Flying below a CTA - who to talk to?

[Roffa]

Essex is called Essex because it handles traffic through the airways system in to more than just Stansted. It also controls traffic in to Luton and to a lesser degree places like Cambridge.

For the main airports (Stansted and Luton) Essex is the initial approach freq, working traffic for both airports before handing it off to Stansted and Luton director/approach as appropriate.

I think it was thought having traffic going in to Luton calling Stansted might have been a bit confusing... whether to pilots or ATC I'm not sure

Solent I guess is similar because I think it also handles Bournemouth traffic at some point.

[SQUAWKIDENT]

I've flown a route from Bovingdon - Brookmans Park - Barkway and back twice recently.

As a relatively inexperienced PPL I asked Luton for a FIS which they happily provided. I wasn't intending on entering their (or the Stansted) CTA but I felt a bit more comfortable knowing they were keeping an eye out and advising me of nearby traffic.

If it's too busy on either Essex or Luton frequencies I just Squawk Mode C 0013 and listen out. I don't think London FIS is much use around that area and their lack of radar makes calling them pretty pointless.

Roll on London LARS

[bookworm]

Still would made me call them Stansted Approach instead of Essex Radar.

And the controller would have no problem at all if you addressed them as that on the initial call. Many of us who are regular users occasionally forget and call them "Stansted". Actually sometimes they do too.

I used to think it was good to talk, but have realised over the past few years that there is often no point or indeed no need when outside CAS.

In many parts of the country that's fair enough. But the corridor between Stansted and Luton is very busy -- I've had more sightings of close-by-similar-level aircraft through there in about an hour's aggregate airborne time than in the rest of my flying in the last 3 years!

Roll on London LARS indeed.

[Roffa]

In many parts of the country that's fair enough. But the corridor between Stansted and Luton is very busy -- I've had more sightings of close-by-similar-level aircraft through there in about an hour's aggregate airborne time than in the rest of my flying in the last 3 years!
Roll on London LARS indeed.

I'm not privy to the detail but bear in mind that to the best of my knowledge it's not going to be full coverage from day one.

The Stansted/Luton gap may or may not be covered in the first phase, due mid Sept now I believe.

If chevvron pops up here he should be able to give away a bit more info.

[stickandrudderman]

Have to admit also that I'd never heard of Essex radar until I was recently advised to contact them by Thames radar!

[vintage ATCO]

Can anyone explain why Essex Radar is not called Stansted Radar or Stansted Approach?

That may in part be down to me . . . .

Back in the 90s, before Luton joined NATS and I was Manager ATC at Luton, we were told that all Luton inbounds were to work Stansted initially. I said, somewhat tongue in cheek, that I thought it inappropriate that Luton inbounds were to work our major competitor. I then heard it was going to be called Essex Radar! Well, I like the story any rate . . . .

[J.A.F.O.]

call them Stansted Approach instead of Essex Radar

As bookworm said, it wouldn't be a problem. I tend to call somewhere XYZ Approach if I'm actually approaching their field and XYZ Radar if I'm not but they'd know who you meant and if you tuned in and listened to the 463 airliners that would have spoken before someone took a breath for long enough for you to get a word in then you'd have got the callsign.

It can be very busy - some of the controllers don't appear to need to breathe in at all during their shift.

I think that the 0013 with Mode C is a terrific idea, well done whoever came up with that.

[javelin]

Most big CTA's have a conspicuity squawk MAN is 7366 and monitor the local freq.

So, you don't have to talk to anyone - bliss !

They don't want to talk to you ............... unless you are about to infringe

Fly, enjoy, listen, say nowt

[chevvron]

London LARS East sector frequency and transponder codes have been allocated. Area covered will not initially cover Luton/Stansted, but it's coming. Watch out for official press release & NOTAMs soon for initial runs early September.

[magpienja]

I get the idea with some aspects of atc and flight in class G with 737s ect all over the show into regionals as they do these days, that the right hand don't know what the lefts doing sometimes,

What a hotch potch,

Very confusing to a new pilot.

Nick.

[bookworm]

London LARS East sector frequency and transponder codes have been allocated. Area covered will not initially cover Luton/Stansted, but it's coming.

Pllleeeaaase encourage coverage of the BKY BPK corridor as soon as possible. The traffic density there is considerably higher than anywhere else I can think of, though I imagine BIG-OCK-Farnborough is just as bad.

[chevvron]

Don't worry it'll come! It'll take longer due to the need for extra equipment to be installed at Farnborough. I agree that traffic density in the 'north' area is as great (or even greater) as the present Farnborough area; the 'north' area will cover north of Luton and Stansted as well so it's a bit more complex to implement. Also remember the present Farnborough LARS is 30nm radius of Farnborough.

[bladewashout]

Does anyone else duck when you see a 737 going across your path, about 1-2000 feet above you, in the Luton/Stansted corridor?

At 2000 feet, twice last week I had one go over about 60 seconds ahead of me, looked to be at about 3000ft, but hard to tell. I believe the wake falls at about 500ft/min, but I wasn't going to hang about, so down to 1000 ft I went!

BW

[bookworm]

Does anyone else duck when you see a 737 going across your path, about 1-2000 feet above you, in the Luton/Stansted corridor?

Frankly no! It's the (usually light) stuff within 200 ft vertically and a few hundred yards horizontally that I could do with a bit more warning of.