Flying into Airports in Controlled Airspace

[PAPI 32]

Hello everyone.

I would like to ask what the process is regarding to flying, entering and departing airports in controlled airspace, typically Class D eg, Teeside, East Midlands, Solent etc. I've done a few zone transits now so I know what to expect with regards to a Radar Control Service and Zone transits but if you're landing and you need to hear the ATIS surely you can't just change frequency inside the zone as you need to stay in contact with Approach.

Also can anyone advise a good airport to visit in a zone which isn't going to rip me wallet apart with mandatory handling charges?

Regards. Sam

[Kolibear]

Get the ATIS before calling Approach.

You'll need it anyway to report which ATIS (Alpha/Bravo etc) you have.

[neilgeddes]

I appreciate it's a way South and a little more complicated but do go to Alderney. Not expensive, good experience and beautiful island. Equally Le Touquet is class D.

[P.Pilcher]

In the good old days it used to be easy. Of course one would think twice about going into Heathrow or Gatwick because of the landing fee, but these days many of these airports have introduced "compulsorory handling" which costs an arm and a leg on top of a substantial landing fee. Sometimes this handling fee can be avoided if you are known to the flying school/club on the field and can request "taxy to so and so." With luck they can also accept your landing fee and will help you with booking out so you are O.K. It is also good practice for the filing of a VFR flight plan if you want to!

P.P.

[Black Prince]

Many airports within controlled airspace will have specific entry / departure routes, often using VRPs, that they will expect you to know and follow. This information can be obtained from a VFR Flight Guide or the AIP. Usually you won't be allowed Standard Overhead Joins or Departures.

[172driver]

you need to hear the ATIS surely you can't just change frequency inside the zone as you need to stay in contact with Approach.

Dial it into the second radio and keep the volume low enough to understand it but not to miss ATC.

Correct point about VRPs and routes. Familiarize yourself with the local requirements and you'll be fine. Also a good idea to have the airport diagram handy (kneeboard) if unfamiliar with the place, as taxi instructions can be complicated at bigger airports.

[modelman]

Also can anyone advise a good airport to visit in a zone which isn't going to rip me wallet apart with mandatory handling charges?


Come to Cov,we've got ATIS,RAD and TWR,PAPI's,NDB,DME,ILS,VRP's are in all the guides.
Park on western apron and pay a very reasonable fee at Almat flying club.No silly handing fees.
Just watch the 1500' (QNH) ceiling,with the 270' airfield elevation,when you're on QFE you can drift up a bit close.
MM

[englishal]

It is very easy. Call them on the phone first, and tell them you are coming. They may give you a "PPR number".

Then when you are inbound, get the ATIS and call them say 10nm from a VRP or zone boundary - "xyz radar, gabcd 10 miles north of <vrp> with ZULU request joining instructions".

They will probably say somthing like "gabcd i have your details, Cleared into xyz class D, expect runway XX, report at <VRP>". So you do report at <VRP> and then they might say "contact tower now 123.45".

NB: DO NOT ENTER THE CLASS D WITHOUT A CLEARANCE . If unsure just ask them "am I cleared into the xyz class D, gabcd". Some places let you pass your message but don't actually clear you in until you are quite close to their zone boundary.

So you contact tower with something like "xyz tower, Gabcd inbound for landing" (or whatever). You'll probably get something like "report downwind" / "cleared to land" etc....

It is easier than mastering the overhead join at an uncontrolled field on a sunday lunchtime - that is for sure!

[Dr_Tre]

Anyone got a rough idea what an ILS approach at this 'level' of airfield would cost the average PA28 er these days?

[PAPI 32]

Thank you everyone for your help. Absolutely priceless. I hire a 172 and it only has 1 Com so I'll listen to the ATIS and call up the zone 10nm before entering with the ATIS designator. Might try Durham Tees.

[Keygrip]

If you have serious questions (which you do) then I heartily encourage you to use the forums to ask - however, are you saying you have done a complete PPL (flight training, written exams and flight test) and are now doing solo rentals - but are not familiar with how to enter controlled airspace?

[Gertrude the Wombat]

If you have serious questions (which you do) then I heartily encourage you to use the forums to ask - however, are you saying you have done a complete PPL (flight training, written exams and flight test) and are now doing solo rentals - but are not familiar with how to enter controlled airspace?
No, that is not what he's saying, he's quite clearly saying that he knows perfectly well how to enter and transit controlled airspace, he's just never landed inside it before.

[Black Prince]

Englishal:

"xyz radar, gabcd 10 miles north of <vrp> with ZULU request joining instructions".

We can see that you're fond of your headset from another thread, but I don't think you need to tell everyone on the RT. :):):)

BP.

