Bournemouth - Alderney
 

Anyone familiar with flying Bournemouth to Alderney? Gonna do the route later this week and wondered what people's expereinces are.

- do you normally get a FIS/RIS from Solent or London FIR?
- do they expect you to intercept the SAM - MP SVFR route always? (if so where?)
- are direct routings commonplace?
- what sort of alt/FL is typical (I realise this is wx dependant)
- are there any common anomolies to be aware of?

All tips/hints gratefully received.
Many thanks :)
Mark

Hi Mark,

I did the route today, routed HH-THRED-N866-ORTAC-ALD IFR then DCT ORTAC DCT BIA IFR on the way back.

Flew down there at FL060 talking to Bournemouth Radar initially, they then gave me a hand off to London. They pretty much gave me direct ORTAC just after I contacted them before I had got to THRED. On the way back flew at A030 from ALD-ORTAC then direct to Bournemouth from there at A030 on a FIS from Bournemouth App.

Any other questions, give me a shout.
M330

Monarch we are all suitably impressed with your IR (or IR training) but looking at the original post I am pretty certain that this a VFR trip by an inexperianced pilot. For the record I do the trip WCO-R41-SAM-N866-ORTAC then NDB at FL140.

But back to the original question.....

If I was making the trip VFR I would head direct from BIA to ORTAC at the best alt you can get. Bournemouth are pretty good at giving a service until quite a way out into the briney, but be prepared to be on your own for awhile if you are low. As you approach ORTAC make sure you descend below the N866 airway. As you approach Jersey Zone will pick you off, give you a SVFR clearance into the zone and direct Alderney. Dont worry about the fancy use of airways intersections shown above, just fly direct, ORTAC is on your VFR 1/2 mil.

What day are you going? I am due in Jersey on Friday for a meeting.

I go EGHH -NEDUL - ORTAC - Alderney at A030. FIS / RIS from Bournemouth then possibly London Info depending on their mood. Handed off to Jersey Zone 10nm N of ORTAC.

Way back, I normally call Bournemouth just North of ORTAC for FIS all the way home.

Easy peasy.

Thanks for the reply guys.

Yes, this is gonna be VFR on thurs (Wx permitting), there will be no drinks service, it'll be in a 2-seater and I hope not to be IFR at any point during the flight, lol :\

N866 is the obvious limitation to alt, outside of the CTA, but is an SVFR clearance here likely/typical.

Sounds like no need to trouble Brest hopefully then.

If direct ORTAC seems probable, then I guess homing the NDB to ALD from somewhere abeam the needles/NEDUL is the most convenient method of getting there?

Thanks again
Mark

Not at those ranges, it is a marker/loc NDB with as I recall a 20nm promulgamated range. Got a GPS?

Well yes perhaps a little hopeful. AIS reports 50nm range.

D'oh just spotted SAM - NEDUL - ORTAC - ALD seem to be in a nice line too!

Yeah, got GPS so hopefully shouldnt get to lost... :)

Problem with that route is it keeps you low as the airway above it is 3500ft. Personally I would fly direct and get high!

I use Bournemouth as a waypoint to Alderney and would suggest coast out sandbanks and just fly direct to Alderney, call up Jersey zone 10 miles coasting out with a fis followed by a ris from Jersey. Very straight forward, enjoy;)

On busy days your SAM dme can be bullied off by stronger signals on route nedul.

It would be easier to have said you were on a dual IR training flight.:E

Well apologies for trying to help out :p

..... avoiding D031 and perhaps D026 to the south of Swanage and St.Alban's Head.
Try EGHH --> 5030N00155W --> 5000N00206W --> EGJA
Or ..... If if you want to climb, stay to the west of N866 (suggest by a decent margin) and climb to your hearts content (in which case consider going 5030N00155W --> 5000N00214W --> EGJA)
Bournemouth for FIS (119.475) then then at least 10nm out from the CI Zone boundary at 5000N, call Jersey Zone for FIS & RIS (125.20).
Get AFIS from GUR (109.40) .
Jersey usually pass you on to Guernsey Approach (128.65) who, in turn, eventually pass you onto Alderney Tower ( 125.35)
All very civilised.

Sanbanks direct 500 ASL - call Jer 10m out - watch out for Hawks RtoL
heaps of fun - call Portalnd CG in/outbound :8 :8

Probably not the best example to follow but a damn sight more interesting

If you mean "can I get a SVFR clearance into N866" the answer is NO - you can only get SVFR in a CTR. Minor point.

Brooklands

Whatever you do, stay away from the Power Stations near Cap de la Hague.
If the vis is good, you will see both the French coast and Alderney from miles out so never a problem.
As Bose X says - go highest possible level relative to route and that tends to mean avoiding the airway base.

well very grateful to all for the thoughts - feel much better prepared thanks to the benefit of your knowledge/previous experience
mark