Apologizing in advance for my ignorance of the nuances of British practices, I have a couple of questions secondary to this hoary old thread.
1. Assuming one has filed and accepted an IFR clearance, and initiated flight, how is it that it ceases to be an IFR flight without the pilot canceling IFR? Surely the controllers cannot unilaterally cancel IFR for the pilot?
2. My interpretation of the OP's story was not that he exited controlled airspace by choice, but rather, that he was vectored out of the controlled airspace by the controllers; am I missing something?
3. Is radar coverage that poor over the UK?
4. Why so many squawk codes? I can fly across the country here on one code, two at most.
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Perhaps I have been spoiled (spoilt) by US ATC, but in my jaunts about the country (mostly in my Bonanza), I have been treated with complete professionalism by both approach and Center controllers, and from the discussion in this thread, I have the impression that the UK controllers seem to regard non-turbojet traffic as needless irritants. Educate me, as I intend to fly to and around Europe some time soon.
Thanks in advance.