flight plan with VFR airports but IFR route?
 

Hi,

I'm planning a flight which has both departure and arrival airports that are VFR only, but I'd like to fly most of the route in IFR, to take advantage of IFR rules, airways, etc. How would one file such a flight plan though?

Because both departure and arrival airports are VFR only, I guess a V (VFR) flight plan has to be filed. but then, can I put in IFR sections, something like:

WP1 IFR AWY1 WP2 AWY2 WP3 VFR WP4

where WP[1..4] are waypoints, and AWY[1..2] are airway designators.

would this work? if not, how to go about this?

any pointers welcome


Akos

you need to put a Z in the flight rules box (item 8) and then pretty much as you said -

CHANGE OF FLIGHT RULES (Maximum 3 characters)
The point at which the change of flight rules is planned, expressed exactly as in
2) or 3) above as appropriate, followed by a space and one of the following:
VFR if from IFR to VFR
IFR if from VFR to IFR
Examples: LN VFR
LN/N0284A050 IFR

in the route box (item 15)

Have fun!

thanks for the response.

so basically with a Z flight plan I can 'change back' to VFR at some point. it doesn't mean that the flight has to end in IFR

good to know :)

Yes, the Y and Z flight plans allow you to change the flight rules en route more than once. You just need to put the letter Y or Z according with the first planned change.


/h88

Just for curiosity, when did you do your IFR rating? Yankee and Zulu flight plans are part of the teaching syllabus and the annual check, or at least should be.

Why wouldn't you plan IFR the entire flight? I cannot see anything wrong in flying under IFR rules from or to a VFR airport.
Local regulations may vary, but I have never heard of any country where it is forbidden to do that.

Why wouldn't you plan IFR the entire flight? I cannot see anything wrong in flying under IFR rules from or to a VFR airport.
Local regulations may vary, but I have never heard of any country where it is forbidden to do that.

Simply because Eurocontrol will not validate an IFR FPL containing TO or LDG at an airport without proper IFR equipment.

Easy to remember! :ok:

IFR to VFR is Y - remember "IVY"
VFR to IFR is Z - remember "VIZ"

The world is interesting. In the USA, we would have no problem filing an IFR flight plan from any airport to any airport.

Your takeoff into controlled airspace has to be coordinated with ATC , sometimes with a telephone call and specific times to be airborne .

Your landing approach to an airport without an instrument approach procedure has to allow for descent under vfr/vmc from min enroute or min vectoring altitudes.


Sometimes a controller will say: be advised that airport X has no instrument approach, say intentions. And you should be smart enough to say: request vectors at min vectoring altitude to a point three miles south of the airport and then plan visual approach upon reporting airport in sight.


But you are IFR all the way if you choose to be.


How are things in Budapest? How is the shop around the corner?

Yes it will. I file IFR FPL's to/from EGLD all the time.

It depends on the country. In the UK, IFR flight plans can be filed to and from airports without IFR approach aids. If anything, though, that's the exception rather than the rule around Europe. Try filing an IFR flight plan from Denham to, say, a German VFR airfield and your flight plan will be rejected with an error message. Eg:

PROF193: IFR OPERATIONS AT AERODROME EDFE ARE NOT PERMITTED [EDFE200A]

Because you want to use the privileges of your newly acquired EASA EIR.

Exactly. Otherwise the utility of an EIR would be seriously reduced if it could only be used from VFR only airfields.

That is one of the major concerns now i.e. in Germany with EIR - many flight plans will not be flown as filed, but diverted to small VFR-only places. I wonder what will happen in these constraint national bull****bingo states with EIR practical experience ...

Europe; the place where making simple things difficult comes naturally.