For tricks and such for Eurocontrol IFR in the UK, new thread created.
A really good Q is how the commercial (twin TP) flights do it: it is by filing FL200 and then they are in Class C, with a bit of G at the end(s) and for those they get, per company rules, a deconfliction service.
Cobalt wrote:
The difficult bit here is crossing that airway which goes north-south around Exeter down to FL65, it is a “wall” of controlled airspace that you enter and leave, only to rejoin ats Portsmouth. Given the lack of proper hand-overs etc, I would try to get the clearance for that WELL ahead of time, probably 20 minutes before arriving at that boundary; I would also ask that controller to hand me over to the next bit of CAS at Portsmouth.But in reality – after doing this sort of thing three times (towards Newkey and Perranporth, respectively), I decided I could not be bothered and just stayed below that “wall” and recduce ATC negotiation from 3 down to 1. Just too much hassle and uncertainty.
That actually was THE question! :)
I would usually use that example to indicate that in the UK you cannot some routes above the weather unless you are flying FL200+ (just like Peter is saying in the next message), which normally means pressurisation (PA46, P210, C421/340 etc).
In some places you cannot fly IFR above MSA while following CAA advise (“take two”) unless you are flying on a flight plan, i.e. east of Biggin – MSA is 2400 and LTMA is 2500.
Cobalt wrote:
By far the biggest issue IMO is not being able to (re)join controlled airspace, because that completely throws the entire flight off track, with very little you can do except hope that the controller finds the flight plan, and no viable plan B except to return or divert. The worst is if you fly out the side of controlled airspace with a friendly goodbye to the previous controller, only to be met with the equivalent of “who the hell are you?” when trying to re-join half an hour later.
I concur! The challenge here is when you leave you departure airfield (or CAS on a flight plan), you are being advised to contact someone like London Info, and they’d have to re-negotiate a new join with LTC, which is not always granted. I really like the US/Germany system where they have Class E above certain altitude/height, and all is good, but not in the UK – as Peter has mentioned many times before: as the UK NATS is privately funded, we are stuffed.
If you have G below FL200 then you can climb as necessary below FL200 without talking to anybody.
I did that EGHE – EGKA once, in foul wx and icing at FL100; went back down to FL080 to escape ice (mid summer!). Exeter gave me a transit – see tricks here about doing that north of EGTE, not south. Afterwards, depends on where you are going.
I posted similar going EIWT-EGKA; Western Radar did the G service and a handover to London Control. It worked out OK.
One has to look at the map and work out what will be in CAS. Just filing a Eurocontrol FP and flying it is unlikely to work in the UK.
The history is complicated but basically to do with ATC funding, which is a super hot potato and a great way to get beaten up if you raise this topic elsewhere. Lots of NATS people are on FB and get super excited over “ATC bashing” (== any attempt to discuss this topic); I no longer bother after my block list reached about 100 
They are all on EuroGA too but rarely post because they know the mod policy here. NATS has a strict social media policy too but it is suspended when one is beating up a GA pilot
Sorry, missed this thread – I will endeavor to catch up.
No, I did not manage to play any videos on Vimeo.
Thanks for moving them to YouTube. I will make a start on them this evening.
