A question about IFR flights leaving controlled airspace.
Okay second question of the night, but may as well try to get everything cleared up.
Recently on an IFR flight from Dublin to Biggin Hill, we eventually left controlled airspace due to airway out-climbing us as such. we were at FL90. We were handed over from Dublin to London Information and told to set 7000. On contact with London Info we were given the 1177 (I think) code and asked if we were IFR or VFR. After it was established that we were IFR we had just reached our clearance limit from Dublin and we asked for further routing and were told it was at our discretion. I understand that we were outside controlled airspace, but would this be a textbook way of this unfolding? Myself and the other crew member both were expecting to be told a point for which to rejoin controlled airspace.
Is it also normal for an IFR flight to be handed over to information?
To give another example which is different but not a million miles away. Routing from Donegal to Newcastle. We get handed over to scottish control, when we leave controlled airspace east of BLACA, we go under ATSOCAS. We do not however change to Scottish Info, and control will still give us directs etc.
Sorry for a possibly muddled up post!