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ShyTorque · 15th November 2008, 02:45

The London Heathrow control zone is class A airspace and there are published helicopter routes to various places within that airspace. They are all SVFR routes. If you call for zone entry via a route the clearance you receive is normally something along the lines of "Cleared H3, Standard operating altitudes, Special VFR, report at XXX."

i.e. Pilot asks for a clearance to enter the zone, giving details of the required route. ATC read back clearance incuding the words "Special VFR", so I guess the protocol is that they offer (only) SVFR. It would be hightly unusual to ask for an IFR clearance unless previously written flight planned and impossible to get a VFR clearance in Class A. So SVFR it usually is but ATC instigate the actual words.

15th November 2008, 02:45	#55 (permalink)
ShyTorque Avoid imitations Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Wandering in hyperspace and the FIR. Posts: 5,337	The London Heathrow control zone is class A airspace and there are published helicopter routes to various places within that airspace. They are all SVFR routes. If you call for zone entry via a route the clearance you receive is normally something along the lines of "Cleared H3, Standard operating altitudes, Special VFR, report at XXX." i.e. Pilot asks for a clearance to enter the zone, giving details of the required route. ATC read back clearance incuding the words "Special VFR", so I guess the protocol is that they offer (only) SVFR. It would be hightly unusual to ask for an IFR clearance unless previously written flight planned and impossible to get a VFR clearance in Class A. So SVFR it usually is but ATC instigate the actual words.