Germinghausen VOR

[Mooncrest]

Is this, or was it, a navigation fix of any particular significance ? I remember in the mid to late 1990s, it was common to hear the ATC instruction (from Manchester ATCC or London), "on passing FL250 route direct Germinghausen". As I recall, it was usually addressed to Monarch departures from Leeds Bradford to Greece or Turkey. I have little doubt other eastbound flights from northern England were similarly routed but it's always Monarch that comes to mind.

Thankyou.

[Roger That]

During periods of low complexity traffic, it’s wasn’t (historically) uncommon for Enroute controllers to agree to send specific flights, or indeed specific or even multiple flows of traffic, on direct routes to to certain points with the aim of reducing track mileage, saving flight time and fuel etc. GMH was a key point to send eastbound traffic ex-UK from around Manchester and the north to, and typically for (IIRC) destinations such as Munich, Frankfurt and overflights. There were other points used for other destinations too and, likewise, points were offered to Maastricht etc to send traffic westbound into the UK.

This was fairly common in the nineties and early naughties (I must have sent thousands there in my time) but, progressively, airspace redesign has obviated the need in many cases with routes much straighter these days, and will all but be a thing of the past with Free Route Airspace more widely deployed across Europe.

[dixi188]

The one I always liked was "German Corner" that wasn't actually shown on the charts.
IIRC it was about 6 miles west of KRH. ie. the corner of the France / German border.

[Mooncrest]

Thankyou both. I've not listened to the Airways frequencies for years so German Corner is new to me.

[Liffy 1M]

I recall eastbounds over Dublin being cleared by London on occasion direct to Dortmund (DOM) - this was circa 1990 - a fairly decent direct routeing for the time.

[Max Angle]

German Corner is basically EDISA.