Tips & tricks for IFR from uncontrolled airspace in the UK? Specifically Cambridge EGSC.
I’m planning an IFR flight to Cambridge and back, but I have zero practical experience with how the UK deals with IFR OCAS. All the times I’ve been IFR to the UK it was on airways to a controlled airport so I didn’t have to deal with this. The way there seems reasonably simple for a foreigner, based on what Autorouter and Foreflight come up with I would file EHAM VALK2G IDRID L980 LOGAN EGSC all at FL100. The LOGAN 2A arrival into EGSC looks like you can just fly it and only become uncontrolled (but still radar?) on the way to the approach and it wouldn’t really matter. Or am I missing something here?
Autorouter for this trip also shows a few lower level options (as low as FL040). But if I understood Peter’s previous posts on this, that has a high risk to be handed to London Info and then no longer being in the IFR system as soon as you reach UK airspace.
Then the way back is where I’m not sure I understand all the local specifics. There don’t seem to be normal SIDs out of EGSC, but Jeppesen shows a “Via ADNAM” option. If I file “EGSC DCT ADNAM DCT CLN L620 REDFA EHAM” at FL100, am I doing something totally against local customs or should this just work?
And to fly that, I think it means departing IFR in class G (strictly verboten in my country :-)) then in the air trying to get an IFR clearance? That would need to be done before the “ADNAM DCT CLN” part because that enters controlled airspace quickly after ADNAM. Who do you ask for that? And do you just climb to the requested FL100 straight after take off? Or is that bad form and you level off below controlled airspace somewhere before asking for the clearance?
As you can guess I’ve never done anything like that. Even for Z plans over here you will get departure instructions, squawk and radar controller frequency to call either from the airport or via phone. The radar guys pick you up based on the squawk within minutes from take-off. So being IFR and uncontrolled isn’t something I have experience with.
Are you aware that Cambridge is 100% closed to visitors on weekends?
For the rest, there is no such thing as „the IFR system“. When you are IFR, you are either controlled IFR (airspace A-D) or uncontrolled IFR (airspace G). In the first case, you fly by following a clearance. In the latter case, you fly at your own discretion.
I am assuming you are flying on weekdays during ATC hours? Cambrige was never open on weekends to non-based aircrafts VFR or IFR but that’s another story 
I did a bit of flying near there but mostly training, there is not much low level CAS around, on departure you will be joining airspace in ADNAM (Cambridge standard routes), inbound you can try filing ABBOT (Stansted arrival), for clearance: ATC can get you one, do by phone yourself, ask London Info, or Essex Radars (Stansted/Luton) while remaining bellow CAS near ADNAM
If you divert you can fly to Southend, it will be hassle free (if you try Biggin Hill you will find that UK IFR is a nightmare)
Yes, thanks for the reminder, I’m planning for a weekday.
So you pick either a nearby radar unit or London Info and they arrange it or hand you off? And the altitude, is there a preference between staying below while requesting or climb strait to cruise altitude and request before you reach the border of airspace?
Inbound you’ve just got to watch out for the premature handoff (the ‘dumping out of the system’) to London Information before you’re happy to leave CAS. On this route London Control should keep you in CAS and hand you over to Cambridge Approach, but it’s quite possible that at some point London Control will look to wash their hands of you and that might well consist of dropping you down to play in the weeds not far inland and telling you to freecall London Info. This happens because as light GA you’re not really their customer and they only really want to do the bare minimum for you that they have to. Just say no, ask to remain at your cruise altitude until your planned ToD and ask them to coordinate a proper handover to Cambridge. Watch out for an early call of “are you ready for descent?” You are sat there with 50 miles to run and you think to yourself yeah ok I don’t mind starting down a little bit, so you accept and the next call is “cleared to leave controlled airspace in the descent, freecall london info on….”
