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How does ATC/FIS work in Europe?

I’ve just been revising for my Comms exam and have been going through all the ATC, FIS, Pass your message, types of service etc. Just about got my head around it.

I’ve also been reading many threads where the UK is criticised for its complicated and outdated practices.

So with this in mind how does it work elsewhere in Europe then? Is it the same across Europe or does in fact each country have their own bespoke way of doing it regardless of SERA and all the safety implications?

S57
EGBJ, United Kingdom

FIS is a service. The scope of this service is defined by ICAO. (For example, it does not require the entity providing the FIS to have radar.)

Hence, the Framework is defined by ICAO, but how exactly the various states provide this service is very much up to them. SERA says nothing about FIS provision.

In Europe, there are mostly 2 different types of “setups” for the provision of FIS.

1. Dedicated FIS frequencies and FIS staff

The centres providing this service are sometimes referred to as FICs (flight Information centres).
The prime example for this is Germany, where we have this. Italy has this, too. And the UK, too.
As always, this has advantages and disadvantages. One often cited disadvantage is that you will not be on an ATC frequency. Thus, you don’t have a complete picture of the overall traffic situation. Also, when you are in contact with a dedicated the FIS unit, and you want to transit some TMA, CTA or whatever, coordination will be necessary. The advantage is that the people providing the FIS are often specialists for this job and are more helpful to traffic flying outside controlled airspace.

2. FIS as a service (a side product) provided by “regular” ATC

Sweden, Finland and Norway are examples for that.
For advantages and disadvantages, see above.

France used to be a hybrid, with certain sectors which had a dedicated FIS unit (called “CIV” in French) and others sectors where FIS was provided by ATC (called “SIV” in French). Most CIVs have been decomissioned in recent years, so that France now falls mostly into category no. 2. One exception to this is “Seine Info”.

I am afraid this will not help you much with your exams (the questions will be 100% UK-centered…), but it might serve you in the future.

Added: in most countries in Europe, FIS does provide radar-derived traffic information. Again, Germany is one case, but also France, etc. Of course, this is always on a workload-permitting basis. In other countries, the person providing FIS does not have radar and only provides traffic information based on other pilot’s position reports. UK, Italy, Spain spring to mind.

Last Edited by boscomantico at 01 Aug 16:54
Mainz (EDFZ) & Egelsbach (EDFE), Germany

FWIW, Poland has “dedicated” FIS with dedicated frequencies and all of what Boscomantico so expertly explained above. The FIS people will, in most cases, coordinate any controlled airspace entry / transit before handing you off to the appropriate ATC. They also usually have radar coverage and you will frequently hear “radar contact established” – the same people are, depending on circumstances of a given day, working FIS, Approach, Center, possibly remote TWR, I think. They will do their best to save you from an airspace infringement and offer traffic info and deconfliction advice, and are generally very nice folks.

Last Edited by tmo at 01 Aug 15:48
tmo
EPKP - Kraków, Poland

My question to an expert is,
when I file a Flight Plan IFR from Germany to Poland I can only use the airways above FL100. After IFR pick up and clearance for cruising FL 100 over Germany
I request behind the border line to the polish radar cruising level FL 80. I get it but I have to change to FIS.
The polish controller said to me, I can only give you Radar Service above FL100 and below that one is always FIS.
1. Is it possible to file an IFR FPL below FL 100?
2. Is Flying below FL 100 under FIS IFR?
Thomas

Berlin, Germany

1. Is it possible to file an IFR FPL below FL 100?

You mean in Poland? Yes.

2. Is Flying below FL 100 under FIS IFR?

In Poland, you will be on FIS whenever you are IFR in uncontrolled airspace. That does not mean it’s always when you are below FL95… there are also TMAs, CTRs, etc. In these cases, you will obviously be handed over to the respective approach or tower controller (and afterwards, handed back to FIS).

It’s interesting that German / Austrian / Swiss trained pilots always think of FIS as a pure VFR thing. It totally isn’t. It’s there for IFR flights, too. It’s just that in Germany / Austria / Switzerland all IFR flights are (practically) always “controlled”, thus they will of course always be on an ATC frequency.

But as soon as you start to look elsewhere (pretty much all over the rest Europe), where uncontrolled IFR is allowed (as per ICAO), then you will often have to do with a FIS frequency as your enroute unit. Poland is a good example. Belgium is another one. In other countries, where FIS and ATC comes from one and the same person, you hardly notice when you are moving in and out of controlled airspace (France).

Just a note: you can fly controlled IFR at exactly FL100 in Poland. Controlled airspace generally starts at FL95.

Last Edited by boscomantico at 01 Aug 17:54
Mainz (EDFZ) & Egelsbach (EDFE), Germany

Thanks for your quick answer Boscomantico.

That is my experience too. But when the ceiling level in Poland is below FL95
and there are no IFR airways below FL100, how can I get a permitted IFR FPL?
Request DCT with FL?
Thomas

Berlin, Germany

You don’t have to be “permitted”. It’s uncontrolled airspace. You do essentially what you want. I know it sounds weird for someone who is used to the German IFR dogma, but IFR does not strictly mean being controlled, being under ATC, being in radar contact and so on.

Play with autorouter a bit at altitudes below FL100. In fact, you will see that the proposed routes for FL90 or below will usually be shorter than the same route at FL100 ot above. That makes sense because you will not be bound to the airways below FL100.

Once you are in flight you will be talking to FIS, but not be under air traffic control. You can then also vary your route and deviate from your filed route to some degree (as long as you stay away from controlled airspace). Think of it as almost the same as flying uncontrolled VFR, just that you are allowed to enter IMC.

Last Edited by boscomantico at 01 Aug 17:56
Mainz (EDFZ) & Egelsbach (EDFE), Germany

I usually refer fellow german pilots to this page you made Bosco:

IFR Fliegen in UK

It takes a few days for the concept to settle in our german minds but once you understood how flexible and practical IFR in OCAS is (and how many countries use it) you feel very stupid repeating the usual “IFR starts passing xxxx ft” lie during IFR pickup in Germany.

BTW – thank’s again for all your “Fliegen-in-XXX” pages. They have been a very valuable source of information for me on countless flights.

EDNW, Germany

boscomantico wrote:

It’s there for IFR flights, too.

Now I understand why Ryanair sometimes ask for Metars on the FIS-Frequency

Berlin, Germany

Hi Sebastian,

many thanks.

I usually refer fellow german pilots to this page you made Bosco:

IFR Fliegen in UK

What must be noted is that the UK is in some way the extreme version of the concept of uncontrolled IFR, because they allow IFR without any radio contact, which by the way is also contrary to ICAO principles.

IMHO, Poland, Scandinavia, France etc. got it right, with pretty much unrestricted IFR flight in controlled airspace, but mandatory radio contact with either the FIS unit or ATC, which will give you an integrated service throughout the flight.

Mainz (EDFZ) & Egelsbach (EDFE), Germany
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