A Q on the extent of an IFR clearance (airways)

[IRpilot2006]

Real scenario: private pilot, IR. Flight LKPR-EGKA, FL100.

Let's say I collect an IFR clearance from Prague (Ruzine, LKPR) Delivery. Then, before departure, I am "cleared to EGKA, radar departure, climb on runway heading to 5000ft, etc". Just like that, "cleared" for a whole 630nm IFR route....

Let's say that a piece of my filed route is

AAA BBB CCC DDD EEE

and (as usual) I've had vectors from the start so have gone nowhere near AAA or BBB, and after a while I am told

"Nxxxxx own navigation to CCC", or

"Nxxxxx direct CCC"

Let's say I am approaching CCC and the controller appears to have forgotten about me.

When I reach CCC, should I revert to the filed route? Or should I continue the present heading?

In reality I would of course remind the controller. But if I have lost contact with him, then the lost comms procedure comes in which is #1 fly the clearance #2 fly the expected further clearance #3 fly the filed route. Do I have a duty to chase him up?

It's a bit like those common "should I fly through the localiser if ATC forgot about me" questions :) I think the answer to that one is NO if one was "cleared for the ILS", YES otherwise. In reality you remind him.

Sometimes one gets

"Nxxxxx own navigation CCC DDD EEE"

which more strongly suggests one should revert to the filed route after EEE.

A pedant would say that one's clearance is what one is given, and no more, and that one should continue on the filed route only in case of a comms failure. In that case, what exactly does "cleared to EGKA" (from Prague Tower) mean??

I am posting this question because I do not recall being previously told (on various European IFR/airways routes I have flown) that I was cleared all the way to the destination. Yet my understanding has always been that one is indeed cleared all the way to the destination, as the default position on all airways routes filed as one does via CFMU.

[Gonzo]

You continue as per your flight plan: At CCC you turn towards DDD. You've been cleared on 'own nav'; if the controller wanted to to go past CCC on a heading, s/he would have said so.

[foghorn]

It's standard practice to clear to your destination where there's a reasonable expectation that you will remain within the ATS route structure all the way.

As Gonzo says, your cleared on your own nav to follow your filed route. "Resume Own Navigation" or "Route Direct" to a point on your planned route puts you back on your own navigation, so you follow the flight plan thereafter. You should only continue on a heading if you have been previously instructed to - in the worst case simply following the QDM of the last received routing instruction might take you slap bang into terrain or a danger area, etc.

[IRpilot2006]

Thank you chaps.

Now, what if you get

"Nxxxxx own navigation to XXX", or

"Nxxxxx direct XXX"

and XXX does not lie on the filed route? Let' say it lies close to CCC. Should I, upon reaching XXX take a reasonable intercept to the filed route? Or should I proceed to DDD?

It's a bit like when you ask for 20 degrees left due to weather (to avoid a CB, say). When having passed the CB, should one do a DCT to the next cleared waypoint, or do a reasonable intecept of the previous route? I think it is the former.

Does the "cleared to [destination]" phrase mean anything whatsoever, in the context of the questions I am asking? I don't see that it does. I don't think the controller at Prague made a note on the computer system which got sent to all enroute sectors advising them of the whole-route clearance :)

[Gonzo]

Ok, I'm not a radar ATCO, but here are my thoughts...

"Nxxxxx own navigation to XXX", or

"Nxxxxx direct XXX"

and XXX does not lie on the filed route?
Tell ATC that XXX is not on your filed route (perhaps telling them that CCC nearby is)

When having passed the CB, should one do a DCT to the next cleared waypoint, or do a reasonable intecept of the previous route? I think it is the former.
You're on a heading, so don't turn off that without being instructed to do so. I'd imagine that a transmission like: "We're past the weather now, able to resume original course......" would do the trick. Then it's up to ATC to route you direct to the next waypoint, or put you on a different heading.

[10W]

If you get cleared to a waypoint not on your Flight Plan route, then tell ATC. It might indicate that we hold a different Flight Plan from that in the cockpit (more likely with a charter airline who are filing different plans to get round slot restrictions). ATC can then give you a reroute instruction which will either take you the correct way (sometimes Flight Plans filed don't obey the Standard Routes or file along routes which are not available), or back on to your planned route at a later waypoint. In either case, the onus is on the pilot to tell us that he has a disconnect in his route, followed by an onus on ATC to pass an appropriate clearance for the pilot to follow. I definitely wouldn't just assume that ATC want me to go to 'DDD' next, I'd get a positive clearance from them. In the absence of a positive clearance from them, you could ask them to 'confirm routeing after 'XXX' ?'. No egg on your face and ATC then have the opportunity to pass the clearance you should maybe have got in the first place ;)

The weather one can again take two forms. One restricted, and one not. For example, you might ask for 20 degrees left as per your example. The controller can either instruct you to turn left 20 degrees, in which case you are now on a vector and you can't come off it until cleared to do so. Advising you are now clear of the weather might be a good cue for the controller to derestrict you of course :ok:. Or ATC might say something like 'own navigation to 'DDD' avoiding weather'. In this case, the weather deviation and how you then get back on track to 'DDD' is at your discretion. Direct routeing to 'DDD' after the weather deviation would be the most logical.

