FullyFlapped

For SIDs, I'd agree : however on several occasions (in the UK), I've requested a "non-standard IFR departure direct XXX climbing to ... etc" when booking out, and always been given it.

IO540

Yes, in the UK you can do that, if disappearing into Class G. Once outside the ATZ they don't care what happens to you.

There are various nooks and crannies in this stuff. I am sure you could fly from Southampton to Bournemouth at FL50 (so remaining within a shared chunk of Class D) but that would work because the two units work closely together.

I don't think you could do an ad hoc (no IFR flight plan filed) departure from say Bournemouth to Manchester, FL100. Maybe one can? Bournemouth would be entitled to say they haven't got a flight plan so hard luck!

However if already airborne, you could - at a stretch - convert a VFR flight into an IFR clearance and continue IFR in Class A for another 100 miles. I don't know the exact process for this; I guess somebody in ATC would have to knock up a basic route for you and type it in so that London Control can see a route on their computer.

Also, in the UK, you can depart "VFR" into OVC002 if the airport does not have any published VFR minima, and I think most OCAS (but with ATC) airports don't have these.

Fright Level

convert a VFR flight into an IFR clearance and continue IFR in Class A for another 100 miles

Done this a couple of times using Z or Y (VFR>IFR and IFR>VFR) in Item 8 on the flight plan, eg Z then BIG/N0150A050 IFR if planning to enter controlled airspace there. Also seems to remove any slot restriction as you're departing VFR but I have had the case where the controller refused me entry via BIG to go IFR>VFR and (incorrectly) asked that I descend out of controlled airspace over DVR.

Full details in CAP694.

IO540

Yes but I was talking about doing it on a popup clearance.

Of course you can do it on a flight plan filed before departure; it's called Z or Y.

If one can do a popup clearance and then fly around IFR for hours, I'd be interested in knowing how it works. Not saying it can't be done, but it won't make one very popular

LH2

In my case, that was IFR inside CAS, very busy too, which is why they don't let you get on with flying the airway. It was very much their problem indeed

Ah, I see where the confusion comes from. I said reporting points when I meant intersections (the five-lettered stuff). Apologies.

Wrong Stuff

Yes, you can do it with the phrase "I wish to file an airborne flight plan". A Google search for that phrase should give you the details. In the UK I guess you'll usually get passed to London Information to take the details. I've only needed to use it once myself when a Z flight plan went missing on a flight from Sicily to Corsica and the controller insisted there was nothing in the system. Having already taken off VFR and flown a fair distance from the departure airfield, I filed a new airborne flight plan with the Sicilian sector controller. You're right - it's a long winded process and doesn't make the controller's day.

englishal

Saw a 737 full of pax do that (in the States ) His flight plan had got lost and the controller was getting a bit arsey so the pilot said "ok, we'll depart VFR and file with LA Centre once airbourne"

Got to love the usa

mm_flynn

When I first moved over to the UK from the US I was on a flght routing towards DTY under a LARS service (proably from Waddington) and he asked my intention re the descending airways. So I said, "Can I Airfile IFR and stay at this level" - he said, " ..." or something like that.

I think true adhoc IFR flight plan requests at the enroute levels are a massive pain for UK ATC to process. This compares with the US, which seems to have an 'Instant Flight Plan button' and can generally get you sorted very quickly.

The 'adhoc' process is different from the process of airfiling with someone like London Information (which although sometimes difficult over the RT seems to work the same as calling Heathrow and dictating it down the phone) and allowing a reasonable amount of time for them to work it through the normal system before getting a joining clearance.

IO540

With satellite internet, you could log onto homebriefing.com and file an IFR FP while in the air

There is also AFPEx of course but I am not sure one could get through their anti-KGB-snooping login procedure (actually completely insecure if somebody else has physical access to the PC) before the fuel ran out

englishal

I was once caught out by that though....Coming back to LA from the desert, 100 miles vis in the desert, shite in the LA basin. Called up and asked for IFR - I could almost hear the controller chuckle when he said "ookkkkkkaaaayyyy - hold on the paradise 270 radial, time now 10 expect further clearance at 47".....Umm, roger, cancel IFR.

Julian

Pop up IFR is brilliant in the US, I had the same thing. I had just dropped a mate off on a flight from Van Nuys to Palm Springs and the weather as with EA was perfect outside the basin and crap inside it!

Called up and got an IFR clearance in complete with vectors to final - brilliant

J.