Originally Posted by Fuji Abound
I have asked Gatwick on a number of occasions for a zone transit via their overhead - it has never been granted - why?
Up until a couple of years or so ago there was an instruction that prohibited fixed wing transits through the ATZ, but that's not there anymore so no issues there.
The ultimate arbiter for whether or not a transit through the KK overhead is approved or not is the tower controller, not the radar man.
When you call up and, during the pass your message bit, say you want to transit via the overhead it's almost inevitable that you'll be told initially to "remain outside CAS" as the radar man is not allowed to approve your request without getting on the phone to the tower controller.
Radar man may have no issues with your request but if tower say no for their own reasons then unfortunately no is the answer.
Assuming tower man says yes there are at least two further phone calls to be made by radar man. One to the tower supervisor to have your details for the crossing put in to the EFPS system in the tower and then as you get closer to the airfield another call to the tower controller to identify you to him on the ATM (mini radar) in the tower.
I guess if it's busy and workload is an issue then the radar man may decline due to the additional workload imposed.
Anyway, I've had a fair degree of success going through the KK overhead, so keep trying
