1. When a VFR pilot contacts Centre 'Flightwatch' and updates their flightplan (due to a diversion etc), what actually happens behind the scenes? If the flight is to proceed OCTA it almost sounds like the only thing the controller is interested in is whether a sartime needs to be updated or not.
The preception is VFR pilots are updating their details so in the event they go missing SAR know where to look. Is this really occurring?
2. The flight plan amendment phraseology you hear over the airwaves sounds very non-standard. Any advice as to how you (ATC) want to hear the details?
The preception is VFR pilots are updating their details so in the event they go missing SAR know where to look. Is this really occurring?
Absolutely, two things happen. Firstly the controller should log the time and your callsign on his/her scratchpad. Secondly, all voice communications are recorded so your diversion is on tape. If anything happens to you and a SAR is required the first thing we'll be asked is 'have you heard from this bloke?' from there they can pull the voice recorded tapes, get the diversion details and start looking for you in the area of your diversion.
Your second point about phraseology: This area is pretty bad, the worst offenders are GA IFR. If you want any pointers on standard phraseology listen to the radio calls from the ML based RFDS, spot on
Location: Victoria, Australia~I like goin' swimmin' with bow-legged wimmin...
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Quote:
The preception is VFR pilots are updating their details so in the event they go missing SAR know where to look.
Might be so, but it is more likely your instructor is using it as an excuse to make you talk to the big scary controller, as there are not many other VFR opportunities to do so.
We have a stupid instruction that we have to inquire if the diversion affects a SARTIME, when really ATC should have nothing to do with the things. If you notify an amended SARTIME we should process it, otherwise complete non-interest.
Whatever you say is fine, provided we can pick out from the noise whether it will affect a subsequent clearance request, not always easy to do.
on the Schofields Flying Club website, I came across a Bankstown ATC news circular - "From the Tower". In the Feb08 issue, they explain how clearances are issued. It goes through the process step-by-step. it's very informative.
Doing CPL training at the moment, so nearly every NAV has a diversion. So my instructor has drilled me in the diversion call. He sugested using the IFR diversion call, apparently listed in the AIP
So my diversion call is
Melbourne Centre, VH-XXX flight plan amendment.
XXX - go ahead
XXX, Cessna 182 Departed Diversion location eg Ballarat, time 46, tracking 172, 4500', estimating Colac 03, then as per flight plan. No change to SARTIME.
If SARTIME amendment, I say new SARTIME 291300 for arrival at YMEN.
This has worked very well for me, ATC seem to like this
Like you I listen to lots of flight plan amendments, some are awful, creates a lot more work for ATC in some cases
Does anyone know of any other newsletters like these out there around Aus that give an insight into what controllers do??
Camden has a similar "From the tower" newsletter. The first few issues from around 2006 (available in PDF online) detail how flight plans and ATC clearances are processed. I think if these things were explained during ground-schooling, it might de-mystify a few things for ab-initio pilots.
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BLT, time 46, tracking 172, 4500', estimating Colac 03,.... 
or if you want to work for Sunstate one day 
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