Originally Posted by
Sam Rutherford
The question remains the same, how early can you leave on a VFR flight plan (compared to the departure time that was filed). Incredibly, it seems only Norway have actually produced a number (30 minutes early) - nobody else.
I remembered it being 1 hour before or after - but not sure, and no references anywhere...
You are correct that most AIPs only talk about delayed EOBT. I could only find a statement for Sweden (see below) but not for Norway (checked ENR 1.10, maybe you did use another source?)
Originally Posted by AIP Sweden ENR 1.10-1
5.2 If one or more of the following items are changed, the flight plan shall be cancelled and a new flight plan submitted.
- Aircraft registration
- Departure aerodrome and/or EOBT more than 15 minutes earlier than submitted
- Destination aerodrome
Some more AIP excerpts. One more (The Netherlands) that explicitly mentions 'negative' delay, but in context with IFPS (means probably not relevant for VFR).
The delay 'limits' vary from 'as soon as practicable', 60min, 30min down to 15min. This was not the original question, but should show that the limit can be something else (in some cases considerably less) than EOBT plus one hour.
Originally Posted by Estonia (ENR 1.10, 3)
When a specific IFR flight is likely to encounter a delay of 15 minutes or VFR flight 30 minutes in excess of the departure time stated in the FPL it shall be announced as early as possible before departure to...
Originally Posted by Latvia (ENR 1.10, 2.3)
When a specific flight is likely to encounter a delay of 15 minutes or more in excess of the departure time stated in the RPL, the ATS unit serving the departure aerodrome ... shall be notified immediately.
Originally Posted by Lithuania (ENR 1.10.2.10)
In the event of a delay in departure in excess of 15 minutes from the estimated off-block time, for an IFR flight (except ATFM regulated flights)
or in excess of 30 minutes for a VFR flight for which a flight plan has been submitted, ...
Originally Posted by Poland
(nothing found related to Flight plan delay)
Originally Posted by Germany (ENR 1.10.5.3)
A delay message for VFR flights shall be submitted to the ARO if the off-block time is delayed by more than 30 MIN compared with the off-block time indicated in the flight plan
Originally Posted by Belgium (ENR 1.101.6)
All changes to VFR flight plans shall be reported as soon as practicable to the responsible ARO or to the appropriate ATS unit
Originally Posted by France (ENR 1.10.2.1)
Any delay of more than 30 minutes, 60 minutes for uncontrolled flights from the scheduled time of departure from the stand is submitted as quickly as possible to an appropriate air traffic service authority. If a delay notification has not been made within sixty minutes after the estimated time of departure from the stand, a new flight plan must be filed
Originally Posted by Spain (ENR 1.10-1)
Subject to the provisions of SERA.8020 (b) all changes to a flight plan submitted for an IFR flight, or a VFR flight operated as a controlled flight, shall be reported as soon as practicable to the appropriate air traffic services unit. For other VFR flights, significant changes to a flight plan shall be reported as soon as practicable to the appropriate air traffic services unit.
Originally Posted by Netherlands (ENR 1.10.1.4)
In the event of a delay (see note) in departure of more than 15 minutes for IFR flights (30 minutes for VFR flights) for which a flight plan
or a flight notification has been submitted, the flight plan or the flight notification shall be amended, or cancelled and resubmitted. Flight plans originating from RPL data are available within the IFPS only 20 hours before EOBT. Associated messages for flight plans originated from RPL data should therefore not be sent more than 20 hours before EOBT
To indicate a delay to a flight, a DLA or a CHG message may be used depending on the circumstances. To amend the EOBT to a later time, a DLA shall be sent to IFPS. Please note that the IFPS does not accept a negative delay i.e. a new EOBT which is earlier than the existing EOBT in the flight plan. Should the EOBT of a flight need to be changed to an earlier time, that flight must be cancelled and re-filed with the earlier EOBT