IMC/IFR Conditions
 

Spent hours but cannot find an answer, hope someone can help me to settle an argument. What is the legality of flying out of an airport in uncontrolled airspace in an IFR airplane and with an instrument rating, then climbing through cloud (or otherwise IMC) before being able to contact ATC to open the flight plan? (ICAO and US rules).

The answer varies from country to country....

In the UK there is little formal legislation to stop idiots killing themselves and others by flying in IMC relying totally on quadrantals, big sky theory and luck - without radar or radio being mandatory.

ICAO rules - In class G (uncontrolled) airspace, no clearance is required to operate IFR or VFR. Thus provided that you remain outside controlled airspace, no atc clearance is required.

Any differences from the International ICAO requirements are published in the National AIP.

Regards,

DFC