UK - Forthcoming ATSOCAS changes

[ALEXA]

Can a PPL ask a question please?

The issue I have with these changes is (pretty obviously) what the effect will be on my OCAS VFR flying. I'm perfectly happy with the current system. I believe (but am open to correction) that I understand it. It fly inside CAS on transits from time to time but usually fly outside CAS using both RIS and FIS.

Consider a route entirely OCAS.

Elstree-BNN-DTY (assume I wiggle a bit to miss the Luton CTR, rather than asking for a transit)-LIC- Tatenhill.

Today, once outside the Elstree ATZ, I'd probably not bother with Farnborough, but would talk to:-

Luton (FIS - and the nice chaps on that frequency do pass potentially conflicting traffic info, if not too busy)

Cranfield (FIS - but no radar, so you expect little and are not disappointed)

Coventry (FIS - and they pass info too)

East Midlands (FIS - and they pass info too)


Now I know that the FIS I'm getting from the radar units doesn't entitle me to radar derived information. I'm not getting a RIS - that would be entirely different. But any info I get from the controllers is gratefully received. If I hear nothing from them, I don't assume that I'm alone up there. I still look out of the window. But any additional information is better than nothing.

The controllers on this little route so obviously do their best to help - they can be horrendously busy at times, but you don't have to be a mindreader to know that they want to help you if they can, because they do - even to the extend of offering Class D transits entirely unprompted by me. This may not be true of all controllers everywhere, but it's my experience here.

Now I expect that under the new system it will be basic service all the way from these stations. The official description of the basic service (well, the one I saw several weeks ago and am struggling to remember) suggested that this helpfulness (passing radar derived traffic information) was going to end.

And if controllers become too scared to pass me any information, or only pass it in the nick of time (or not!) because they are worried about m'learned friend breathing down their necks, then I'm getting less of a service just to cover someone else's rear.

So, what's actually going to happen? Will BS end up as no service? And what, specifically, are the powers that be actually telling controllers to do?

It'd be nice to know in advance, even though I'll still be looking out of the window, come what may.

Maybe I should just keep on asking for a FIS and see what happens.