A couple of things to add to the advice:
IFR OCAS in the UK we now have an alternative “Conspicuity” code: 2000 in place of 7000 – simply if you are IFR outside this is the new “default” squawk to set if you are not otherwise assigned / issued a squawk.
If leaving controlled airspace by descent, keep the airways squawk until you are below the controlled airspace and in class G, then you are free as a bird… but be very careful not to enter any other controlled airspace without a new and explicit clearance.When descending quickly from Flight Levels, your groundspeed will increase so the next area of controlled airspace may be coming up faster than you expect!
An exception to this is in Scotland where you will typically be in Controlled Airspace at the start of an IFR flight, but may leave controlled airspace (as the airway goes above your cruising level) – retaining the squawk, then will be cleared to enter again with a different controller – EG Between the Warton area and Glasgow area – but this does not really apply in the south east UKLFHNflightstudent wrote:
When I am then being told I am now outside of controlled airspace, ATC have made (or tried to) make something my problem that isn’t supposed to be my problem. I am in IMC, unaware of what airspace is where as I am on vectors, told to climb to an altitude I didn’t file in icing and told to remain outside of CAS.
They have ‘managed you out of the system’. Quite possibly taking advantage of the fact that, as a non-UK pilot, you might not have initially fully understood what they were looking to do as they started doing it. The magic words which complete the managing-out are “radar service terminates, freecall London Info”, to which on future occasions you might consider responding “negative, require radar environment to destination with coordinated handovers as necessary”.
If you are on an IFR flight plan with a validated route in CAS then whatever ‘operational reasons’ they had going on they surely still have an obligation to facilitate you getting to your destination. You are carrying the legal IFR fuel reserves as a minimum, so they can change your routing within certain constraints. Your refusal of a level or heading due weather is legitimate and they are supposed to work around that. By dumping you out of CAS a long way from destination, much further than could reasonably be expected, they are basically saying “we cannot handle you, your flight is not possible, go away”. It’s absolutely outrageous.
I would MOR the hell out of them. I would also write to NATS (assuming it was London Control) demanding an explanation for them endangering your flight – pointing out that the ‘dumping’ set up a situation which was ripe for a serious infringement, because infringements get their attention – and report the incident to the relevant part of the CAA. Depressingly, you are unlikely to receive much of a response to any of these, and certainly not one acknowledging any shortcoming.
boscomantico wrote:
In practice, everybody flies just like VFR, i.e. with an ipad and a pre-programmed route using several user-created waypoints. Nobody takes any interest in that. The notion that just because you are IFR you need to use some “IFR approved” navigation means is absurd when OCAS.
Correct, although I think most people tend to use airways reporting points because then you can easily have the same route in the panel GPS as the tablet. Creating custom waypoints is quite a faff. I have not used towns or other VRPs since my PPL training.
Graham wrote:
They have ‘managed you out of the system’. Quite possibly taking advantage of the fact that, as a non-UK pilot, you might not have initially fully understood what they were looking to do as they started doing it. The magic words which complete the managing-out are “radar service terminates, freecall London Info”, to which on future occasions you might consider responding “negative, require radar environment to destination with coordinated handovers as necessary”.
As pilots of course we always have the option to explain we will have no other choice than to declare an emergency because of the situation and ATC’s actions… purely hypothetical…
Graham wrote:
Correct, although I think most people tend to use airways reporting points because then you can easily have the same route in the panel GPS as the tablet. Creating custom waypoints is quite a faff. I have not used towns or other VRPs since my PPL training.
Well, not really. Often there is no 5-letter waypoint (I suppose you mean those) exactly where you need it to navigate some 2-mile wide gap between two CTRs, CTAs, or whatever.
Also, we were talking about people who DON’T have an IFR-approved GPS installed and how they fly. They will not have any installed unit to punch these waypoints into anyway.
From the navigation point of view IFR OCAS in the UK is really not the slightest bit different from flying purely VFR.
Graham wrote:
Correct, although I think most people tend to use airways reporting points because then you can easily have the same route in the panel GPS as the tablet. Creating custom waypoints is quite a faff. I have not used towns or other VRPs since my PPL training.
