Flying Down the Luton Corridor

[1013.25]

I intend to fly with Aussie Andy (always an exciting thing to do!) to Cambridge via Oxford (his leg). Then returning from Cambridge to WAP (my leg) and I want to transit through Luton’s overhead between VRPs PIRTON & HEMEL (a corridor is marked on the map). Question: do I ask for SVFR clearance or simply an ordinary zone transit clearance? I note from the Luton plate that this corridor is not above 1500’, so to absolve myself of the Rule 5 restrictions I suppose SVFR is required. I have plotted an alternative route to avoid the Class D should permission to transit not be forthcoming from ATC.

I am sure that lots of you have flown down this corridor before and so I would welcome your advice.

[sharpshot]

I have often routed DTY - BPK and on contact advise of this routeing and request via their overhead.
They always used to be very accommodating and the route would be via the overhead of the runway Thr. subject runway in use.

There have been two occasions when ATCO workload has prevented this and a limited RIS offered to skirt around with a dct route when ATCO able to provide a service.

Last time down that way, I decided to avoid entirely and routed dct Cambridge - CLN and stayed at Fl 5.0 the whole way which was much better than upping & downing throught the TMA.

Guess you got no choice though.

Just as well you are prepared for the round the houses route. Keep a damn good look out though - first time we had to take avoiding action and the last time, a couple of months ago, I saw a PA-28 come out of a thin cloud layer to confront an AN-2 opposite direction..........and luckily he reacted.

[Aussie Andy]

G'day sharpshot - I've also heard from others at various times about such routing requests through LUT zone... but what I haven't heard too many people talk about is whether chances are better if using the marked E/E lane Pirton -> Hemel. Can you, or anyone else, shed light on whether chances are better following this route? After all, its marked on the chart!

[sharpshot]

G'day AA - (even though you're from the "Eastern Island"

Sorry can't help on that route. Like everyone else the ATCO's at LTN have manic times - would it be worth posting something in the ATC forum about the routeing and perhaps a "sensible" time of day to get through. Up here there are good times and others when a little local knowledge would suggest you don't bother calling.
Sorry can't help further.

P.S. What was that I read a few weeks back about "pushing your envelope further...........:confused:

[Aussie Andy]

G'day,

No worries - good suggestion, will cross-post something on ATC forum... and yes, this is part of our "envelope pushing" - but still we want to gather as much info as we can beforehand! :)

[2Donkeys]

The E/E lane is something of a leftover from the bad old days, and has no relevance to your zone transit.

Some may remember the days before class A-G airspace, and will recall that Luton's airspace was a combined SRZ/CTR. What this meant was that it was IFR, only if you had an instrument rating.

In order to allow VFR-types in and out of Luton (quite common in those days believe it or not), the E/E lane provided a SVFR routing for use during bad weather. It was never used as a transit route, the two VRPs related to arrivals/departure to/from the North and South.

If you want transit these days, forget about the E/E corridor, simply ask, and it may be granted. North South via the overhead tends to get granted. East-West tends to get in the way :D

[SCCM2theFlightDeck!]

Luton zone transits are nothing too much to worry about. As noted already, the E-E lane depicted on the map is not very strongly enforced, and a N-S transit via the threshold is often granted. As for not above 1500ft, I have transited at 1900-2200 before, since as long as you are going North-south and over the landing threshold, the controllers seem happy about the safety margins with heavy traffic conflict. I have also received transit clearance via the M1 west side from Hemel to Cranfield, so just call up on the day, ask for a zone transit and see what you get.

[alphaalpha]

Personally, I have found Luton very accommodating in providing zone transits. I have requested Pirton to Hemel a couple of times and had it granted; also other transits have been OK when roughly perpendicular to the 08/26 runway. Cleared altitude has usually been 2000-2400 feet VFR, as this is the altitude I have approached the zone boundary at. Occasionally I have been vectored to avoid landing traffic below me -- presumably in case of a go-around.

I have only had one refusal, when I requested an IFR transit at a busy time.

The roughly direct route from Oxford to Cambridge via the Luton overhead is fairly closely aligned with the runways, so I would not expect such a transit to be approved. However, Hemel to Pirton looks OK. (I speak as a pilot, not an ATCO)

[sharpshot]

AA
If you look in the ATC forum, there is a posting from a LTN lady controller.
Seems approach is no longer done locally but at TC but I don't know when the local radar function transferred. May not have a bearing;)

[bookworm]

Some may remember the days before class A-G airspace, and will recall that Luton's airspace was a combined SRZ/CTR. What this meant was that it was IFR, only if you had an instrument rating.

I think your memory's playing up Donks.

Luton was never Rule 21 airspace (IFR only). The SRZ required contact with ATC, the CTR required a clearance if operating IFR. I think VFR minima in controlled airspace were more stringent (5 nm vis 1000 ft vertically from cloud) so it may be that the SVFR lane was used more often than now.

Or were you saying that a full IR was required for IFR, not just an IMC rating?

[vintage ATCO]

The Entry/Exit lanes were only established to enable traffic to depart and arrive at Luton when the weather conditions precluded VFR (as bookworm says, I think the conditions were more stringent in the days we were a SRZ). They were never intended for transit traffic.

We do have a local procedure to use them to depart VFR traffic with reduced coordination between TWR and APP but pilots don't need to know that, only where the VRPs are.

If you want a zone transit, just ask. N-S through the overhead is often possible, E-W through the overhead, almost never! :D

[LowNSlow]

As I go buzzing around the LTN area I often hear people asking for a transit through the zone. A threshold transit seems to be the one most often given. I can only recall one chap being asked to hold until traffic cleared and that was only for a few minutes.

[Aussie Andy]

Thanks! Very helpful, I for one am clear, and its interesting to learn of the history of E/E lanes, SRZ etc!

[sharpshot]

Vintage ATCO

Thanks to you and your colleagues for all the overhead routeings in the past - long may you be able to provide said service, 'cause it's a pain going round, (east bound) especially without a good GPS:D

[1013.25]

May I echo Aussi Andy's sentiments, thanks for all your really interesting and informative replies. PPRuNE is GREAT!

[2Donkeys]

Bookworm wrote:

Or were you saying that a full IR was required for IFR, not just an IMC rating?

Yes. That is what I was saying :)

Interestingly though, even in the 1980s when I was a regular in and out of Luton, I don't recall the E/E lanes being heavily used, even under SVFR. Clearances were simply to leave the zone not above x feet SVFR/

[vintage ATCO]

In all my years (and that's a lot!) I cannot remember the lanes being used very much at all for their original purpose. With radar they are hardly necessary.

However, if we ever had to operate without radar then they would provide deemed seperation between IFR traffic departing and landing on 08/26 and inbound SVFR traffic. (ATC has to provide standard seperation between IFR and SVFR.)

In the south lane, traffic holding at Hyde VRP at 1500ft QNH is deemed separated from traffic landing and taking off. Therefore we could hold one there until another form of separation is applied, or arriving traffic has landed, then clear the SVFR on towards the field.

They are sometimes used at night (when there is no VFR), APP could put traffic to Hyde for the Tower controller to acquire it visually. He/she could then apply 'reduced separation in the vicinity of an aerodrome' providing he/she has that and the rwy 08/26 traffic in sight, and bring it on towards the airfield.

And additionally, as I said earlier, we do have a local procedure for VFR traffic.

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vintage ATCO
www.stevelevien.com