achimha wrote:
lionel wrote: In Luxembourg, my home turf, I once requested a climb above FL100, intending to say in the ELLX TMAImpressive climb rate if you can make it to FL100 without crossing the country border
Not really. Even a C172 can do it. There is about 30nmi from the North VFR CTR exit point (where you are at 2000feet) to the North border, and a C172N needs 24nmi at maximum rate of climb.
loco wrote:
In Poland FL195 is highest for VFR. Flying higher would require permission before flight.For other countries one would have to check AIP. I expect rules to be similar.
Eurocontrol recently introduced FL195 as the absolute limit for VFR segments in flight plans throughout the whole IFPZ. Sometimes it’s practical to introduce a VFR segment into your plan as it allows you to work around validation issues and it also stops the route charging. With this limited to below FL200, it doesn’t work for turbine aircraft anymore.
achimha wrote:
Eurocontrol recently introduced FL195 as the absolute limit for VFR segments in flight plans throughout the whole IFPZ. Sometimes it’s practical to introduce a VFR segment into your plan as it allows you to work around validation issues and it also stops the route charging. With this limited to below FL200, it doesn’t work for turbine aircraft anymore.
SERA limits VFR flights to FL195 without special authorisation/arrangement (and ICAO Annex II has a limit of FL200), so it makes sense that the IFPS would check for it.
Following IFPS’s tradition it actually is a major problem because the profiler can play havoc. Imagine
N0250F250 FOO DCT BAR/N0250F195 VFR
This will be refused because at BAR you initiate a descent to FL195 but you immediately switch to VFR at this point but you are still at FL250 so refused. Therefore the next attempt.
N0250F250 FOO DCT BAR/N0250F195 DCT BLA VFR
Now you have a descent from BAR to BLA and switch to VFR at BLA. The big question is — will you already be below FL200 when reaching BLA? This is where IFPS’ opinion can differ from yours and your filing software’s opinion.
It’s one of those IFPS changes that make things even more difficult and less predictable than it has already been. Not a good move…
