First Flight to Guernsey
 

Planning to fly to Guernsey from Shoreham tomorrow- I am thinking of going direct from St Catherine's Point to Alderney via ORTAC (keeping below Q41)

Any tips? Also is the GAR form sufficient for Special Branch ETC?

Many Thanks
Rog

Keep a good lookout for airliners.

Just because the Trislanders have their own private airway doesn't mean they always use it. The last one I flew in (as pax) crossed at 1,200'.

If the danger areas are cold (very likely on a bank holiday) I'd go dct ORIST dct and fly higher. ORIST is on the Eastern edge of Q41 near ORTAC.

Get a radar service from Bournemouth and transfer to Jersey zone about 15 miles NE of ORIST. They'll clear you into the zone and give you an altitude and pass you on to Guernsey. You can get the Guernsey ATIS from GUR VOR a good 50 miles out.

The GAR form sent to Customs and Special Branch 12 hours before you go will do the formalities, I should imagine the ops folk at Shoreham would deal with that for you if you give them the form.

Don't forget to file a flight plan with ETA for zone boundary and request for SVFR clearance in box 18 assumin this is a VFR flight.

Visted the channels islands in May for the Jersey Air Rally. Flew Edinburgh - Plymouth - Guernsey - Alderney - Lessay - Jersey.

All very straightforward from what I can recall. Majority of our clearances in the Jersey Zone were not above 1000'

When approaching Guernsey we were asked to route via North East Point and then right base join for 27.

Just remember to ask for SVFR clearance to enter the zone.

12 hours special branch is only if your point of UK departure / arrival is not designated. No need to notify Guernsey (other than flightplan) as far as I can recall.

Went on Monday- The wx was near perfect, and everything went to plan
Thanks for your help everyone!

special VFR Channel Islands
 

I know it was a while ago, but how did you route in the end? I am hoping to fly to Alderney on friday. Wx may not be too promising. If I understand it correctly one can ask for special VFR southampton-Ortac and go anything up to FL100. Might not get it of course!

It's just VFR outside the Solent zone. Easy route is go via the BIA and then get a climb to ten OCAS direct GUY.

and just to add no clearance is required because as Bose says is plain and simple VFR and OCAS so you do whatever you like until you reach the zone.

Am I reading this wrong, but Q41 goes from SAM to ORTAC at FL35 and is class A....? No SVFR possible in an airway.

I normally go down West of Q41 through the channel DA's to a point 5nm west of Ortac then there are no altitude restrictions.

Unless you are an IR holder you can't route SAM-ORTAC at anything above FL035 and then you'd be IFR not SVFR.

You can route from BIA down the West side of Q41 at any altitude you like VFR or IFR OCAS and you'll be clear of the Danger Areas too, they may well be active on a Friday, especially D026.

You'll need to contact Jersey Zone about 15 miles out and they'll clear you SVFR into the zone and give you an altitude.

alderney
 

thanks for all the useful comments. I have got an IR, but I think we might go VFR via GARMI then west of Cap de la Hague. It is a bit of a dogleg, but the sea leg is a little bit shorter and you avoid being descended to 1000 or 2000 ft a long way out by Jersey zone, which I understand is common.
I appreciate most people stay just east or west of Q41 and that works well too.

If you have an IR I strongly recommend using it. SAM ORTAC DCT Alderney will then work and you'll get FL060 probably.

It's highly unlikely that Jersey will push you down below about 3000ft even if you go VFR. I've gone both East and West of Q41 at FL050 many times and I've usually been cleared into the zone in the descent to 3000ft and then routed DCT Alderney and stepped down at my convenience.

alderney
 

Sounds like good advice. Thank you, I will take it! At the risk of being off-topic, has anyone subscribed to Rocket Route for flight planning? I have tried it for free and it is neat, but I am not convinced it is worth the money to me.