En route change from VFR to IFR query

[FlyingGoat]

I would appreciate the correct procedure, with ATC coms, for the following:

SEP flight from UK to France, destination and departure both VMC, actual and forecast, VFR flight plan filed.

Leaving the UK, and climbing to, say, FL075, blanket covering of cloud appears, tops up to, say, 3,000'; no upper cloud cover at all.

How should one proceed (a) pilot without IR (b) pilot with IR? In both cases, a/c fit for IFR.

Thanks.

[Chilli Monster]

Assuming the flight is outside CAS:

a) Pilot with IR - tell ATC you're about to go IMC and climb through to continue VFR when VMC on top.

b) Pilot without IR - Assuming this is a UK issued licence just tell ATC you're stopping your climb below 3000', as your licence privileges prevent you from flying VFR above cloud. If you posess a licence that allows you to do this then find a hole and climb through it - no need to say anything to ATC.

This is assuming you are in receipt of an ATC service from an ATC unit. If you're one of the multitude who will be speaking to London info, answer a) becomes no need to say anything.

[FlyingGoat]

Thanks, Chilli, but I don't understand the reference to VMC on top.

I had assumed that for VFR flight to take place, VMC must exist, and pilots must be able to see the ground (ICAO and UK). In addition, Schedule 8 of the ANO states that a basic PPL holder (no IMC rating nor IR) may not fly out of sight of the surface.

Have I got this wrong?

[Nock]

In France, PPL's holders are allowed to fly "on top (ie. without sight of the ground) if they have a VOR or a ADF or a GPS (class A, B or C). The only restriction is that they have to remain VMC all the flight, I mean they can't go throught the layer in IMC during climb or descent, so they really have to be sure to find at least some BKN (better SCT) at their arrival otherwise the only solution is to divert to somewhere the cloud layer is more fragmented!

Nock

[bookworm]

I had assumed that for VFR flight to take place, VMC must exist, and pilots must be able to see the ground (ICAO and UK).

Sight of the surface is a requirement for VFR/VMC neither under ICAO Annex 2 nor the UK Rules of the Air, unless specific exceptions are being used.

[FlyingGoat]

OK, then more specifically, I understand that Schedule 8 of the ANO stipulates that a basic PPL holder, without an IR or IMC Rating, may not fly out of sight of the surface.

Which brings us back to the original query, when a basic PPL holder finds themselves on a cross-channel flight, with blanket cloud cover (cruising FL075, no holes).

[Chilli Monster]

That should be self evident:

1) The pilot concerned shouldn't have got themselves in that position. (At GA aircraft speeds finding yourself over that amount of cloud displays an appalling lack of looking out the window!)

2) The pilot concerned does a 180 turn, returns back to a clear piece of sky (unless they can see clear air ahead - unlikely in your scenario).

3) The pilot concerned just advises ATC they are turning round, then advises them they are descending to remain VMC / VFR when they descend below the cloud ceiling.