A few remarks about VFR in Belgium:
VFR above 4500’ is allowed, in CIVIL airspace. Above FL195 it’s IFR only. In a TRA you can get a clearance upon request but not in a TSA. They typically start at 4500’. So best to plan a route via civil airspace during the week.
In Belgian controlled airspace, you must choose an IFR level for the cruise (A3000, A4000, FL060, FL070,…)
So drop the 500’
Minimum level to cross Brussels TMA is FL090. Plan for it, ask for lower if needed.
In Belgian controlled airspace, you must choose an IFR level for the cruise (A3000, A4000, FL060, FL070,…)
I suspect very few people know this… Greece tended to do this for all the years I have been flying down there, but nobody else.
Someone ought to advise Foreflight that they need to modify their VFR router.
Peter wrote:
I suspect very few people know this…
You basically don’t need to know, they will tell you :)
But in my experience they do this a lot but not always, recently I flew from EBMO to EBBY at FL55.
airways wrote:
Minimum level to cross Brussels TMA is FL090. Plan for it, ask for lower if needed.
Why? I have crossed it many times much lower (Actually never at FL90 or above).
I suspect very few people know this…
Well, no. It’s like this pretty much everywhere in controlled airspace (C or D). Germany too. They will always prefer VFR flights on sharp thousands, because having a VFR flight on +500 will occupy two IFR flight levels for them. Of course, sometimes, when the airspace is totally empty, ATC will also accept traffic at +500.
But generally, the +500 rule for VFR flights really only makes sense for uncontrolled VFR flights.
Why?
It’s in the AIP.
airways wrote:
It’s in the AIP.
Interesting, could you tell me where exactly?
I cannot find it.
jvdo wrote:
Interesting, could you tell me where exactly?
Part 2 ENR, 1.2 Visual Flight Rules, §1.5 VFR Cruising Levels, ¶2:
VFR flights operated in controlled airspace shall select cruising levels from those to be used by IFR flights as specified in ENR 1.7, unless instructed otherwise by ATC or as indicated in the AIP.
airways wrote:
Minimum level to cross Brussels TMA is FL090. Plan for it, ask for lower if needed.
lionel wrote:
VFR flights operated in controlled airspace shall select cruising levels from those to be used by IFR flights as specified in ENR 1.7, unless instructed otherwise by ATC or as indicated in the AIP.
I know about the IFR levels, but why is the minimum level FL090? The table (1.7) starts much lower…
jvdo wrote:
I know about the IFR levels, but why is the minimum level FL090? The table (1.7) starts much lower…
Sorry, misunderstood the question, I thought it was about the IFR levels for VFR flights. The “FL90 or higher to cross Brussels TMA” is in Part 2 ENR, 3.3 Area Navigation (RNAV) Routes, §2 lower airspace, remarks to routes L179, M617, M624, N872 and Y28:
Cruising levels below FL90 are normally not available for traffic crossing Brussels TMA.
lionel wrote:
Sorry, misunderstood the question, I thought it was about the IFR levels for VFR flights. The “FL90 or higher to cross Brussels TMA” is in Part 2 ENR, 3.3 Area Navigation (RNAV) Routes, §2 lower airspace, remarks to routes L179, M617, M624, N872 and Y28:
Thanks a lot for the information, very interesting. Correct me if I’m wrong but this is about RNAV routes, which are basically IFR routes.
So if you are flying VFR this doesn’t matter. Or do you think it matters because you are flying on IFR levels?
“Cruising levels below FL 90 are normally not available for traffic crossing Brussels TMA.”
It’s quite strange that they are using words like “normally” in the AIP. Anyway in real world flying I never had a problem crossing on lower levels.
Of course it depends on your position and the runway they are using, because of possible conflicts with departing and arriving traffic.
I guess when you are on FL 90 you can cross more easily regardless of the runway in use etc.