ferris:
Where exactly in England does International traffic descend in class E? Heathrow? Manchester? Where are the ILS paths in class E with no radar coverage, used by jet traffic? Where are the holding stacks in class E? Lambeth? Are aircraft actively discouraged from using the radio there?
1) I didn't say that we have descent in Class E - worse: class G. Mate, its not all QFxxx into EGLL/LHR you know!
. There is plenty of IFR traffic - international & domestic, pax & freight, MIL & CIV - which often traverses Class G while on descent (or climbout) under radar control to/from airways into / out of southern England airports such as e.g. EGVN, EGDL, EGVA (these are MIL), EGGD (mixed MIL/CIV), EGLF (now CIV), EGTG, EGBJ, EGKB, EGMC, EGMH, EGHD, EGTE (all CIV). I don't dispute that there are others of course, such as EGLL, EGGW, EGLC, EGKK, EGSS, EGBB, where the airways link to either the surrounding TMA or Class D so you have a fully protected environment for IFR all the way down/up as the case may be. The point is that universal Class A, B, C, D protection for all IFR into/out of all airports is not the norm, so I think this makes your apparent argument that such-like is "must have" a tough one to persuade some of us outside of Australia about.
2) I didn't say there are holds in Class E (did I..!) but there are certainly plenty of ILS approaches through Class G: a quick glace at my Southern England ICAO half-mil chart edition 29 shows several places already listed (including Gloucestershire, Shoreham, Southend, Manston, and more) where this is shown on the map for the benefit of VFR a/c traversing the area to be aware of these.
3) Lambeth is a borough - Lambourne (LAM) is a VOR
[OK, that point is petty and doesn't help my argument - sorry!]
4) There is no requirement to use radio enroute OCTA. Furthermore, aircraft flying in Class G (or say Class E in north-eastern France) are in fact sometimes discouraged from using the radio to contact en-route ATC services in some situations: for example, the LARS services (which are very good and should be used when possible) are very often too busy to provide a service to VFR - anyone who flies around here on a busy weekend will tell you that it is not uncommon to try to do the right thing by calling say Brize Radar as we did yesterday for a LARS service to be told on first contact "sorry mate, we're a bit busy, remain OCTA - there is a lot of traffic in the area, recommend you keep a good lookout. Out". You can always get a Flight Information Service from London Information on 124.6 or 124.75 depending where you are, but these folks don't have radar and are unable to provide any separation of any kind (if someopne happened to just have called them from near your position they will tell yo this, that's all). Still they are a much valued and appreciated, helpful and useful service - especially when crossing the Channel as an alerting service, or for getting information (which they are there for) about wx, freq's, etc. It is of course necessary - and VFR are certainly encouraged to - use the radio as appropriate when entering or within controlled airspace, such as an ATZ within 2 miles of many airfields, or to take a flight information service (no separation provide) from some ATC unit which is appropriate, available and reasonably close your en-route track: but this is not a control service and does not address the situations you are worrying about as they have no knowledge of al;l of the traffic in their surrounding airspace (LARS is the exception, but as said above in busy periods, i.e. when most needed, this is often not available to us).
Being called for my lunch now: will try to respond to your further points later on mate.
Bon appetit!
Andy
