I think there is too much emphasis on getting a service.
A service is pointless unless it is of benefit to you (or is a legal requirement).
You don’t need it for navigation – you have a GPS.
So…
A listening watch is a good thing, for a mayday call. London Info 124.60 is good for that. No point in actually calling them because while they have radar they are not allowed to indicate they have it (they are FISO pay grade, to save money, and only a radar qualified ATCO is allowed to use a radar screen) and they just increase your workload by asking you for ETAs to various waypoints. London Info works all the way to the French coast, but by then you will have called up Brest.
My last flight from Le Touquet to Shoreham was a direct change from LT tower to SH tower. LT tell everybody to call “London 124.6” but you don’t need to do that.
I think there is too much emphasis on getting a service
Over land, I agree, but over water, I’d have a different opinion, particularly for VFR flights.
VFR flights are often constrained by airspace, weather or ATC clearances. This means that you are rarely within gliding distance of land on a long water stretch.
If all goes quite, I’d want to be able to call ATC and have to give them little more than my location and the nature of the emergency. I really don’t have to have to get into explaining more details about my flight (departure, intended destination, aircraft type etc), when I’ve more important things to be doing. So having given that info to someone in advance (when this are going to plan) and being able to simply report the emergency is a good time saver.
Over land, I never call unless I have an expectation of getting a radar service.
dublinpilot wrote:
If all goes quite, I’d want to be able to call ATC and have to give them little more than my location and the nature of the emergency. I really don’t have to have to get into explaining more details about my flight (departure, intended destination, aircraft type etc),
But those last details do not form part of a distress call so it makes no difference between a listening watch with the emergency frequency tuned or calling London Info. All assuming you have a transponder on and an ELT on board.
Indeed it’s not part of the standard call. But ATC will want to inform S&R if they are looking for a C152 or a biz jet. They will also want to inform the destination airport of what’s happened to so that S&R is co-ordinated rather than unco-ordindated search being set up. So these sort of things will probably be asked, after your initital call, and just when you’re busy trying to sort things.
If you’re already in contact, they have all your details already.
dublinpilot wrote:
So these sort of things will probably be asked, after your initital call, and just when you’re busy trying to sort things.
But you don’t have to answer them (since you’re busy dealing with an emergency). If you have filed a flight plan, the registration should be all they need to get that sort of information. Frankly, any plane swimming in the Channel should get their attention.
Hi Martin,
Indeed you don’t need to answer. But it is a distraction. Any audio of emergencies that I’ve listened to online has ATC repeating questions in such situations when they don’t get an answer. That can be a real distraction even if you don’t answer. You could of course turn the radio down, but that too is a distraction, and you might want it.
We are all free to make our own choices. For me, I prefer to have some station that has my details while crossing water. Over land, I only call if I expect to get traffic info.
Colm
I too prefer to be in radio contact with someone while crossing the sea (Irish Sea for me) even if it’s just basic service. London Info for instance will know what time I coasted out and my expected coasting in time when (for example) leaving the north Wales coast, and normally will have also passed my details to Ronaldsway. If something should happen and I can’t for some reason get anyone on the radio, at least they know where I actually coasted out and expected to coast in – this might be different from the flight plan if weather has caused me to change my route a bit (which isn’t entirely uncommon in these parts).
I am planning a trip to St Mary’s EGHE for Aug 26-27. It will be my first real Channel crossing. We are VFR-only, ACFT is a DA40 TDI 155.
Route would be northbound from Cherbourg. I would like to be AHAP (as high as possible 
)
Map :
I understood from this thread that a radar service on the English was uncertain to say the least.
Notams are (until the end of August):
Strange situation isnt’it ?
AIP says :
Question :
Thank you for your help. It seems more intimidating to me than planning my Portugal trip.
This is much easier than it looks
Firstly, you will never get a crossing into D036/D038 group. I’ve never ever managed it, not even on a Eurocontrol IFR flight.
So just fly OCAS. From Cherbourg, go straight up – most of the crossing can be done ~FL100 (or FL095 if you want to be “proper VFR”)
Then, assuming you want to reach dry land ASAP, just call up Bournemouth 119.475 for a radar service and carry on:
Notice you need to descend below 3500ft, then below 2000ft, and then you can go up again. So call up Bournemouth well before you get to these airspaces (alternatively Solent Radar 120.225) and get their QNH.
Just avoid danger areas – they aren’t worth the hassle working out if they are active.
When crossing this AIAA (area of intense aerial activity – the UK’s three RAF jets might be airborne!) you will probably get a handover to Yeovilton 127.35. Later Exeter Radar, etc…
Remember – Class G is Class G.
Check enroute notams here. At this time of the year there are some “restricted” (basically meaning prohibited) areas for Red Arrows air shows etc. You absolutely do not want to bust these – £5000 fine for one Belgian pilot a few years ago.
Scilly Isles are really nice. A bit like Britain in the 1950s, or provincial France on a quiet weekend 
Let me give you an alternative suggestion – just in case you want to avoid flying at right angles.
Route Cherbourg – Bolt Head/Salcombe (a gem by the way) – Plymouth – Perranporth – St. Mary’s.
That will keep you clear of all the UK danger areas and allows you to climb up to FL80 / FL 85 throughout.
Taking into consideration Alderney, the distance over water isn’t much longer than if you were going straight to the north.
