Flight plan, have I overcomplicated?

[TenaciousP]

I’m planning an IFR flight from Fife to a small airfield a few miles south of TNT and I can’t believe how complicated the flight plan has become. I don’t yet know what day I will make the trip which is a problem because there is a weekend route involved and I’d like to remain airways all the way but it doesn’t look like I can because of a variable level base on one of the airways. The resulting flight plan is very long winded and I can see it being rejected but after hours of planning it seems like the most logical plan. Am I overcomplicating it? What would you do?
This is what I’m up against:
The most obvious route is: DCT PIPAR B226 TLA N57 DCS N57 POL N57 TNT DCT
(1) First issue is B226. This is a weekend route so weekdays I guess I just put PIPAR DCT TLA and speak to Edinburgh rather than Scottish ACC.
(2) Then I head off to DCS on N57. This is odd levels to the south, FL090 is my lowest level, however, once I get to 55 03’21”N 003 20’45” the base of the airway becomes FL125 making the lowest southbound FL 130 (During the day). Too high for me with no O2.
Therefore I continue, now outside controlled airspace, at FL100. For the flight plan I decided to insert this point as a lat/long, as this is how it is shown in the AIP, but do I round up whole minutes? This is what I opted for: 5503N00320W/NO150F100
And because I’m now below the airway I use DCT DCS rather than N57
(3) To further complicate matters the Aerad Enroute chart I am using, UK(L)2, disagrees with the AIP regarding the point at which this variable base begins. In note 25 it says it begins at DCS but it does annotate the lat/long quoted by the AIP on the chart, I’m sticking to the AIP!
(4) From DCS to POL the track is now 148 degrees, the airway is still above me so I have to use a quadrantal of FL095 until 54 05’32”N002 32’08” Again I opt not to round up the minutes.
(5) From there to POL and TNT I am back in the airway with yet another level change to FL110. As I am re-entering the controlled airspace should I put an EET for this point in the remarks as well as the previous one at PIPAR?
This is what I’ve ended up with:
(LEVEL F080)
DCT PIPAR B226 TLA/N0150F090 N57 5503N00320W/N0150F100 DCT DCS/N0150F095 DCT 5405N00232W/N0150F110 N57 POL N57 TNT DCT
Would appreciate your thoughts, particularly from any ATCOs, there must be a simpler way mustn’t there? If the flight was any longer I would have run out of room on the form.

[Chilli Monster]

A quick glance at the Route availability document http://www.cfmu.eurocontrol.be/cfmu/opsd/gallery/content/public/rad/docs/2aug/eg.pdf
makes me think it's not even worth bothering.

I hate to say this but I would plan outside the airways system using LARS coverage.

DCT SAB DCT NEW DCT SBL DCT TNT DCT (FL70, though you might get away with FL90 for a short while).

OR

Are you in an aircraft registered in a state that would allow you up to FL130 for a short time? (less than 30 minutes). In which case DCT TLA N57 TNT

Why DCT TLA? Top tip. Pick an adjacent airfield with a SID - route DCT to the end of the relevanyt SID (in this case Edinburgh and TLA). PHONE Edinburgh ATC before departure, give them your details and the fact that you're looking to join CAS at TLA. By the time you get airborne they should have formulated some form of clearance for you - but get the call in to them ASAP.

[ComJam]

Yeah, use the CFMU website to validate the route.

Alternatively, do what I always do and put "RMK/IFPS Re-Route Accepted" in field 18. In other words if your chosen route isn't acceptable Brussels will suggest an alternative and you will recieve an aknowledgement with the a new routing.

It works all over Europe :ok:

[bookworm]

...makes me think it's not even worth bothering...

Pah! Have you no flight planning stamina, man? ;)

(FPL-GABCD-IG
-PA30/L-SR/S
-EGPJ1230
-N0150F110 DCT GRICE P600 FENIK DCT NGY N615 DCS N57 TNT DCT
-EGNA0150
)

DCT TLA N57 TNT

Doesn't work because of EG**2117, though I would have thought that a Fife departure could be accommodated that way too.

IFPUV doesn't seem to be fussy about the higher base on N57 from time to time, so I'd suggest filing the route at 110 (or even 100) and be done with it. If you drop out of the airway for a short while, so be it.

Actually, I agree CM. Go down the east coast.