Departing should be easy enough. Having filed IFR, Tower should be giving you an initial clearance with a track a fly, a remain outside controlled airspace instruction, and a frequency to call for London Control, who will let you in. If Cambridge don’t give you a frequency before you depart then they’re not coordinating it properly so you need to ask, because otherwise you will be calling up London Info once airborne and asking them to coordinate with London Control. This will take a while and will likely be used as a tool to keep you below CAS until you’re pretty much about to leave UK airspace anyway.
As @Peter always stresses, you need to file for a level that is ‘decisively’ in the Class A. Filing for a level right at the bottom of it gives them every excuse to keep you below it or drop you out early as the case may be.
I don’t know if Cambridge ever have their radar switched on these days so not sure you’ll get a radar service from anyone after/before London Control. Departing, I think you stress your ‘decisive Class A’ intentions better by looking to climb into the base of CAS. Planning to enter horizontally at some shelf leads to the risk they don’t clear you in time and you have to turn off course.
Clear, thanks!
Departing IFR via Adnam, Cambridge should issue a clearance including the phrase “when released got to” and it’s commonly ‘Stansted Director.
If you have that you should be good. They (stansted director) will either keep you, or as you climb pass you to London Control.
Inbound, the area is quite easy to navigate, so just do a little VFR prep incase it doesn’t pan-out exactly.
Wattisham are friendly and helpful if you end up OCAS, as are Cambridge ATC.
Thomas28 wrote:
I’m planning an IFR flight to Cambridge and back
Hi Thomas
Dont give it another thought, just file your IFR flight plan and go, nothing could be simpler.
I am based there, and you will be given a Stansted (EGSS) arrival and your last freq (before Camb) will be Stansted Director (as below) you will never be dumped OCAS.
On departure, they will get your airways clearance and if going east to NL it will be Adnam 3000ft contact Stansted Director 120.625.
I would give the flying club a call before you depart, tell them you are a private flight and dont want handling.
You can get a bus outside the airport into town, if you have time take a punt ride on the river and walk round the colleges , and if you want a restaurant with a bit of life try Brown’s
Have a good trip, you wont have any problems
I am based at North Weald, an airfield OCAS. The A/G helpfully obtains the “clearance” from London Control whilst I taxy out. Usually an instruction to remain outside CAS, on track DET or BPK, with a squawk and frequency to contact when airborne. It works very well.
On my last IR revalidation the instructor asked me to get the IFR clearance from London Information, as I had never done that before. It was a good weather day and the frequency was busy, it took quite a while to get the initial call in and for the clearance to be coordinated.
Returning to North Weald on an IFR flight plan, you can file “I” even though there is no IAP. I think this is a peculiarity of the UK system that permits “I” flight plans to and from VFR only airfields. ATC tends to keep you in CAS for as long as possible (if coming from the west or north, through Luton or Stansted CAS, or from the south through Southend CAS).
The A/G helpfully obtains the “clearance” from London Control whilst I taxy out. Usually an instruction to remain outside CAS, on track DET or BPK, with a squawk and frequency to contact when airborne. It works very well.
Same at Shoreham, etc. Actually any “tower” is supposed to be able to do that for you, although quite a few AFIS or A/G ones say they can’t (meaning they can’t be bothered).
On my last IR revalidation the instructor asked me to get the IFR clearance from London Information, as I had never done that before. It was a good weather day and the frequency was busy, it took quite a while to get the initial call in and for the clearance to be coordinated.
Yes – that’s exactly the problem with London Info. I’ve been airborne for maybe half an hour before getting anything done that way, but luckily departing out of Shoreham to the south / south east this doesn’t matter; one just climbs to 5000ft and doing 140kt half the time I am out of UK airspace before London Info gets back to me
The other way to do this, in a non towered departure situation, is to phone LTCC on 02380401100 and they give you the same info, including the txp code.
I think this is a peculiarity of the UK system that permits “I” flight plans to and from VFR only airfields.
It is not that rare but there are notable exceptions e.g. Germany.