Well, not really. Often there is no 5-letter waypoint (I suppose you mean those) exactly where you need it to navigate some 2-mile wide gap between two CTRs, CTAs, or whatever.
Also, we were talking about people who DON’T have an IFR-approved GPS installed and how they fly. They will not have any installed unit to punch these waypoints into anyway.
From the navigation point of view IFR OCAS in the UK is really not the slightest bit different from flying purely VFR OCAS.
Sure, that is sometimes the case. Usually I find enough 5-letter waypoints to generate my route. One doesn’t always have to have a waypoint in the bottleneck – often it’s easier to have one before and one after such that the line goes through. Indeed if you’re tablet-only then you can use more things without an issue of how you put them into the panel.
Your last sentence I fully agree with. You are IFR in your mind only (and perhaps on your transponder, and maybe if you call up some ATSU). On a typical OCAS flight in the TB10 it is often nothing more than a whim whether I decide to enter 7000 or 2000 into the transponder before lining up.
It depends on how an efficient route you want.
Due to the new completely mad no-prisoners infringements policy, I tend to fly the “long way round” and then there are plenty of IFR waypoints – example. But if you want to wiggle your way around, under the 2500-ft-base LTMA while not busting any ATZs, DAs, etc, etc, while working the radio like a one-armed bandit, always ready to dogleg around if that transit doesn’t arrive in time, then you need to have a suitable tablet app running and be watching that very closely. There is no panel mount navigator AFAIK which depicts UK airspace in a manner useful for this kind of flying.
This is why most CAS busts are due to distractions; it is very hard to plan a route under the LTMA which is fully programmed and can be autopilot-flown.
And that is why most TCAS targets in that area are non-txp or Mode A… the ex RAF CAA guy who set this up has a lot to answer for. Rumours are that he has now moved on from that job, but nobody will have the balls to put it back to how it was before because too much has been invested in smashing this GA problem with a hammer.
I plan to meet up someone in Oxford soon. I will drive…
Longer flights work fine in the IFR system. For example Shoreham to Oban (Scotland) is fine, FL100. You should get a climb into CAS around CPT and after that it is smooth. Then in Scotland things work like they should 
If you need FL150 to stay VMC on top, you get it. But you need an IR for this. The IMCR is no good because nearly all CAS is Class A; the IMCR just legalises cloud hole drilling (including non-radio cloud hole drilling) and IAPs flown in actual IMC.
TwinPiston wrote:
1) I do not need to file a flightplan, if say I am not to go above FL80/90 and not entering any airways.
2) I can self declare I am IFR to any ATSU I contact, without any additional requirements (I understand I will be treated pretty much like VFR with OCAS/CAS scenarios)
3) ATC should be made aware (over the R/T) that I do not have GPS and cannot do “own navigation” to any IFR waypoints (despite having SD or Foreflight onboard?)
4) At best I can expect either VOR to VOR navigation, or else headings
5) request traffic service if possible when IMC
1) Yes, You do not need to file a IFR flight plan if you do not plan to enter en-route controlled airspace
2) Yes, you can “request IFR transit” if needed
3) You could tell them that, however I don’t think many of such waypoints exist outside controlled airspace
4) Probably, but many VOR/DME/NDBs are being decommissioned so you’re better off having some GPS onboard to avoid losing such reception, especially when inside cloud.
5) The current official advice is to obtain a Deconfliction Service when IMC (see AIP ENR 1.1 section 2 – FIS).
Anything else I should be looking out for or be doing?
It’s worth taking note of cruising levels etc. as per AIP ENR 1.3.
It’s also worth considering filing and flying the en-route system (i.e. inside CAS) if it takes you above the cloud with better weather on top. Clearances and workload is easier to manage.
Yes, you can “request IFR transit” if needed
This rarely works for Class A, except in “back of nowhere” like the bit around Exeter, but even there you get this variability.
Class D transits are normally OK and are frequently done by GA – again with exceptions.
If you do not get a transit, especially Class D but also “essential ones” like the Exeter one in the above link, report it