The 'cleared to destination' is for RT Failure purposes and means that you are expected to follow your flight planned route to destination in that event. If you are on a heading and RT Fail, or have been given a clearance limit point somewhere along the line, then you follow the published procedures for those events. Similarly, if you have been given level restrictions or intermediate cleared levels, you follow the RT Failure procedures associated with those. Note that although most basic procedures follow the ICAO ones, it is worth checking the exact procedures for the State you are flying in, and any local variances published for the airfield you are flying in to or out of.

The UK basic procedures for IFR flight are:

IMC Procedures for Pilots

1 A pilot of a flight experiencing communication failure in IMC shall:

a) select SSR Mode A, Code 7600 with Mode C.

b) i) maintain for a period of 7 minutes, the current speed and last assigned level or minimum safe altitude, if this is higher. The period of 7 minutes begins when the transponder is set to 7600 and this should be done as soon as the pilot has detected communications failure.

ii) if the failure occurs when the aircraft is following a notified departure procedure such as a Standard Instrument Departure (SID) and clearance to climb, or rerouting instructions have not been given, the procedure should be flown in accordance with the published lateral track and vertical profile, including any stepped climbs, until the last position, fix, or waypoint, published for the procedure has been reached. Then for that part of the 7 minutes that may remain, maintain current speed and last assigned level or minimum safe altitude, if this is higher.

iii) thereafter, adjust the speed and level in accordance with the current flight plan and continue the flight to the appropriate designated landing aid serving the destination aerodrome. Attempt to transmit position reports and altitude/flight level on the appropriate frequency when over routine reporting points.

c) i) if being radar vectored, or proceeding offset according to RNAV, without a specified limit, continue in accordance with ATC instructions last acknowledged for 3 minutes only and then proceed in the most direct manner possible to rejoin the current flight planned route. Pilots should ensure that they remain at, or above, the minimum safe altitude.

ii) if being radar vectored by an Approach Control Radar Unit (callsign DIRECTOR/RADAR/APPROACH), comply with the loss of communications procedures notified on the appropriate Radar Vectoring Chart as detailed in the AD 2 section of the UK AIP.

d) i) arrange the flight to arrive over the appropriate designated landing aid serving the destination aerodrome as closely as possible to the ETA last acknowledged by ATC. If no such ETA has been acknowledged, the pilot should use an ETA derived from the last acknowledged position report and the flight-planned times for the subsequent section of the flight.

ii) arrange the flight to arrive over the appropriate designated landing aid serving the destination aerodrome at the highest notified Minimum Sector Altitude taking account of en-route terrain clearance requirements.

iii) if following a Standard Instrument Arrival (STAR), after the 7 minute period detailed in paragraph 6.1 b) i) has been completed, pilots should arrange descent as close as possible to the descent planning profile. If no descent profile is published, pilots should arrange descent to be at the minimum published level at the designated Initial Approach fix.

e) on reaching the appropriate designated landing aid serving the destination aerodrome, begin further descent at the last acknowledged EAT. If no EAT has been acknowledged, the descent should be started at the ETA calculated in d) i), above, or as close as possible to this time. If necessary, remain within the holding pattern until the minimum holding level, published for the facility, has been reached. The rate of descent in holding patterns should not be less than 500 ft per minute. If ‘Delay not determined’ has been given, pilots are not to attempt to land at the destination aerodrome, but instead divert to the alternate destination specified in the current flight plan or another suitable airfield.

f) carry out the notified instrument approach procedure as specified for the designated navigational aid and, if possible, land within 30 minutes of the EAT or the calculated ETA. When practical, pilots should take account of visual landing aids and keep watch for instructions that may be issued by means of visual signals from the ground.

g) if communications failure occurs during an approach directed by radar, continue visually, or by using an alternative aid. If this is not practical, carry out the missed approach procedure and continue to a holding facility appropriate to the airfield of intended landing for which an instrument approach is notified and then carry out that procedure.

[bookworm]

http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=173360

and to a certain extent

http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=190518

are relevant.