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Who uses AFPEX, and departure services to UK pilots

Local copy of above PDF

This states that everybody will be able to submit notams. It does not make any sense.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

There is detail in my old article here.

Each country runs its own message database, for national security purposes, and for S&R.

Nobody can block your FPL even if they don’t like aspects like long DCTs with no waypoints. They send you little quibbles but you’re in the air by then! EG for a VFR FPL sent this week “what is date of flight?”. Well it says ‘07:00’, and it’s 19:00 now, so it’s tomorrow.

That’s clever

You still need to submit a valid FP for IFR, because the distribution to airports etc is done by Eurocontrol (a few seconds after your FP submission, if validated). With Afpex, you could address an IFR FP directly to your departure tower, which would get you in the air, but would probably do no more, whereas with a VFR FP that is probably fine.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

From the UK AIP:

Derek
Stapleford (EGSG), Denham (EGLD)

Yes that should work (without going via EGZYIFPS), I have not tried yet

https://www.aurora.nats.co.uk/htmlAIP/Publications/2023-04-20-AIRAC/html/index-en-GB.html

Last Edited by Ibra at 09 May 11:54
Paris/Essex, France/UK, United Kingdom

Ibra wrote:

Maybe one has to use NATS IFPS adress EGZYIFPS?

When you tick the checkbox “Address To IFPS” in AFPEx, it adds EUCHZMFP and EUCBZMFP to the address box, but not EGZYIFPS, so I guess the latter is not required.

Derek
Stapleford (EGSG), Denham (EGLD)

I have not tried IFPS adress when submitting IFR FPL via AFPEX

Maybe one has to use NATS IFPS adress EGZYIFPS? not the ones EUCHZMFP and EUCBZMFP? or both work?

Last Edited by Ibra at 09 May 11:40
Paris/Essex, France/UK, United Kingdom

derek wrote:

So when you file IFR using AFPEx, and you address it to IFPS, is there some sort of bridge?

That depends what you mean by “bridge”. AFTN messages are delivered somewhere. In the old days this was to a telex machine. Today it can just as well be to one of the Eurocontrol computer systems.

Last Edited by Airborne_Again at 09 May 12:19
ESKC (Uppsala/Sundbro), Sweden

derek wrote:

I’ve never quite understood how AFTN fits in with national systems. What is an ARO? Is it only VFR flight plans that gets affected, or also IFR, and if so, do the airlines need to deal with the complexity?

AFTN is only a mail system. Messages sent over the AFTN goes into the national systems in ways that each country determines.

An ARO (AIS Reporting Office) is a unit that processes flight plans and provides pre-flight information (NOTAMs in particular) to flight crews. In the old days most major airports had an ARO which the pilots could visit. Today AROs (at least in Europe) provide their services by telephone or web sites. The UK is rather unique in not providing any ARO.

IFR flight plans in Europe are not processed by an ARO, but by the Eurocontrol IFPS. AROs may still accept IFR flight plans for transmission to Eurocontrol and I believe they have some additional privileges over pilots/operators when it comes to “forcing” flight plans through the system.

Last Edited by Airborne_Again at 09 May 12:18
ESKC (Uppsala/Sundbro), Sweden

Ibra wrote:

India IFR in IFPZ is managed by Eurocontrol (IFPS/CFMU), it does not go via AFTN/ARO

So when you file IFR using AFPEx, and you address it to IFPS, is there some sort of bridge?

(Looks like I should read this first)

Last Edited by derek at 09 May 11:34
Derek
Stapleford (EGSG), Denham (EGLD)

derek wrote:

or also IFR, and if so, do the airlines need to deal with the complexity?

India IFR in IFPZ is managed by Eurocontrol (IFPS/CFMU), it does not go via AFTN/ARO

Airlines flying in countries have to deal with IFR in AFTN & ARO but usually that is left to ‘flight planning department’ who will have to deal with AFTN/ARO
Most airline captains do not file flight plans, they ask their dispatchers to do it for them and print FPL/NOTAMS and leave with coffee in the cockpit

One retired pilot flew speed-birds all over the world, his first ever FPL on AFTN was on Stapleford-Ostend for lunch in PA28

What would be interesting to know if how to file IFR for a trip around the world? (other countries not covered by Foreflight & Eurocontrol), apparently, even people who did these trip have no clue, they paid someone to do it

Last Edited by Ibra at 09 May 11:16
Paris/Essex, France/UK, United Kingdom
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