Anybody knows how a non-UK based pilot can get an AFTN (or SITA) address, at a reasonable cost? I heard about AFPEx, but my understanding is it is not open to people not “based in the UK”. @peter said “USA companies” sell access for “prices similar to SMS”, but I couldn’t find them by web search engine. I only found software that can act as email gateway if you connect to an AFTN terminal.
I’m not looking into actually injecting FPLs myself (and fulfilling all “originator” obligations, whatever they are), but ability to receive (and send) general messages.
The reason I’m asking:
Achim (through an autorouter support ticket) explained the reason of the failure, but that does not give me a way to file my flight plan.
So, I’m back to trying to get to a position where I can make use of Eurocontrol’s routing wizards, but that requires an AFTN or SITA address so that they can send me the solution. My assumption is that I can then copy/paste it into autorouter and be done with it.
For this particular flight, the problem was all at the end (basically arriving to / in the STAR), so I worked around it by doing a VFR arrival by transitioning to VFR a mere 26nmi from destination. But I would like to be prepared for future needs.
A search here, and a google, on KBLIHAEX might reveal more 
Hunnicat was never seen again but had a few things to say about it Presumably because SD uses EuroFPL which uses this gateway, so a lot of dodgy flight plans get files through it, p1ssing off ATC in some places. I say “dodgy” because if you file a VFR FP with SD, using the drag/drop route drawing feature, the resulting FP is just a list of lat/long coordinates which the software at most ATC units cannot parse.
EuroFPL use that gateway and possibly the Autorouter also. I know the Autorouter uses (used, when I was involved with it) a gateway in the US. It wasn’t all that cheap; a substantial part of $1 per message.
but would only send them to an AFTN or SITA address
That is an absolute scream. The place employs 75.4% of the world’s unix hackers, and they are paid €35 per line of source code.
BTW you can get Afpex by supplying a UK address. Where you actually live doesn’t matter.
But, hang on, why not just use EuroFPL? You can file anything through there. I use it as a backup for the Autorouter. Before a long trip, I develop the routes with AR, save them (by sending them to myself on telegram) and then if AR is broken when I need it, I use EuroFPL to file it. I have Afpex but have not had a need to use it for years (and it runs only on a laptop, or on a tablet which accesses a desktop over RDP, etc, etc). EuroFPL give you 10 free FPs per month. It’s a great service, has never IME been broken. I was one of the original testers.
Peter wrote:
But, hang on, why not just use EuroFPL?
Because I’m a perfectionist and want everything perfect to the end. I want to get the Autorouter briefing pack automatically; I want to get one-button load of the plan in Garmin Pilot / ForeFlight; I want ability to use Telegram to change the EOBT.
If I didn’t have the “VFR” work-around for that flightplan, I would indeed have filed it with EuroFPL or RocketRoute (a subscription which I’m trying to stop…).
If you are a perfectionist, you will not like Afpex. It is a clumsy java client, which one would not use unless you are Donald Trump, are stuck in Afghanistan, your bodyguards have ran off, the Taliban were a mile down the road, heading towards you, and it was your only way out Actually that pretty well sums up the NATS approach to light GA, and the current CAA infringement enforcement policy
If your objective is to file flight plans, possibly with a hacked EET or EOBT to make the flight fit into some arrival slot (as e.g. operated at EDNY during Aero), then EuroFPL is the best way. The only time you need a direct AFTN facility is for sending AFTN messages e.g. free text (these can be fun because the recipient will think you are an airport ), DEP, ARR, CNL, etc.
If you rent an AFTN mailbox then you will still end up running some kind of a client to access it.
You can find out which one the Autorouter uses, by sending a part-VFR FP (Z or Y) to some friendly airport, cancelling it, and ask them where it came from. It may well be KBLIHAEX.
Peter wrote:
f you are a perfectionist, you will not like Afpex.
Maybe not. But a perfectionist might like the response “It was filed by Afpex” when some foreign ATC claim they can’t find your FPL. In my experience, it does help them to look under the desk, etc., where they’ve filed it.
Aveling wrote:
Maybe not. But a perfectionist might like the response “It was filed by Afpex” when some foreign ATC claim they can’t find your FPL
I only used AFPEx once as I expected to reply to messages regrading my my fpl route (e.g. Spain/Gibraltar/Morocco), tough it is much easier to go to ARO/tower office or invest in a handle held radio rather than carry laptop, connect to internet and run that NATS java app
Ibra wrote:
much easier to go to ARO/tower office
Yes, it’s much easier. And some places insist on it. But amongst my catalogue of ‘lost’ FPL’s are a number from that type of source. With Afpex, you know it’s out there – somewhere.
Peter wrote:
If your objective is to file flight plans
No, it is not.
Peter wrote:
he only time you need a direct AFTN facility is for sending AFTN messages e.g. free text
Exactly. That, and receiving AFTN free text messages. Next time someone tells me “do you have an AFTN address where I can send you that”, I’d like to have one to give.
Peter wrote:
You can find out which one the Autorouter uses, by sending a part-VFR FP (Z or Y) to some friendly airport, cancelling it, and ask them where it came from. It may well be KBLIHAEX.
Easier: file a flight plan, open it in autorouter, open “briefing information”, get the “IFPS flight plan” or the “ICAO flight plan form”. There, you see their address after “ORGN/” in field 18. It is also listed at https://www.autorouter.aero/imprint. A web search on that address gives… that autorouter page, and an Egyption GA company, but doesn’t seem to earth up the provider that gives it to them (unless that is actually one of these two that provides the address to the other).
Ibra wrote:
it is much easier to go to ARO/tower office
As a matter of fact, in the context of the story outlined in the thread opener, I asked (by email) the ARO/AIS office of my homebase. They kindly accepted to forward Eurocontrol’s message to me. I called Eurocontrol/IFPS again, but they were too busy and basically blew me off by telling me to file with “RMK/REROUTEACCEPTED”. I tried that (and also “RMK/IFPS REROUTE ACCEPTED” which most written sources suggest is the right syntax), but the FPL is still rejected within seconds, instead of going to the manual queue. I’ll try to phone again this evening when hopefully they are less busy.
Do you mean kstpxaap?
Yes.
