This is certainly a question for UK pilots who have a lot of experience with that.
How would you plan/perform an IFR (IMC) departure from an uncontrolled airfield with the intention to join an airway / Eurocontrol IFR at a point somewhere in the distance from the field and in the opposite direction from the takeoff runway? Let’s further assume that the clouds are rather low.
Would you fly some sort of traffic pattern? Or do a few gentle turns until you have essentially turned 180 degrees and are going to the waypoint?
Let’s further assume that there is controlled airspace overhead the field. Without clearance you need to stay below that.
I’m curious as to how you plan and execute it. My only experience with that is two departures from Gloucester. One was straight ahead to Oxford and the other only 90 degrees to towards the airway.
It’s basically a question about the whole IFR in airspace G business.
My first guess is that I would fly some sort of a wide traffic pattern, while keeping obstacles in mind, climbing as much as possible without busting the CAS overhead. That should get me on the other side of the airport and as soon as I’m clear of the airport I would turn towards the waypoint.
It depends on the terrain and obstacle situation.
How high is CAS? Where is it?
With this sparse information, there is not much someone can tell you.
Terrain is flat, no significant obstacles. CAS begins at say 2500 MSL. Field elevation is 150 and the VFR traffic circuit would be at 1000.
Obviously I made the numbers up but it’s just for a mental exercise to learn about decision making, what to consider, what approach to the task one would best choose. This whole thing is beyond any training I’ve received and thus I’m curious.
It sounds like the tower didn’t give you any sort of provisional departure clearance, so you need to call up somebody (e.g. FIS / London Info, Farnborough Radar, etc) to get that.
You have to have a plan which will last you until you get the clearance to enter CAS, and that could be minutes or even tens of minutes especially if you are doing it via London Info.
Normally you just depart, get away from the airfield ASAP (in case somebody is flying circuits, possibly in IMC 
) and proceed hopefully in the general direction of your planned route (so you waste minimum fuel) remaining OCAS (2400ft in this case) until you get the clearance to climb into CAS.
In some under-LTMA departure situations you may not get the clearance for 50nm…
In some cases you want to delay getting the clearance if e.g. there is hazardous wx at the start of the route which you expect to get, so fly OCAS to position yourself where there is a bit of blue sky where you can safely climb up and then call up FIS. In fact I do this even when I have a provisional DC from the tower; OCAS one can do “almost” anything in terms of strategic positioning.
So it’s really quite simple.
It can be hazardous because many IFR pilots don’t properly consider the need for a continuous awareness of obstacles during the departure phase, and a number of IR holders have been killed (CFITs) while awaiting the clearance to climb. Obviously you could say they mismanaged it (well, obviously) but you do need at least the VFR chart (running as a GPS moving map) so you know exactly where the terrain is. Some bare synthetic map showing little or no terrain is no good. Unless it is VMC, of course…
Normally I depart, climb out of the traffic circuit an proceed on route just below CAS. Call London Control or whoever I expect to use to get clearance (airfield should get you the frequency) and ask for my clearance. Never used London Info and don’t intend to start.
This is exactly what I am doing tomorrow out of Turweston.
Who gives you the London Control frequency to call, @JasonC?
I know of two ways
Usually the tower or AFIS or A-G. I ask when I start up for a squawk and a frequency. They can usually get it if they have access to the flight plans. Turweston for example do and are happy to help.
Fly a reverse instrument approach!
At my home airfield, which is air to ground (generally unmanned) and in class G in the UK, we have our own “standard” instrument departures. They are standard in that we all use them but they are not published in the way that true SIDs are. These are pre thought out to avoid CAS, terrain and the IAPs for other local airports. In general, they depart the visual circuit asap to avoid possible conflict, usually with a climb on r/w heading until above the circuit. They all take you to a safe altitude and track that is clear of CAS. For example, the southerly departure drops you onto BPK inbound 010 at 2,400 ft (just under the 2,500 ft LTMA). If the LTMA isn’t in the way, they take you to IFR cruising altitudes/levels. When planning an IFR departure from other similar airfields, I develop a similar instrument departure plan. I only have an IR(R), so I can’t comment on the non UK situation.
The first thing I’d do is assess the obstacle situation and decide how to get to the MSA without hitting anything. If I’m departing an IFR airport, then I would usually follow the standard procedures for (omnidirectional) departure. Alternatively I’d follow the traffic circuit or VFR procedures as far as I’m able.
I would not usually fly a reverse instrument approach unless the obstacle situation was really tricky. I am planning to make a flight to this airport next summer. Given the high (for a SEP) climb gradients for the omnidirectional departures, I would follow the ILS in reverse on climb-out.
My initial level will depend on cloud base, obstacles, radio coverage and CAS base.
The easy case is if I can maintain visual contact with the ground at a level which is at least the minimum VFR level and where I can also can get in contact with ATC. Otherwise, I’ll climb into clouds up to at least the MSA – provided it is below the base of CAS. In that case I’ll make sure beforehand that I have an “out” entirely OCAS if for whatever reason I can’t get a clearance.
The difficult case is if the MSA is above the base of CAS and it is also impossible to remain visual at a level where I can reach ATC…