[BackPacker]

I hire a 172 and it only has 1 Com

It's more important to stay in contact with the controlling agency (if in controlled airspace) than to listen to the ATIS. If you did not get the ATIS letter and info somehow, simply say nothing about the weather and on first contact the tower will tell you what's important (usually QNH, runway in use) and/or when you receive your landing clearance (current wind).

I have found that even if you do say the correct ATIS letter, they will usually tell you the QNH and runway in use anyway.

And those two are readback items of course.

As for the rest of the ATIS report, such as clouds and sigwx, well, you usually know the cloud situation and sigwx better than the met man in the tower. After all, you're in the middle of it.

[IO540]

The first thing is to check PPR requirements, mandatory handling, etc. So get the details from Pooleys and give them a call.

The only UK airports you actually cannot fly to are Heathrow and London City. The others are all OK to go to but some cost silly money (e.g. Gatwick is about £500 including the handling cost, and 24hrs PPR).

Having got that sorted, it is just a case of flying there.... Get the ATIS in good time, and call up their Approach frequency telling them you are "inbound" and whether VFR or IFR - the usual position report. They will tell you what to do. Normally you get transferred to the Tower frequency when somewhere near established on final approach, so have that set up on the radio too.

The bigger ones also have a Ground frequency, and again Tower will tell you if/when to switch over to it. However, even if the Ground frequency is published it often isn't in use so you stay on Tower until shutdown.

When departing:

The bigger airports often like to do a clearance to start the engine, so call up Ground with "Gxxxx request start". Then call up either Ground or Tower (I can never remember which but Ground is a good bet) for a departure clearance (yes, even for VFR - the d.c. will be brief e.g. "after departure climb 600ft then turn right to Hengisbury Head, not above 2000ft").

It's really very simple.

I think it's fair to say that many pilots get lost at every bigger (or smaller ;) ) airport they go to. I certainly do. So have the airport map to hand. Before calling up for departure, locate yourself on that map and work out the taxiways so when you acknowledge the first taxi clearance, you kind of know what they are talking about :)

The fact that the airport is in CAS is really not relevant. You will be issued with a clearance to enter the CAS on your way in - they can hardly not do that if you are inbound!

I fly around Europe a significant amount, and the biggest hassle is PPR and silly costs. In many places abroad you have separate PPRs for a landing, avgas, Customs, and each of these has to be sorted with separate phone calls, faxes, etc. The UK should be easy in comparison.

Some airports are PNR (prior notice required) but this is de facto same as PPR because you have to be sure they got the notice, so you still need to contact them anyway.....

Some of this stuff can be solved (or circumvented) by telling ATC you are vistiting the local aeroclub there. Obviously, it is desirable to square this up with the aeroclub first ;)

Upmarket GA pilots just call up the handling agent who (for a fee) sorts out the nonsense.

Flying is the easy bit. It is all the crap on the ground :)

[Fuji Abound]

The only things to add is:

1. Get the ATIS before you do anything else.

2. I would vary the first call slightly - it may not be CAP, but it makes your intentions very clear: XXXXX with Charlie, 1016, for a booked landing.

In a few words you have make it clear you have the ATIS and have pre-booked a landing slot - viz via, I know what I am doing, I have 'phoned first and I am hoping / expecting a clearance without any fuss.

(Obvioulsy this only applies to airports of sufficient size and importance that you cant just pitch up without having pre-booked - Manston is a good example with their acres of unused tarmac :):confused:, but Gatwick would do equally as well)

[PAPI 32]

Keygrip. I have entered controlled airspace on numerous occasions, like I said on my initial post which Gertrude the Wombat managed to spot. I had to on my skills test but like I said I've never landed at an airport within CAS and I just wanted some advice which I have to say I instantly received. Thank you again everyone.

[L'aviateur]

How about asking a fellow club member to join you? I'm sure someone would jump at the chance.
If I was back in the UK I would offer, but unfortunately i'm not.

Once you've done it, you'll wonder why it worried you so much. In some ways its much easier, because you won't have to worry about circuits, and will be seperated from traffic (not to say you shouldn't be looking).
Also for instance you may be asked to orbit at various points, i.e if you reach a VRP they may ask you to orbit in that position for a short period of time, and then if traffic is on final or the ILS they may ask you to orbit on left or right base.

[IO540]

The other thing is if flying to say Birmingham, call up "Birmingham Approach" (or whatever the right name is) not "Birmingham Radio" which is a dead giveaway of a pilot who has not done any homework.

Even better, add "over" to the end of each call, and make a lot of use of "currently" and "at this time" for good measure ;) ;)

Anyway, seriously, one thing not mentioned is filing a flight plan. In the UK this is not legally necessary, and if one is filed it will not be distributed anywhere enroute so it is no help there, but the destination will get it and they will know to expect you around that time. It is probably a good idea. Bigger airports everywhere work in this way.

