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The EIR and when to cancel IFR

The EIR and when to cancel IFR

You are supposed to land “VFR” so need to cancel IFR at some point.

To avoid getting busted, one will need to choose the point carefully.

Obviously if the conditions are VMC everywhere, there is no issue, but what about something more marginal? You are not supposed to fly a STAR, so you are supposed to cancel IFR before the last enroute waypoint, but you could easily be high at that point, probably many miles before the destination, and quite likely above a cloud layer.

What are the views on this?

One answer might be that nobody can for sure know your in-flight conditions The usual “VFR” solutions are obvious but I don’t think the EIR was intended to make “marginal VFR” easier

But that’s not necessarily true; from vague memory, someone reported a case where Spanish ATCOs were asking Spanish pilots (in Spanish) for the details of the weather, after some UK airline asked for a heading “to avoid” Admittedly this would be very unusual, but less so if somebody is out to get you.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

In Germany will be a new generation brought up with this VMC bubble around the aircraft as it is normal custom in Z and Y flight plans today.

United Kingdom

You are not supposed to fly a STAR, so you are supposed to cancel IFR before the last enroute waypoint

Although there are STARs from the last en-route waypoint to your destination, you are not obligated to accept a STAR, are you? And the although the EIR rated pilot cannot fly a SID/STAR, he can accept radar vectoring.

So you can be radar-vectored, or cleared from one waypoint on the STAR to another.

In France I am very seldom cleared for the STAR, even in the Paris area. I usually get directs to waypoints on the STAR or just vectored to the IAP.

So if you get cleared for PEXIR7T (LFPT) you could just say “Unable, request direct PITAV”. At that point you will be at FL070 minimum, something like 60 track miles from LFPT (along the STAR). Class A starts around Rouen/Evreux with a floor at 3000’ around LFPT. The MSA at LFPT is 2000’ apart from one sector to the E-SE where it is 3000’ (beyond 9NM). The IAP altitude is 2000’ (A/D elevation 325’) If the ceiling is 2500’ or above it is doable.

You can file “NO SID/NO STAR” (in the RMK section?) on your flightplan.

LFPT, LFPN

Makes me wonder what the intention of the legislator was with not allowing the EIR pilot to fly SID/STAR.

LFPT, LFPN

you are not obligated to accept a STAR

An EIR holder is required to refuse an instruction to fly a STAR. I guess that means he has two options

  • continue on vectors or “own nav” and remain IFR, or
  • cancel IFR at the last enroute waypoint

So you can be radar-vectored, or cleared from one waypoint on the STAR to another.

I agree, but I doubt ATC are going to change ages-old practices (which work) to accommodate a suspected EIR holder and make life nice for him by feeding him STAR waypoints individually

You can file “NO SID/NO STAR” (in the RMK section?) on your flightplan.

I wonder if there will be some kind of “I have an EIR” thing on the flight plan? I am sure that was not the intention. But the flight plan will always be “Z” so maybe that will give it away.

Makes me wonder what the intention of the legislator was with not allowing the EIR pilot to fly SID/STAR.

It’s totally bizzare IMHO. I put in an objection to it in the original EASA proposal and I think I was far from the only one, but of course it carried no weight.

It is the IAP which the pilot really has to refuse to fly (formally). He can fly a “long final” which is the UK way of flying an IAP if the controller (Class G airport I mean ) is not approach qualified. But then UK controllers know how to work the system, with all its nuances. In much of Europe, especially S Europe, the controllers are only just hanging onto their EL proficiency…

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

If you file a Y/Z flight plan where the last part of the flight to the destination airport is under VFR, why would ATC give you a STAR?

Makes me wonder what the intention of the legislator was with not allowing the EIR pilot to fly SID/STAR.

I guess they don’t trust EIR pilots with flying “procedures”. Some SIDs/STARs can be tricky.

ESKC (Uppsala/Sundbro), Sweden

Is it worth differentiating? SIDs can be quite tricky and are at a demanding stage of flight. I’ve never flown a difficult STAR!

I agree, but I doubt ATC are going to change ages-old practices (which work) to accommodate a suspected EIR holder and make life nice for him by feeding him STAR waypoints individually

I am not sure feeding waypoints individually is necessary. They can just use a few convenient waypoints instead of radar vectors. The waypoints can be at sector boundaries where a frequency change is required. In practice that is what I get in France in addition to frequently being RV and obtaining significant shortcuts on STARs. Seldom do I get a clearance to fly a STAR. Never do I file STAR or SID.

That said, if you are only cleared to some point on the STAR, but you have not filed the STAR, nor been cleared for it, what would you be expected to do in case of a radio failure?

Getting a SID issued is a lot more frequent, but most of the time I end up being radar vectored or getting DCT some waypoint after having flown the initial portion of the SID. Dunno what would happen if I declared being unable to fly a SID.

LFPT, LFPN

Where does the enroute phase end?
Are you still enroute after the the Top of Descent point?

The en-route portion ends at the last waypoint filed in your flightplan. Your TOD may be quite a bit after that if you have a lengthy arrival segment.

LFPT, LFPN
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