what_next wrote:
Really? A flight plan for class C? That’s not required elsewhere. Just a clearance before entering.
Yes yes, but the point was to file a plan with IFR waypoints, just to see what happens. Then I need a reason to file a plan in the first place. Flying high in C (at “real” FLs, the “Peter-way” 
) could be a reason. C is controlled airspace in any case, filed FP or not.
boscomantico wrote:
Abbreviated flightplan is official terminology as per SERA.
That term seems to be used only in the guidance material — GM1 to SERA.4001 and SERA.4005(a). But that’s better than nothing, it’s a good term.
TEST Result – For a NVFR flight yesterday, I filed a VFR plan.
Online form of DFS does not automatically insert DCT, neither did I.
Since the intende route did not have any convenient VFR waypoints “on the line”, I checked for IFR waypoints and used those. Went through.
When contacting Munich Radar enroute, they did enquire about the routing and accepted the IFR-point routing without comment.
(they did ask initially whether we would require an IFR pick up…)
When flying anywhere (except through South Africa) in Africa, I usually file the flight plan as a VFR flight plan with VFR as altitude and with IFR waypoints only in the route section. Most controllers in Africa have no clue about VFR stuff, so they understand the IFR route and by filing VFR I am free to fly below the airways at any altitude, which they can not monitor anyways as in most places in Africa, there is no radar environment.
It has always worked out for me this way. South Africa is a different story as there is a radar environment (as in Botswana).
What about crossing borders in Europe? I always do it through an IFR or VFR RP. Often there’s a good reason for the location (terrain or airspace related). Is that required? Because I don’t know, I always plan an official crossing poin, but it is no inconvenience.
I think that is different for different countries. For one example: the DFS VFR maps started showing (IFR?) waypoints on the Polish border one or two years ago, apparently because some Polish radio operators wanted them. Not for the flight plan, mind you, there is none required for a D-PL flight.
OTOH when I file flight plans for flying between BE and FR by phone, the other party (in BE they call themselves “dispatch” on the phone) request an estimate of when I will cross the (FIR) border, but I was never asked where.
In general, ATC is not interested in your specific route as filed in the flight plan. When you go missing, the route might become more important. I often just file DCT with no further route as a straight line and that goes just as well as a specified route along waypoints (IFR or VFR points). In most of Africa, I file a route via IFR waypoints as mentioned before, but fly the flight VFR as most airways start at rather high flight levels.
Just ferry an aircraft from EFKU till LCPH, flying VFR.
During all way south I have used IFR reporting points, VOR, AIRWAYS, I was even requested to fly IFR FLs and in vicinity to NIS, to approach the VOR through a specific radial.
Alone, it was my first Cross boundary flight experience (only had 65 hours total time and about 30 PIC), not a single problem with ATC for flying VFR. Aeroplus, flight plan worked just perfect, even when I had to submit delays.
Krakow Information was supportive enough, facing challenging weather condition south of my route to advise and offer a solution to divert to EPKK, after themselves checked with EPKK availability for that.
Related to one observation in a previous post, when possible I did included cross boarding IFR reporting points, which were very helpfull keeping in mind that ATC was often requesting estimates.
The use of DCT between reporting points, aeroplus FP accepts it, and was never a problem during FP submition. Only once I used DCT between airports and it was in Greece between 2 close by airports, for refuiling purposes.
Only remarks on a FP was in Greece on a route passing close to Turkish airspace which was refused.
Wow, that’s a nice pan-European flight!
I regularly use 5 letter waypoints for routing, within Germany, and to European countries. I file the FPL with DFS and Eurocontrol and I never had any problem whatsoever. Using these waypoints in ATC communication means I know where I am, the controller knows what i’m doing, and that makes it easier than ever to get clearances through airspace and control zones.
I don’t know what the problem is. GPS navigation is so precise, why not use it ?
Apart from that, a VFR flightolan is not regarded by the system the way an IFR plan is, and always subject to specific clearances. Therefore, one can put the FPL with all the fancy waypoints into the system, but you don’t get a clearance for the flight planned route.
