Submitting flight plan's

[av8trflying]

Peoples

I was just wondering how people are submitting flight plans these days.

I often fly out of places that have no phone or internet.

ASA shut down the phone number anyway and where i fly there is no flight watch anymore. Every time i call up centre they will say "have you submitted a flight plan f:mad:r?! And as i crawl into my hole i say "no - there is no comms where I am - No HF either.

I know i could submit one at the start of the day but ETD change every day.

Anyway how do others do it?

Cheers:ok:

[ForkTailedDrKiller]

av8, I submit 99% of my plans directly off Champagne Flightplanner 3000 using a variety of internet connections depending on where I am - home broadband, Next G modem, or mobile phone connection to dial-up internet.

I am fortunate in having a satellite phone also. In theory I can connect my laptop to dial-up internet with that, but I haven't figured that out yet. On the couple of occassions when I had no other choice, I have rung the Briefing Office and submitted the plan over the phone. Have always been well looked after by the people there - very courteous and professional.

While I have never had to do it myself, from time to time I hear people submit details to Centre on VHF. Again, they have always been handled with courtesy and professionalism, although I suspect your welcome could wear thin rapidly if you did it too often.

If you are doing multiple sectors, can't you submit a plan at the start of your day and then just update your ETDs on VHF/HF/mobile phone as you go?

Dr :8

[Hasselhof]

Brisbane Briefing - 07 3860 4788

A CASA FOI gave me the number whilst being ramp checked in the NT bitz.

[the wizard of auz]

I only ever lodge if I'm heading into controlled airspace. Flight note works and is legal. :ok: If I have to lodge and don't have coms, I usually call center and lodge over the radio. Never had a problem doing it like that.

[av8trflying]

Thanks guys,

the places i go dont have any land lines so there is no internet etc.

Although centre have never said anything you can tell by the sound of the voice that they are not overly happy (depends on the controller as well).

I was just looking for a good way that doesnt clog up the airways now that ASA has taken away the way we used to do it.

Thanks anyway.

[Lasiorhinus]

Brisbane Briefing - 07 3860 4788

A CASA FOI gave me the number whilst being ramp checked in the NT bitz.

Its in ERSA too.

[The Green Goblin]

If the area controller has a whinge, ask them if they are airSERVICES Australia?

For the airways charges we pay i expect them to be professional operators on the radio and give you the service you require and are paying for. HF can be a real challenge to submit a multi leg IFR plan or swap flight category during flight. I only find the HF service useful for canceling SAR if out of VHF reception.

[5miles]

Although centre have never said anything you can tell by the sound of the voice that they are not overly happy (depends on the controller as well).

If you need to submit Flight Plan details directly to ATC then so be it. However I'd suggest you choose you're timing carefully. If the controller sounds busy (and you'll only hear a fraction of the work he/she is doing) then wait until it's quieter.
It may also be prudent to submit details a lot earlier than actually required. For example, if you're flying VFR OCTA until about 20nm from a control zone, don't wait until 30nm to call up. You might strike it lucky and get straight in or thru, but if there's a fair sequence already set, then you'll go to the end of the queue.

I can't understand the pilots though who don't submit details when they have the facilities available just to save a few coins, and then complain when they cop a delay airborne that costs them a LOT more.

[ForkTailedDrKiller]

I can't understand the pilots though who don't submit details when they have the facilities available

I can! Its not all that long ago that VFR pilots were discouraged from submitting plans. Then someone apparently decided that was not such a good idea.

If the rules keep changing, people don't know if they are coming or going!

Dr :8

[bentleg]

I lodge a plan every time I go away on a trip, even when VFR and outside controlled airspace. I lodge them from home, some times three plans for three days flying. I then update them each morning via internet if there is access, or via radio if no internet access.

[5miles]

I can! Its not all that long ago that VFR pilots were discouraged from submitting plans.

I'm a pilot and an ATC, and I can't ever remember being dissuaded from submitting flight details when my flight will require transit of Class C airspace.

The rules haven't changed in this regard.

With flights entirely OCTA, then yes the procedures do seem to be in a constant state of flux. I started my flight training about 3 months before VFR full reporting was abolished. I'd just started to get the grasp of position reporting only to have that obligation removed.

Another issue that may affect VFR pilots - ATC's record of your flight plan expires about 4 hours after your ETD, if it's not already activated. Therefore, if it's a long flight before you require ATC services, your details may have already disappeared into the ether.
Likewise, if it's only an hours flight, but you depart 3 1/2 hours late. Amending your ETD will fix this second scenario.

[ForkTailedDrKiller]

Quote:
I can! Its not all that long ago that VFR pilots were discouraged from submitting plans.
I'm a pilot and an ATC, and I can't ever remember being dissuaded from submitting flight details when my flight will require transit of Class C airspace.

The rules haven't changed in this regard

5miles, Old Timers disease approaches, but I am not there yet.

I have flown in and out of Townsville (Class C airspace) on private and commerical operations on VFR and IFR flightplans for the last 22 years. I don't recall the technicalities of rule changes (who the hell can keep up with them anyway), but I do know for a fact that for a significant period of time, for VFR ops we used an in-house flight note system only for SAR purposes. Departure from the Townsville control zone was as simple as "Townsville Clearance Delivery, XXX, VFR Exwhyzed for Bullamakanka, request clearance to exit the zone on track direct Bullamakanka at Y thousand". Clearance was usually given without delay. Returning was the same thing in reverse.

This went on for many years, then one day such a clearance request was met with the following response, "XXX, standby while I put some details in the system. Remain OCTA", which eventually grew into, "XXX, do you have details in the system"?

About then I came to the realisation that for VFR flights having a flightplan in the system speeded up the process of getting a clearance.

These days I choose to simplfy things by flying on an IFR plan 99% of the time.

Dr :8

[Jabawocky]

I've never knocked back a lighty's clearance (especially an RV) but you need to give a bloke a break. http://static.pprune.org/images/smilies/smile.gif

A man who knows his business.......:ok:

But as you are about to find out old mate Stanley.......he needs to ask at 120miles out......unless you are a speedy typer!:}

J:ok:

[Ex FSO GRIFFO]

Owen,

Yer obviously not an ex FSO - 40 wpm was the par....even if it was only wif two fingers...

Hang on, I'll wait....:p :p

Merry Christmas......:ok::ok: