What do you have to do to get a clearance these days?
Today was a perfect day for flying. Light winds, and barely a cloud in the sky.
While I was out and about I heard 3 aircraft in an hour requesting clearance through Melbourne CTA. They all sounded like training flights, I suspect from Moorabbin.
One requested transit via Melbourne at 7500.
The others requested clearance to Moorabbin from I think Bendigo and Castlemaine, can't remember the altitudes but they were 6000+.
All were told "Clearance not available". A couple of them sounded kind of surprised.
Is it really so busy on a Saturday afternoon that 7500 over Melbourne is impossible? Or that there is no possible way to transit controlled airspace from north west of Melbourne to Moorabbin (I suspect they would have accepted 9500 at a pinch)?
Is Melbourne CTA now effectively closed to VFR aircraft? Or what do you have to do to get a clearance?