Life of a flight plan

[BigBoeing]

Hi folks, Ive got my NATS interviews coming up soonish and just wanted someone to make something a bit clearer. Basically can you describe the life of a flight plan.

How long before you fly does it have to be filed?
When you 'file' it, what do you actually do and where does it go?
How long after filing it do the relevant flight information strips print out and how does this happen? Is it all automatic?
Finally where exaclty does Brussels fit into this as I've read all flight plans are coordinated or pass through here before they print out.

Any and all info on flight plans and strips would be greatly appreciated for all of time. Cheers

BB

[VCR]

It's all in the UK AIP at http://www.ais.org.uk/aes/pubs/aip/pdf/enr/20110.PDF

You need to register (free of charge)

[EGLL ATC]

Here's some info on flight plans for you:

Flight plans have different filing times dependent on whether they are VFR or IFR.
VFR FPLs must be filed a minimum of 30 mins before the EOBT. IFR plans must be filed a minimum of 1 hour before the EOBT or 3 hours if it is an oceanic plan.

Where a FPL is filed is also dependent on whether it is VFR or IFR.
Some airfields are on the AFTN (aeronautical fixed telecommunications network) - a sort of aviation email. These airfields can sometimes file FPLs for pilots themselves. If not, FPLs are sent by fax (or over the phone) to a central flight planning unit. There are 3 in the UK; the Heathrow Flight Briefing Unit for the majority of the South of England, Manchester Flight Briefing Unit for the North of England and Scottish Flight Briefing for Scotland.
When a VFR flight plan is filed it is sent to specific addresses for the route that it is taking ie. the FIR's it is overflying and the DEP/DEST aerodromes. AFTN addresses are made up of 8 letters e.g. Heathrow FBU's AFTN address is EGLLZPZX - EGLL being Heathrow and ZPZX being the FBU. A flight from Lydd to Le Touquet in France would be sent to the London FIR, the Lille FIR, Lydd Tower, Le Touquet Tower and Route Charges.
IFR FPLs within Europe are addressed slightly differently. They are addressed to one address in Brussels (IFPS). Brussels (IFPS) deal with all IFR FPLs and will check that the routing submitted is allowed i.e. the flight is going on valid airways and overflying valid VORs etc. When they are satisfied with the FPL they send back an ACK - acknowledgment to the originator and then send the FPL to the appropriate addresses as with VFR FPLs. If the FPL is incorrect then a REJ - reject is sent to the originator and the FPL has to be refiled.

For a strip to be produced in the Tower and the en route sectors it must be input into the NAS computer - the UK FPL database. This is done automatically by a system at Swanwick called FPRSA. When the strip is printed is dependent on the aerodrome. At Heathrow they are printed 50 mins before the ETOT. Inbound strips are printed either when the aircraft reaches the UK FIR boundary or if it is a domestic flight, when it gets airbourne.

The best advice I can give you is to get as many visits to en route sectors and VCRs as possible before your interview. You can ask as many questions as you like and it looks good to the people doing the interview. Also, as 'VCR' says, check out the UK AIP.

Hope this helps and good luck for your interview!

EGLL FBU:ok:

[BigBoeing]

Thanks guys, really appreciate that and you taking your time to answer.

[Flight Data]

Just a small amendment to EGLL ATC's post - when filing a flight plan with IFPS, it must be sent to both Brussels and Paris, regardless.
Also, to expand the point a little, IFPS must be sent any flight plan for a flight intending to operate within the IFPZ as IFR/GAT, whether fully or for any part. IFPS will then fully check only those parts of the flight that operate within the IFPZ, and automatically distribute the flight plan to those addresses within the IFPZ. Any VFR or OAT parts within the IFPZ are neither checked nor automatically distributed by IFPS, and any part of the flight operating outside the IFPZ, IFR, VFR, OAT or GAT - doesn't matter what, is not automatically distributed.
IFPS requests that flight plans are submitted at least 3 hours in advance of EOBT in order that any relevant flow restrictions can be calculated.
Flight plans close in IFPS either on receipt of a CNL or ARR message, or if no such message is received, then at Total EET plus 3 hours.

PM me if you think you need more info about the IFPS side of things.

[EGLL ATC]

Flight Data,

I was assuming use of the collective address EGZYIFPS which sends to both Paris and Brussels but quite right to point it out. I wasn't sure how 'in depth' to go when trying to explain to someone who is new to all this!

Thanks
EGLL ATC:D

[Bigears]

FPL's are manually input at ScACC for (as a generalisation) all UK airfields and entry points to UK airspace north of Birmingham. Until FPRSA works properly. Even then someone will have a shedload of 'repairs' to do.

Might be news to EGLL ATC (who has given an informative reply otherwise) but we're north of Watford so don't count anyway :rolleyes:

[NASTYNAS]

Bigears

I think you'll find the manual input of FPLs is for NAS reasons. We get the original plans along with other units in the Scottish region via the AFTN from Brussels and Paris

[Bigears]

Nastynas,
I'll take your reply in two parts- second one first of course :p
I agree! That part wasn't in doubt.
Now the first part -my understanding is that FPRSA was promised years ago (2000?) but they couldn't get it to work until a wee while ago (down south only).
Thats the reason why we still do manual inputs up here. I know that NAS has different formats than the standard that everyone else uses, and I guess thats why FPRSA took so long- having to adapt every route.
Are we talking the same story but from a different angle? :confused: :E

[A I]

Good replies chaps.

Just one little addition to EGLL's post. At Swanwick the flight progress strips are printed by the Swanwick system and not by NAS. The data is sent to Swanwick from NAS and it is held in the system until an estimate is received from an adjacent centre or flights are coordinated between sectors. Only then are the strips printed.

A I

[BigBoeing]

sorry if im being dumb. What does NAS stand for? Also with everything being so computerised, what happend if flight X from a busy airport is delayed? Both in terms of it losing its slot and flight plan? I understand it that the flight plan take of time is +- 10min or so and after that another flight plan must be filed. Which would mean waiting a few hours??? Obviously not so......? If its delayed do the strips for the next centre and destination not print of until the a/c is confirmed airborne? Thanks again for your excellent and informative replies so far

BB

[EGLL ATC]

NAS stands for National Airspace System. A flight not subject to flow regulation on the route i.e. no slot time, has a window of +/- 15 mins on their Estimated Off Blocks Time. If it is subject to a slot time it has -5mins/+10mins on that time and a certain number of +15mins each day. If a flight with no slot goes outside the parameters of it's EOBT by +15, they must send a DLA message (delay message) to update the plan to the new EOBT. If it wants to go earlier it must cancel the plan and re-file for an earlier time. This only takes a few minutes. If a flight with a slot time misses it's slot, a new one must be requested from Brussels (flow unit - in charge of slots). A plan will only drop out of NAS at ETOT+5 hours. (ETOT is EOBT + taxi time which changes depending on the airfield). The one to watch for is the SSR code which will drop out at ETOT+90 mins. If this drops out the flight will not code-callsign convert on the radar screen when it gets airbourne. These are all relevant to EGLL, I don't know about the other airfields! Can't comment on the sector part of things, sorry! Maybe a sector person could answer that for you?!