Getting into the airways?

[Go-Around]

Hi,
Please excuse my ignorance. As a Frozen ATPL I think i should know this but never needed it until now.

When departing from an uncontrolled airfield with an A/G service, what is the procedure for getting in the airways.
E.g. I flight plan from my local field to get into the airways down to SAM, ORTAC, EGJJ, etc. The airfield then is faxed my flight plan details back and await the departure.
Now what?
Where I used to fly, (EGTC), we were given the squawk, IFR clearance, initial routing and FL from the TWR whilst still on the ground.
How would I go about getting the same details now?
Thanks,
GA

[Whipping Boy's SATCO]

Within 10 mins flying time of entry point - get ATC at the airfield to help you. If they cannot, see below.

More than ten minutes from entry point - call London FIS when airborne and ask them to get the clearance.

Someone, anyone, please shoot me down!!

[eyeinthesky]

It depends on where your airfield is in relation to where you want to join airways and the type of Air Traffic service offered there.

If you are fairly close to the joining point and your ATS unit has a phone line to London Control you can get them to get you a 'clearance' before you get airborne. I know this to be possible at Elstree (via Luton APP) or Booker (direct to Terminal Control). The 'clearance' will usually be in the form of a 'Remain Clear of CAS, Squawk XXXX and contact London on YYY.YY'. The reason you are often not given a clearance to join is that we cannot be certain exactly what time you will pitch up and to give you a clearance is blocking that level until you arrive. It is far better to give enough info for you to start showing on radar and then give a clearance based upon actual rather than planned information.

If your joining point is some distance from your departure airfield, you might be able to persuade a friendly LARS or APP unit (EG Brize, Luton, Cranfield, Solent) to contact London and get the same sort of clearance.

The other way is to use the trusty London FIS. If you call them 10 minutes before your estimate for the boundary of CAS and inform them that you have an IFR plan and you are requesting join at a certain point at a certain level at a certain time they will contact the relevant sector and get you a squawk and a frequency to call. Sometimes they will be able to get a clearance to join direct.

What all the above processes do are activate the plan at the Control Centre, allowing us to get flight data strips out and get the computer going with your flight, so that we know where you fit in to our plan.

NEVER cold-call on the sector frequency unless there is absolutely NO other option (which there is, because London FIS is 24 hr). To do so will result in a 'Remain outside CAS' call and much confusion whilst your details are found. The obtaining of all the relevant info of estimates, levels, routes etc can take up R/T time which the sector controller cannot afford. You might also not have the correct frequency for your joining point (do not necessarily rely on the info on the maps etc as they may not be in use at that time of day or whatever).

Hope this helps.

Whipping Boy: More concise and clear than my verbose reply which I was typing as yours appeared:D !

[Go-Around]

Thanks a lot, exactly what I needed.
Much appreciated.
Ga

[Spitoon]

Go-Around, your question mentioned an A/G service at your departure aerodrome.
I would be a bit wary of getting an A/G station involved - I don't think there's any training required for radio operators to be able to co-ordinate with an ATC unit like this. Not saying that many radio operators can't do it, just that I don't think they're trained for that sort of thing.

[Goldfish Watcher]

Go Around -

Was it you flying down N866 today (22/08/02) at FL80?

Out of EGMA and passing SAM at about 1245ish??

Flurry of activity from FIS, LACC, LTCC and EGGW to get Flight plan activated.

See, the system does work at times! :)

[Go-Around]

Sorry GW, not me i'm afraid. Stuck on the ground somewhere on the M23/M25.