Sydney Harbour Scenic Procedures

[Ideal Line]

Notam issued for Sydney.

SYDNEY HARBOUR SCENIC FLIGHT CLEARANCES
A. PILOTS HOLDING SYDNEY GENERAL FLYING GUIDE MAY REQUEST HARBOUR SCENIC ONE OR HARBOUR SCENIC TWO CODED ROUTE CLEARANCE AS DESCRIBED IN SYDNEY GENERAL FLYING GUIDE EFFECTIVE 05JUN08 AND AIP ERSA EFFECTIVE 28 AUGUST 2008. WHEN ATC APPROVE AND ISSUE
CLEARANCES VIA THESE ROUTES, PILOTS ARE THEN AUTHORISED TO FLY THE
ROUTE AT THE SPECIFIED ALTITUDE.
B. PILOTS NOT HOLDING THE SYDNEY GENERAL FLYING GUIDE CAN EXPECT A REGULAR NON-CODED CLEARANCE.
FROM 06 041600 TO 08 271600

Harbour Scenic One: Long Reef - Harbour Bridge - North Head - Long Reef
Harbour Scenic Two: Long Reef - Chatswood - Manly Beach - Long Reef

[OzExpat]

The ATCOs must be finding it all too hard these days. Over the past few occasions when I've been doing scenics on the day of the start of the Sydney to Hobart Race, it hasn't ever been a major problem. Flight plan about an hour in advance to track from Bankstown to Long Reef, thence Manly, then orbits at the HBB as required before tracking coastal to just shy of Stanwell Park.

OCTA from there to BK with a practice NDB at CN for the sake of being masochistic! :}

I guess the latest Notam means I can't do that now - maybe it'll be okay again by 26 December... :confused:

[Lasiorhinus]

Just leave your Sydney General Flying Guide at home, and you can get your regular, non-coded clearance:ok:

[bentleg]

What's the big deal? :ugh:

It will be much easier to ask for and be granted HARBOUR SCENIC TWO clearance than to go through about four exchanges with ATC to get the same result. :)

The NOTAM says you can still do it the old way if you want to. So what IS the problem? :confused:

They are actually trying to make it easier for them and for pilots. :D

[Starts with P]

They have a similar system in Canberra (as I an sure they have in other places too), where City scenic flights are coded as "City A1" etc. They are in ERSA from memory.

It just makes it easier for everyone.

[pilotdaz]

I did a Harbour Scenic just last weekend. Follow the Visual Pilot Guide - Sydney Basin (http://www.casa.gov.au/pilots/download/sydney/sydney.pdf) where there is a transcript of what to expect (at least an example) on page 70.
Also I would recommend reading the Victor 1 Coastal Route section which starts on page 55.

I planned my flight for Long Reef, Harbour Bridge, Sydney Heads then descent into Victor 1 southbound.

Call Sydney terminal at Paramatta for clearance and they asked if I was familiar with Sydney Scenic 1 (which is outlined in the Sydney General Flying Guide provided with the Sydney VTC and ERSA), then I got handed to Sydney departures at just south of Bahai temple to track direct Spit Bridge, direct Sydney Harbour for orbits.

After completing 2 orbits I received clearance for South Head then decent into Victor 1 southbound.

It was actually very nice up there even though it was a 40C day on the ground in some places. I was in a Jabiru J160C.

[Capt_SNAFU]

It's been ten years since I've had to lodge a flight plan (too much airline flying). Do I need one for the harbour scenic? Does lodging a flight plan increase your chances as opposed to talking to terminal early and giving flight details?

If I wanted to lodge a plan what are the points. Do I put the departure point as Camden or put AFIL (with etd being the time I'm expecting over long reef) if going up to gosford before heading down to longreef would I put PAA then LRF then HBB if I wanted to go into Victor 1 what next. Do I have to put a DLA for the orbits at the bridge?

This used to be second nature, now flight notification is a foreign language!:confused:

[VH-XXX]

If you need a clearance to fly under the bridge, just squawk 7700.

[das Uber Soldat]

Gday Capt'n.

For points i'd put something along the lines of;

YSCN
PRT
HSY
LRF
HBB
South head (cant remember the code for it)
JIBN
Wedderburn (again cant remember the name of it)
YSCN

A015 for most of the levels though A005 for the victa 1 segment. In the remarks i'd write "Harbour Scenic 1" so that they know you're familiar with the procedure, though generally I don't input a delay.

I find this usually increases the chance of getting a clearance, as if you're negative flight plan and they're busy you might not be granted the clearance.

If you'd like I can post a picture of the NAIPS screen with this flight input as you would submit it.

Happy flying.

[Capt_SNAFU]

Thanks "the super soldier". If you have the time to post a screenie that would be appreciated though if it is a long task, I will work it out. I guess the most important thing is the eet for long reef.

[Kickatinalong]

Private Mail with your email address and I'l do the bloody thing for you totally no probs.
kickatinalong:ok:

[topdrop]

SNAFU,
You don't need EET on SARTIME FPL and even if you lodge using domestic, you could put 1 minute and it won't matter. Your FPL goes into NAIPS and then onto TAAATS (the system controllers use) TAAATS rarely uses EET from FPL - it does it's own calculation of EETs using it's profile for your aircraft type and forecast winds.