Peter wrote:
Any offers on the above?
@Peter, did you mean crazy CAS? Easy – right next to you! :)
Solent has redesigned all the CAS around EGHI, yes, but some of the areas are still great: Solent CTA 2000-5500, Portsmouth CTA FL55-FL195. :)
Another one – between EGKB & EGTO – MSA is 2400 and LTMA is 2500. So VFR traffic flying at MSA there could not possibly fly there safely. :)
UK CAA says “take two” – 200 ft and 2 nm from nearest CAS – not going to work!
Agreed 
but I find that – apart from that Belfast case – it is always possible to work out the airspace if you stare at it long enough, on the UK 500k chart. That’s not always the case in France, etc…
Peter wrote:
Agreed but I find that – apart from that Belfast case – it is always possible to work out the airspace if you stare at it long enough, on the UK 500k chart. That’s not always the case in France, etc…
I think for the most it’s either “ah, easy!” or “nope, not going to try to understand that bunch of crap. I’ll consider it all as a prohibited zone”. :)
One of the traps is the low Class A to the SE of Hawarden
I would add UK Charlie, not the one at FL195 but the few bits that goes down to FL60
NATS/CAA were forced to switch +FL195 from Alpha to Charlie with SERA and single upper sky harmonisation but we still treat it as Alpha (your need an IR and I-FPL to fly VFR over there), where it gets funky is that the same standard is not applied to new Alpha that moved to Charlie in few croners down to FL60
RobertL18C wrote:
One of the traps is the low Class A to the SE of Hawarden
ILS can’t be flown by an IMCR holder, have a look: FAF and platform is in Alpha
Ibra wrote:
where it gets funky is that the same standard is not applied to new Alpha that moved to Charlie in few croners down to FL60
The stupidity of it was FASVIG wanted it changed from class A to class C so that traffic crossing the Irish Sea VFR could do it higher up – so they changed it to class C then said “No VFR allowed” (even though it’s supposed to be in class C). Complete waste of time.
Ibra wrote:
NATS/CAA were forced to switch +FL195 from Alpha to Charlie with SERA and single upper sky harmonisation but we still treat it as Alpha (your need an IR and I-FPL to fly VFR over there)
@Ibra, how come? I thought if I fly, for example, IFR with IRR, then I should be able to enter, right? Please note that from ANO 2019 Class A is the only CAS prohibited for IRR holders.
arj1 wrote:
how come? I thought if I fly, for example, IFR with IRR, then I should be able to enter, right?
You can’t fly VFR over there but it’s definitely possible to fly IFR there with an IRR (CBIR, EIR, IRR, IMC all falls under IR in my jargon ), you need an I-FPL in “the system with a slot” (the frequencies are those of Scotich TC or Dublin ACC and phone numbers to call for slot & squawk are in GEN3.3 of AIP in UK & RoI)
I doubt you can go with pop up request “to transit” but if you call London & Scottish Info, (joking) for some reason you will be asked for fuel endurance & home address: they don’t expect a quick clearance soon, in that case they will send it by post to arrive next day…
alioth wrote:
so they changed it to class C then said “No VFR allowed” (even though it’s supposed to be in class C). Complete waste of time.
A bit like class G under TMAs in Norway. No radio required, no transponder required, no communications at all required (I mean it’s normal class G). But – “we” (meaning ATC, Avinor and the CAA) expect everyone flying under the TMA to be equipped with radio and transponder. “We” expect everyone to get in contact on radio, preferably well before flying in that airspace, so you get a squawk. “We” expect everyone to squawk the given code and to keep the contact and communicate every way point. “We” expect you to be prepared, and to follow vectors as well as all other guidance from the ATC (which happens regularly).
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining about this, and it works just fine, and there are good reasons for it. It has been like this since long before airspaces was a “thing” also. It’s just that this is NOT like airspace G is supposed to work, at least not in any book I have read. At best it is some kind of G with TMZ and RMZ and with some sporadic and sudden airspace C/D/B turned on and off depending on traffic. I think this is probably the clue here. With high traffic (some helicopters IFR, some VFR, lots of GA buzzing around and commercial traffic in and out in a steady stream) it works more like a C airspace. Then with little traffic, it’s more or less all G, even the CTR. Late Saturday evenings with little traffic, if you get in contact, say 30+ NM away, the only response could be “… – cleared to land”. So you just fly in any way you please and land, which for some odd reason, invariable means a slow decent, at highest possible speed, in the most straight line you can predict
