Departing Channel Islands VFR dct Plymouth..
 

Hi,

I have just been perusing the airspace within the Channel Islands CTR/A and note that if I wish to depart NW bound from Alderney I am in class A up to FL195 within the Channel Islands zone.

From that I assume that I would have to file IFR to get a clearance and there are strictly no VFR departures? A mate of mine is planning on doing his CPL x country and wanted to look at the possibility of going direct BHD.

Understandably outside of CI airspace liaising with Plymouth Mil is a must due to all the training areas in that neck of the woods (weekend mind you)

Cheers :ok:

Strange you've never heard of SVFR

Come on John, it`s a ligitimate question.

There are many Cat A airspaces around that will not allow any VFR flights.
So I gather that Jersey Zone will give you special VFR clearance to enter the Channel Islands CTR?

Thanks

You cannot fly SVFR in Class A airways or CTAs - only in CTRs. Why do so many people not know this??

Sorry, I assumed that someone doing a CPL would know about Class A CTR and SVFR.

SVFR is routinely given within CI CTR as long as vis is greater than 3km and the cloudbase isn't at sea level.

However on a UK licence you'd need an IMCR to accept a clearance in less than 10km.

Plymouth Mil do not work weekends

The danger areas are usually inactive at weekends (but check NOTAMS for additional activity). Once within 60nm of the NQY you can get a service from Newquay radar if you are high enough.

Perhaps because the requirement to use SVFR to do this in severe clear weather is limited to precisely two CTRs, one of which is not well known for its airport's open arms to light fixed-wing GA, and the other of which is caught up in some kind of ATM timewarp?