A question for the NAT OCA controllers
 

Please help me find something I've been looking for a while now.

I have heard it said that a European registered aircraft may enter the Gander OCA going east bound without getting an Oceanic Clearance, provided it has been flight planned, and the crew has the correct TMI. Is this true, and if it is, where can I read all about it?

Reason I ask is that recently, flying eastbound back to the UK, it took nearly one hour and thirty minutes just to get the poor Gander Radio man to answer us, (by that I mean, an instruction to standby") he was that busy.

We were almost at the OCA entry point by the time we actually got the Clearance.

Thanks in advance.

No civil aircraft enters Oceanic airspace legally without a clearance.

Can I suggest that a visit to 'Shanwick' OACC at Prestwick would be beneficial?
As you are Gatwick based, then perhaps a Ryanair day return (from STN) would be suitable- you'd be able to see the westbound flow and be home in time for dinner.
Don't suppose you were trying to get a clearance on HF when you'd to wait that long?