[rolaaand]

Hi TenaciousP,ScACC TMA controllers opinion.
Pipar to TLA at FL90 would be awkward during the day as this puts you in to the teeth of all the EGPH arrivals. You would be better routeing GRICE FENIK DCS.
However I agree with CM,route down the east coast.It will be less hassle for yourself. Transiting both the Scottish and Manchester TMAs at low levels mean you will be vectored all over the place to keep you clear of TMA traffic.

[Chilli Monster]

Pah! Have you no flight planning stamina, man?

Not after an early shift ;)

[bookworm]

Pipar to TLA at FL90 would be awkward during the day as this puts you in to the teeth of all the EGPH arrivals. You would be better routeing GRICE FENIK DCS.

It's reassuring to know that at least sometimes the RAD bears some relationship to reality. ;)

[TenaciousP]

Thanks for the suggestions chaps.

Granted the east coast is less hassle but obviously not as direct.

GRICE FENIK looks like a possibility, will have a look at that.

Didn't realise you could validate routes on CFMU, that's genius.
I got the 2117 error too Bookworm, is that a reference to the RAD?

The nearest I could get it to accept was:

F060
DCT TLA DCT DCS/N0150F110 N57 POL N57 TNT DCT

It would recognise one of the lat/longs i mentioned originally but not the southernmost one, so I couldn't specify a quadrantel where the airway base was raised. It wouldn't accept it as a radial/range either.

Would F060 cause a problem through scottish TMA too Rolaaand? I don't mind being vectored.

[Chilli Monster]

East coast route is 11 miles longer than TLA - DCS etc to TNT - However, once you get vectored around the place......................?

Grice - Fenik etc is 24 miles longer than the East Coast Route.

[bookworm]

Didn't realise you could validate routes on CFMU, that's genius.
I got the 2117 error too Bookworm, is that a reference to the RAD?

Yes, so use the left bar on IFPUV to find the current UK RAD (http://www.cfmu.eurocontrol.int/cfmu/opsd/gallery/content/public/rad/docs/30aug/eg.pdf) and search for EG**2117.

The nearest I could get it to accept was:
F060
DCT TLA DCT DCS/N0150F110 N57 POL N57 TNT DCT


There are opposing views on what to do at this point. I would lean towards TLA DCT DCS being "cheating": it's difficult for Scottish for the reasons rolaaand describes, and you're just circumventing the restriction by using DCT. Others might say that Scottish will send you where it wants anyway (via GRICE, FENIK), so just file the first thing that gets accepted. In the UK, I'm not sure it makes much difference, provided you plan the fuel to actually fly the slightly longer route that goes with the traffic flows.

[RAC/OPS]

Do you have a car?

[PPRuNe Radar]

Would F060 cause a problem through scottish TMA too Rolaaand? I don't mind being vectored.

A few.

First of all, regardless of the way you go (except the East Coast route), Fife is less than 10 minutes flying time from the boundary of Controlled Air Space so you'll either need a clearance before departure (unlikely to be given) or make an alternative arrangement with Edinburgh by calling them with a heads up (to get your flight details ready and for Edinburgh to activate the plan with Scottish) and then getting a clearance from them to enter their CTA once you are airborne.

At or below 6000'ALT in the TMA, your clearance will be at an altitude and FL060 will not be available unless the pressure is extremely high. 6000'ALT is the initial climb level for SID IFR departures from Edinburgh so depending on the runway in use you can either be a minor or major pain at that level ;) .

As Rolaand said, the levels above this are also problematical if you are trying to route towards TLA as you are then heading towards all the arrivals from the South and the Southeast. You might also be conflicting with the hold at TWEED if it is in use.

If you're routeing towards GRICE then you're still going to be a pain as the jet departures from Edinburgh will all be heading towards you and trying to climb through your level (they have to be FL100 or above abeam Cumbernauld to deconflict with Glasgow arrivals from the South and East via LANAK), but at least there is more time and more options for the TMA controllers to sort something out in that case.

I'd go the East Coast way myself (check the status of Danger Areas EGD512 and EGD510 if you are going on direct tracks) but if you really want to route via the TMA, then I'd recommend talking to Edinburgh for initial clearance and a route to join at GRICE.

[TenaciousP]

East coast it is then!

Glad I asked though, will definately use some of the tricks of the trade mentioned here in the future.

Yes I do have a car RAC/OPS but unfortunately no roof rack so won't be able to take the plane.