Reporting points/waypoints
 

Just wondering if i am planning a flight from A to B is there any requirement to fly via reporting points:

1)if im VFR?

2)if im IFR?


Thanks for the help guys

1) no
2) no

As long as you satisfy the rules on positive fixes appropriate to your class of flight.

UTR

VFR you can do what you like.

IFR you can fly on your own made-up routes but you still need to supply waypoints at regular intervals and you'd make position reports at those waypoints. Or you can plan to operate within a certain area and just give scheduled calls every 30 minutes. Also if your made up route is close to a published route and you're in controlled airspace, ATC may only clear you via the published route. Basically if there's a published route between your departure and destination, use it, if not, make one up.

Aren't there some marked on low level ERCs as mandatory reporting points?

[quote]Aren't there some marked on low level ERCs as mandatory reporting points?[/QOUTE]

Yes, but only if you are flying over them.

AerocatS2A... you say "IFR you can fly on your own made-up routes but you still need to supply waypoints at regular intervals and you'd make position reports at those waypoints"
What do you mean supply waypoint?

I regularly do a flight which is a total dist of approx 450nm direct, and 470nm via the closest published route

When i fly VFR i just fly from A direct to B
When i fly IFR i fly the slightly longer leg to keep all the position reports simple... as i really dont know what i would report as my position if i went direct as its a featureless area with a few small towns

Could report abeam?

What's wrong with just reporting at a Lat/Long?

Morno

Or use Flight Planning software that allows you to pick any lat / long, and it will automatically cross reference the Lat/Long with the nearest Nav aid

e.g. You plan via lat / long x and y, the software will then automatically calculate CB045060.

Don't think any of the Aussie flight planning packages provide the service. Hint hint. The maths isn't that hard!

Whats wrong with planning direct and reporting at lat and long along the way, where no suitable routes are available? Is it too many numbers to say on the radio 12 34 S, 123 45 E?

NZscion... thanks mate i thought that was the way to do it

Will ATC ask you to nominate you co-ords at 30min intervals or something?

brns2, first you need to check the route requirements from the AIP, there may be a requirement to fly the published route. Where there is no suitable published route just enter waypoints into the flight notification at appropriate places either in lat/long format or place/bearing/distance. E.g., 1234S12345E or DN030120 (Darwin 030 radial, 120nm.) Then as you get to each waypoint give a position report as you normally would, E.g., "Bravo Romeo November, Darwin 030 120 at 0312, maintaining FL130, Darwin 030 240 at 42." I hear the helicopters doing it all the time heading out to the oil rigs where no routes exist. Both lat/long and place/bearing/dist is accepted by NAIPS. Note also that place/bearing/distance is the correct format for position reports as per the AIP, not "120 miles GPS on the 030 Darwin radial" or some other bastardisation.

In your example where the published route is only 20nm longer, ATS may prefer you to fly the published route to facilitate traffic flow, there may be a good reason for there being no direct route.

thanks for that, all help appreciated:ok:

Say i was flying from A to B

And its not via any waypoints, am i able to give position reports without nominating the next position, but stating i will give the next position at a nominated time, in say 30 mins?
eg

"ML Center
XYZ
12 40S 120 15E at 05
maintaing 9000
next position at 35"

The ATC advice I have had is that they far prefer brg/dist, and when you think of it probably gives more 'intuative' situational awareness to other pilots in the vicinity.

That's just doing ops normals which is suitable for an area type flight (SAR etc). If you are doing a travel flight outside radar coverage, it's bugger all use to TAAATS. It wants an EST for the next psn, so it knows what speed to move your flight plan track across the screen.