[airborne_artist]

Even better, add "over" to the end of each call, and make a lot of use of "currently" and "at this time" for good measure

Also make sure you insert some gravelly Ahhrrrs in the calls, as that makes you sound like a chain-smoking aviator of the old school.

[172driver]

Even better, add "over" to the end of each call

.... to which the tower replied: over what ??? ;)

[Fuji Abound]

XXXXX is going around.

XXXXX what are your intentions?

Well I suppose I had better go around with the aircraft.


Sorry, always makes me smile .. .. ..

.. .. .. and there follows twenty posts of did you hear the one when the pilot said.


.... to which the tower replied: over what ???


Virgin taking up the hold at May FL 45,

Speedbird also taking up the hold at MAY FL 50, over.

Over what.

Over a Virgin.

Sorry, just silly. :}

[Toadpool]

and will be seperated from traffic

Sorry, but this is not the case. VFR traffic is not seperated in class D airspace. You may be given information and advice to enable you to seperate yourself, but 5 or 3 miles or 1000' will not be provided.

one thing not mentioned is filing a flight plan. In the UK this is not legally necessary

Check the AIP, a flight plan is required for all flights in class D airspace. This is normally an abbreviated fpl, raised from the information given over r/t, or when a pilot gives their outbound details before departure.

[IO540]

a flight plan is required for all flights in class D airspace.Sure - this is the effect of the initial radio call which you have to make anyway to get clearance into any piece of CAS.

The words "filing a flight plan" or anything similar are never spoken.

[140KIAS]

I did something similar after I got my PPL. My airfield was OCAS, did a few zone transits but never a landing in class D. So took an instructor as a safety pilot to Newcastle. Was quite cheap then but that was about 10 years ago so costs might have escalated since.

To be honest its very easy, as previously said the controller will provide you the appropriate information and clearances at the right time. Its a bit like a carpet getting rolled out in front of you. Far less daunting than I had anticipated. In fact the hard bit was navigating on the ground in a large-ish and unfamiliar airport.

One destination which is in class D, has all the facilities and doesnt cost the earth is Prestwick. Might be quite a distance from your base but its a good stopping off point enroute to the rest of the West of Scotland.

[HeliCraig]

I landed at Liverpool (in a heli) tail end of last year. No different to any other airfield particularly, except I rang and spoke to Ravenair beforehand about the handling.

Oh, and ATC asked if I wouldn't mind flying an orbit to allow a landing Ryanair 738 straight in. He was obviously a little faster than my R44, so was happy to oblige. ATC sort of repaid the favour by getting a EasyJet (think A319) to hold short of a taxi way to allow me to cross.

Was nice mixing it with the big boys!

[Donalk]

Know where the VRP's are and if unfamiliar with the terrain then intercept a VOR radial and follow to the VRP. If you have gps then set them as user defined waypoints in advance. Some airports will ask you to report at (for example) Tango then track to Sierra before joining downwind etc so it is useful to have an idea of these procedures beforehand.

Depending on your arrival direction you could always request a straight in but this is not always available if there is lots of fast traffic inbound. If you are asked to do something which you feel is beyond your skill level such as a specific taxiway exit, short circuit etc then simply say you are unable. ATC will not force you and they always have a backup plan anyway. Having said that it is always a good idea to cooperate as much as possible as it makes everyones life a bit easier.

[IO540]

IME, one is rarely going to be asked to fly special tight circuits etc. in Europe.

Also, one is no more likely to be asked to report at some VRP than at some Class G place with ATC like Cranfield where they will happily tell you to report at Woburn Abbey even when you are arriving from the North (10 minutes flight time later..............).

But yes knowing where the VRP are is important, but this is the price you pay for having to fly VFR :) Being suddenly told to find some mysterious VRP is one of the highest workload items in VFR flight. Don't be afraid to immediately say "cannot find it on the chart - I see VRPs A B C D and E but not Z".

[dublinpilot]

But yes knowing where the VRP are is important, but this is the price you pay for having to fly VFR Being suddenly told to find some mysterious VRP is one of the highest workload items in VFR flight. Don't be afraid to immediately say "cannot find it on the chart - I see VRPs A B C D and E but not Z".

Quite right...VRP's can be hard to find!
Remember they are not shown on your chart, so you need to print off the VFR approach chart from the AIP. Not too many of them in the UK AIP, but quite a lot in other countries.

Also look at your GPS. It may very well have the VRP's shown in it, which takes a lot of stress out of such situations.

dp

[Slopey]

VRPs are on the 1:250000 CAA charts if you have those.

(or use a GPS ;) )