Flight Plans & CFMU

[Mister Geezer]

I have a few questions on Flight Plan filing etc etc

I know that if you are faxing your flight plan then you send it to your departure airfield's ATS and they can file it for you and sent it to CFMU. However it is possible to fax your flight plan direct to the CFMU and could they in turn send your details to all the ATC units that you would encounter? I am just thinking of cutting out the middle man and saving time and work!

If you can fax it direct then does anyone have any details on how to get fax numbers etc etc. I could not find much on the Eurocontrol site.

Finally my second question is do domestic and international VFR flight plans need to be sent to the CFMU or are they simply sent to all the units that you would be dealing with?

Thanks very much.....;)

[NASTYNAS]

If poss use an ATS unit to make sure your plan is in the system. If you fax it you can't garrantee when a) your fax will be found and b) when it will be dealt with. The faxed flt plan would have to be input manually which is time consuming and causes delays for other plans in the system. Also if there is a problem with the plan IFPS(CFMU Flt Plans) need to be able to contact sombody.

IFPS are only intersted in IFR GAT

I hope that helped if not then you can phone IFPS in Brussels who are only to willing to help

[Flight Data]

Mr G - NASTYNAS is spot on with the answer: a fax can sit on the machine for a while before it gets noticed, and yes, IFPS does need to contact someone in case there is a problem with the FPL. You could get around the second part by using 'IFPS reroute accepted' in F18 or adding a contact number, but asking IFPS to manually input messages is actively discouraged. NN's reason is right, but there is also the point that the CFMU needs an message originator address (AFTN or SITA) to let ORM's and FMD messages be sent out. If there is no originator address, you'll have more difficulty finding out if the flight has a delay dished out by FMD.

If you ever get really stuck and have no AFTN or SITA links available, then call the relevant IFPS unit to ask for help. The fax number if you ever do need it is 00 322 729 9041, but it is a good idea to call first and coordinate the fax.

As for VFR flights, whether domestic or international, - IFPS ain't interested, but if there is a mixed rules flight, they need to know about it in order that they can process (don't you just love that description?) the IFR part of the flight. Any flight or part of flight under VFR should be distributed to the relevant addresses by the message originator, not IFPS.

If you ever get stuck, give Brussels a call: chances are you'll get some help.


FD

[GWYN]

Is it not possible in this day and age to file plans via The Net? It was (and presumably still is) possible in Oz, simply, via NAIPS (something like the National Automated Information Processing System) - when it worked! Simple: fill in details in the on-line form, as a registered user, send it off, receive (almost) immediate acknowledgement.

If it can be done there, why not here? I am sure someone will tell me it can be, but I am as yet unaware of it.

D'oooohh! Make that National Aeronautical Information Processing System, perhaps!

[Flight Data]

Internet filing is on the way to IFPS, not sure when it's due to be available, but at the moment it is only possible to access the IFPUV (flight plan test system) via the net through the Eurocontrol website.

[Scott Voigt]

In the US you can get a full flight briefing as well as file your flight plan online and never talk with a human..

regards

[Mister Geezer]

Thanks for all your info! It has cleared things up!

I do recall seeing a web page for filing flight plans. It was on the Austrian (or it could be another country in that area) CAA's website. Simply fill in the boxes and hit submit!

The IFPUV looks like things are moving. Hopefully it won't be long until we can 'file' on line!