshafen this week, I made my first international VFR flight in decades. I didn’t enter the estimated times of FIR passages in the flight plan (which you don’t need for IFR in the Eurocontrol system and it had slipped my mind that you do for VFR). The ARO promptly called me and asked for this information.
Yes, many AROs do ask you to correct obvious errors / omissions of form. But that does not mean they validate the route and call you in case of impossible routings, because your destination airport may be closed, etc.
Unfortunately, some people conclude that they do when people write that AROs „validate“ VFR flightplans. It‘s formal validation only.
Not to change the topic but I wonder how much of this is applicable to IFR FPL in IFPS at piston levels?
Unfortunately, some people conclude that they do when people write that AROs „validate“ VFR flightplans. It‘s formal validation only.
FPL validation is not guarantee of acceptable route or airspace clearance (only exclude exceptions & restrictions), there is no set of rules that say “FPL valid = IFR service end-to-end”, it’s not how the system works: while it works like poetry with FPL = SID-Airway-STAR (or few places with airspace everywhere), it does not work that well once one start to throw s***y airspace structure & service with DCT, ZZZZ, OCAS, FIR and non-ATC AD, then the gift of “it did validate” keeps giving…
