Originally Posted by stuartforrest
My question is what should my answer have been. Should I have said
I am IFR
I am VFR on-top
I am VFR India Mike Charlie
The ANO states:-
‘Instrument Meteorological Conditions' means weather precluding flight in compliance with the Visual Flight Rules; so your third option is impossible.
As IO540 has said, an IMC rating removes the requirement to be in sight of the surface so my answer would be "IFR" or "VFR". there is no need to mention the on top bit.
Flight plans are covered in the AIP Enr 1.10.
Basically they are not required for IFR outside controlled airspace.
They are required for IMC or night inside controlled airspace unless SVFR.
They are required for IFR in controlled airspace even when VMC.
It also says that:
1.2.2 Flight plans fall into three categories:
(a) Full flight plans: the information filed on Form CA48/RAF 2919;
(b) Repetitive Flight Plans (see paragraph 5);
(c) Abbreviated Flight Plans: the limited information required to obtain a clearance for a portion of flight (eg: flying in a Control
Zone, crossing an Airway) filed either by telephone prior to take-off or by RTF when airborne. The destination aerodrome
will be advised of the flight only if the flight plan information covers the whole route of the flight.
So an IFR flight from (for example) Carlisle to Newcastle should only need a phone call or rt call for the entry to Newcastle's class D rather than a full CA48