I did something wrong here and would appreciate advice about what it was please. I suspect that if you don’t fly in the UK you will not be able to help as our privatised and disjointed little country is, as far as I understand it, doing its own thing.
We had a flying holiday in Scotland over the weekend just gone, I’ll add a full trip report soon, but this is a problem with getting an instrument approach.
So flying from a private strip called Charterhall to Dundee EGPN I wanted to take the RNAV approach. Weather meant that it was probably the only safe thing to do. I called Dundee by telephone the day before and they said to file a flight plan. This I did and flying in contact with Scottish Information then Leuchars Radar then Dundee (including handovers (they do things a little less disjointedly in Scotland) all went as planned.
The next day, I wanted to do Dundee EGPN to Teeside EGNV with an ILS into Teeside. I had no reason to go to Teeside other than to do an ILS. So, I asked the (compulsory) handling agent whether they could book the approach. They said that I should file a flight plan and call ATC. I did both. On contacting Teeside 30 miles out (after very poor treatment by Newcastle, a separate thread coming about that), they had no conception that I wanted the ILS. At this point, low, in good VMC and not in a good frame of mind, I gave up and took the visual approach. I have complained to the handler and to ATC, verbally and in writing. I am not really expecting any response or recompense. The attitude of handler and ATC was explicitly stated by both of them, you were in a little aeroplane, we don’t expect you to want an instrument approach.
What did I do wrong? My plan was filed via SkyDemon and I selected a fixed altitude thinking that would make it an IFR plan but apparently not.
All advice gratefully received.
Thank you
My plan was filed via SkyDemon and I selected a fixed altitude thinking that would make it an IFR plan but apparently not.
Huh? The one has nothing to do with the other. SD allows filing VFR plans only. So that‘s what ATC saw on their flight strip, and handled you accordingly.
That’ll be it then, thank you. My naivety.
When I want a different approach than offered, I say “request XXX approach runway YY”. Sometimes I add “via ZZZZ” which is a point on the approach.
Response is something along “Proceed ZZZZ for XXX approach runway YY” or sometimes just “Roger, expect”.
Never had problems with that. Must be the VFR flight plan.
Did you actually request the ILS before giving up?
It is 100% legal for VFR traffic to ask for an instrument approach and fly it.
If you are not instrument rated (IR or IMCR as applicable) then the conditions need to be VMC.
However, lots of airports don’t allow this. Maybe because they see it as a “pop IFR clearance” and don’t know what to do with that.
I often fly a practice ILS to Lydd and book it over the phone. I have been able to get it without pre booking too but sometimes they say they can’t do it. It is best to book these because schools like to take advantage 
In the UK, you can change VFR / IFR non-radio i.e. wholly inside your head. So you can be flying VFR (perhaps with a VFR FP) and call up ATC and say you are IFR and just request the ILS. They probably haven’t got your FP anyway; in the UK, VFR FPs go only to dep, dest and area FIS. They don’t go to any enroute units.
Agreed, it doesn’t appear anything was handled incorrectly here. You were on a VFR flight plan and it is assumed you will want a visual approach. However, you are PIC, if in future you want something else you should simply request it.
You should not even need to be “on a flight plan” of any sort, to pitch up at some UK Class D owner and ask for a transit. The FP will make zero difference anyway.
To fly their approach (to land or to go around) it is courtesy to pre book it.
And a landing may be subject to PPR; in the UK even s*x needs PPR nowadays
The “you were in a little aeroplane, we don’t expect you to want an instrument approach.” is 100% pure bollocks and an unjustifiable attitude.
Peter wrote:
“you were in a little aeroplane, we don’t expect you to want an instrument approach.”
Conversely, I’ve had Ronaldsway ask once or twice if I’d like the IFR approach – in an Auster :-)
OK, thank you everyone. My learning:
1. Airports and handlers asking me to file a flight plan is completely pointless.
2. On first contact with Teeside I should have restated my requirement (already pre-notified by telephone and email to the handler and telephone to ATC) for an instrument approach. By the time I did ask I was hopelessly out of position horizontally and vertically for the ILS (which was then offered) and was getting into the wrong frame of mind so I accepted my fate and took the visual approach.
3. I did not understand the flight plan service in SkyDemon.
