Advice on changing height OCAS

[cutandpaste]

When recieving a Basic service outside controlled airspace from an ATC unit what is the protocol for changing height, do I request a climb or just inform ATC that I am climbing.

[soay]

You don't have to do either, in that context. Just bimble about in silence.

[sandbagsteve]

What about if you were receiving a de-confliction service?

[Barnaby the Bear]

Under a basic service. No requirement to say anything unless you have entered into a co-ordinated agreement with the ATCO, possibly due other traffic.

Under a Deconfliction, Traffic or Procedural Service you 'should' advise ATC before any change in level. There are very good obvious reasons for this.

[Rightbase]

You don't have to but ......

You don't have to do either, in that context. Just bimble about in silence.

Well, cutandpaste, if the RT is not busy, I would tell them - it can do no harm, and saves them wondering what I might do next.

If the RT is busy, it would depend on why the RT is busy. If there's a lot of busy sky around I would not start wandering around unpredictably.

[fisbangwollop]

The majority of my customers ( Scottish Info on a Basic Service ) apart from advising the level on initial contact never say again if they go up or down.......thats fine by me and keeps the R/T to a min. That said there is always the one that will tell you every time he adjusts even by 50ft!! . Based on that if I give traffic information I tend to ignore the level and just use the geographical location in deciding if I should advise other traffic.....i.e. I may say "a C152 just reported Stirling last reported VFR at 2000ft.

[Gertrude the Wombat]

Based on that if I give traffic information I tend to ignore the level and just use the geographical location in deciding if I should advise other traffic.....i.e. I may say "a C152 just reported Stirling last reported VFR at 2000ft".

When I hear a controller telling someone about me "last reported at 3000ft" I might chip in with "G-ABCD now at 4000ft".

[Slopey]

ditto - when getting the usual excellent service from Scottish, if there's someone in the area and I've changed level, I'll drop a little update with my current level - but only if it's someone nearby or they're being told about me.

[cats_five]

Originally Posted by fisbangwollop

<snip>
I may say "a C152 just reported Stirling last reported VFR at 2000ft.

If he is heading north one sincerely hopes he will change height!

[englishal]

I'd tell them if I were changing level, it is good practice to get into.

[Fuji Abound]

I recall many years ago reporting whilst OCAS in IMC that I was inbound to X beacon at FL50. I next reported being overhead the beacon at FL40 in the descent. AT got very excited - and rightly so.

[fisbangwollop]

Slopey....

when getting the usual excellent service from Scottish,

Thanks for that it is well appreciated...

[cutandpaste]

Thanks for all the replies, the answer seems to be (for Basic service) I would be under no obligation but it wouldn't hurt to inform ATC of substantial changes.

[Slopey]

Originally Posted by fisbangwollop

Thanks for that it is well appreciated...

np, well deserved imho. Was nice to be flying back up the coast from France and tuning into Scottish, that's when you know you're "home" (and thanks for arranging a MATZ transit over Leuchars under the clag at 1000ft en-route for us when we couldn't get them by phone that morning).

[madlandrover]

Thanks for that it is well appreciated...

It's all our pleasure - spent a year or so ferrying Inverness - Dundee for maintenance flights, and the friendly voice was very comforting at times! Also useful more recently in IMC when various radar equipped agencies refused our convoy of aircraft any useful service, and Info displayed a fair amount of practical common sense in giving us a very good Basic Service. To whichever FISO it was in August: the EDI controller didn't quite have a heart attack when all 3 aircraft estimated EDN within 2 mins of each other in IMC at slightly different levels, but his sense of humour did start to struggle with the third aircraft...

[fisbangwollop]

and the friendly voice was very comforting at times!

Once again many thanks for those kind thoughts....its easy to be friendly talking to you guys and gals over Scotland...easy for me in my nice warm cozy ops room as you struggle over the high ground in the best Summer weather Scotland can find.. ( Driving rain and low scudding cloud!! )