IFR from EDLN to EGPD Aberdeen

@Maoraigh may know the latest situation at the airport.

boscomantico wrote:

Aberdeen, yes, it would be great to get an update on its viability for light GA

Not exactly fresh info, but I was there in August 2017. Paid GBP 221 for a few days stay with Signature handling. Fuel via AirBP was surprisingly cheap. I think there was some mistake like export pricing, but I didn’t inquire ;-) There is a very small apron for light planes and I was initially placed there, but then they changed their mind and I had to start up again and taxi to a larger apron in front of a hangar. That’s all I remember..

Peter wrote:

Yes; one can certainly get IFR FPs validated at various OCAS levels, but you won’t get any service, clearances or any other entitlement beyond what you would get if you flew it VFR.

Sure, in but in the UK, you can only have one or the other, not both. It’s either

• Fly as a controlled IFR flight, with all the cocconing, but also all the detours and minimum altitudes that come along with it. The reason this is so in the UK is that the lower airway system is NOT embedded in class E airspace, making shortcuts from the flightplanned route, as we know them from Germany, etc., largely impossible (if you want to remain in CAS at all times)

• Fly as a (largely) uncontrolled IFR flight, direct to destination, but with the additional chores of considering airspace that may be in your way. Sure, you could just as well file it as V, but why do so? At least, if you fly IFR, you are entitled to enter clouds. Sure, even if you did file V, you can still change to I at any second. So, sure, the difference is rather academic.

But these things require and deserve explanation to German-trained IFR pilots.

On the destination of Aberdeen, yes, it would be great to get an update on its viability for light GA, but it sure is very expensive (Signature….). I would strongly suggest using Dundee instead. It’s a rather short, non-stop train ride to Aberdeen. Plus, it’s a cheap airport, with beautiful approaches. Perfect for light (both VFR and IFR) GA.

Yes; one can certainly get IFR FPs validated at various OCAS levels, but you won’t get any service, clearances or any other entitlement beyond what you would get if you flew it VFR.

It’s like filing an IFR FP from EGKA to EGMD, at say 3000ft. It will validate

IFPS / Eurocontrol discharge their obligation by distributing all validated IFR flights plans (I Z or Y) to the respective countries who then decide on what to do with them. The UK basically dumps the OCAS ones, although presumably the Scottish region doesn’t.

I have just heard from a NATS ATCO that minimum LTMA crossing is likely to be FL090.

A very elegant (OCAS, in the UK) routing here. In gliding distance for 98 percent of the trip time. (You get this routing if you untick the “use UK preferred routes” option in the autorouter. What this effectively does is it tells the autorouter that you are willing to fly OCAS for the UK part.)

You would have to consider all those danger areas off the east coast Britain, though.

@EuroFlyer: flying over the North Sea is actually quite interesting. Lots of ships, windmills as well and before you know it you are on the other side :-)
I understand that you are hesitant to cross. Every one of us has to make his own calls in that respect.

the most clever thing would be if you filed the first route Peter suggested in post 07. Then arrive at the London FIR boundary at FL100 or so

In terms of being in CAS, that should work at FL100 because you will be in Class A i.e. under London Control. Looking at the map, FL080/090 should also work.

The issue is with conflicting with the Gatwick/Heathrow traffic. AFAIK that is generally well above FL100 at the easternmost coast i.e. at a vertical line (360 bearing) passing through DVR. You can watch it on FR24. What I don’t know is London Control’s policy on this. Has anyone tried it? I have done it many times west of London i.e. passing between Shoreham and CPT and then going up from there and I am pretty sure I didn’t get FL100. OTOH I recall reading many times there are a couple of reserved GA transit routes through the LTMA, at FL090/100 or similar. On this trip in 2014 I reported I was at FL160 at CPT which would have been well above Heathrow traffic.

Or just to go straight over the North Sea to your destination, but that is not in line with your wish to fly the shortest distance over water. Saves you a lot of hassle and the plane won’t know the difference between water or land below it. I have bought once a full dry suit, life raft and some emergency stuff. Now you are making a whole detour just to stay clear of the water below you :-)