I've previously left a little early, and up to 3 or 4 hours late without issue (trying it on successfully).

But these experiences are a little like driving too fast - the fact one gets away with it doesn't make it legal/correct.

I remain intrigued that it seems only the Norwegians have actually produced regulations on leaving early (VFR).

SERA.4001.(d):

The question is about leaving early compared to the filed departure time - not the submission time of the flight plan itself.

For what it is worth, in my personal experience, I've had no problems at Le Touquet with asking for start 20-30 mins early, so long as FPL filed electronically with Olivia or Skydemon. I've never asked elsewhere.

I tried to leave Ostend an hour early on a VFR plan about 4 months ago and was told no departure before flight plan time. So spent ten minutes cancelling existing plan and refiling. (Nb the plan came up on their system about 3 seconds after I pressed submit on SkyDemon).

Only after I got home did I realise that (of course) I’d simultaneously cancelled and refiled a GAR without giving the 4 hours notice but havent had a knock at the door yet.

Hm. So it's a Belgian thing?

Jan Olieslagers (!) any thoughts?

Best regards, Sam.

Alderney said half an hour was the max they could let me leave early.

Anyone know if VFR flight plans dont show up until 30 mins before estimated departure time at airfields in controlled airspace? The same as IFR ones?

Maybe that explains why Ostende and Alderney wouldn’t let you guys go. No flight plan on the system...yet.

At our place, A/G only, outside CAS, they show as soon as filed and we have no authority to hold aircraft.

Since VFR flight plans (at least AFAIK) are not handled centrally via Brussels, every country has its own system and limitations. My experience with VFR flight plans (Northern Europe/Baltics/Central Europe) ist that you might get away when you are 'a little early' (we talk about 10-15min), but not if you are an hour early. So the right strategy is really to submit a flight plan with the earliest theoretically possible departure time, and then just to shift the departure time (forward only) with delay messages. For a departure clearly earlier than stated on the submitted flight plan, I would call ARO, as suggested by a previous writer (again the national systems restrictions - there are systems where the entire flight plan will have to be re-filled).

I have similar experiences (VFR in Northern Europe/Baltics/Central Europe). Usually you get away when you are early by 10-15min. To avoid running into such a situation, I essentially always file a flight plan with the earliest (even theoretical) departure time, and the just 'shift it forward' with the normal delay message. Also (at least AFAIK) VFR flight plans are not handled centrally, so every country might have its own system (with inherent restrictions). There are systems for which the entire flight plan must be re-generated if the departure time changes...

Coming back to original situation, the controller had my plan in the system (presumably since the afternoon before). His unhappiness was with my wanting to 'launch' it 40 minutes early. After my question/query reply "I thought it was 1 hour +/- for VFR", the reply was: "we'll refile for you". Less than five minutes later I had my clearance to depart. So...?

It is a system issue. If he could have allowed you to depart without re-filing, he would have. Or am I missing something?

I think that had this been the reason, he would have said that? He was very clear that "VFR departure, only permitted on time up to +30 minutes".

Which I'm pretty certain is not correct - but can't find anything in writing, hence this thread.

I've looked hard and can't find anything either. Have always understood departure was allowed up to 30' before the filed departure time and 60' after, when the FPL automatically falls out of the system.

For departures from CAS, it is likely that whatever FPL you have filed, IFR or VFR, will have to be managed by the electronic system that produces strips for the controllers. What generally occurs is that these electronic systems that convert AFTN FPL messages to usable ATCO strips have time parameters that result in a strip appearing on the controller's display at a set time prior to departure. These parameters may vary between units. If you want to depart well in advance of your filed EOBT, it is possible that the ATCO will have to search the computer for a plan about which they have no knowledge, find the right one, bring it forward, and then ask the other agencies in the CAS, and in particular the parent unit, if they can bring their records forward as well: if they have the staff to do that. Proactive management of FPLs, e.g. sending CHG or DLA or cancelling and refiling is not difficult any more, thanks to the range of software on offer, and it is far better than hoping that ATC have the time and staff to prioritise a request to depart early for someone who hasn't bothered to manage their FPL.

Presumably the system is set up to manage the permitted limits. The difficult thing seems to be finding what those limits (leaving early VFR) happen to be...

I thought VFR was one hour before to one hour after, but haven't found anything either supporting, or destroying, that belief (except in Norway).

CAP 694 (for UK operations) says this:
6
Submission Time Parameters
6.1
The general ICAO requirement is that FPLs should be filed on the ground at least
60 minutes before clearance to start-up or
taxi is requested. The "Estimated Off Block
Time" (EOBT) is used as the planned departure
time in flight pla
nning, not the planned
airborne time. Exceptionally, in cases where
it is impossible to meet this requirement,
pilots or Aircraft Operators (AOs) should
give as much notice as possible, but never
less than 30 minutes.
6.2
In order to comply with the requirements of the Integrated Initial Flight Plan
Processing System (IFPS), FPLs for IFR flights should be filed a minimum of
60 minutes
before Estimated Off Block Time (EOBT)

We know this, that's not the question!

The question is about leaving earlier than the filed departure time, not when flight plans can be filed...

However, I see what you are getting at. You may well have submitted the FPL well in advance, but want to go early. It is likely that whoever wrote the guide innocently assumed that pilots would actively manage their FPLs, rather than taking a punt that ATC will have your FPL when you call for start/taxi. This might work outside CAS, but inside CAS, with electronically managed flight records, it is unlikely.

The question remains the same, how early can you leave on a VFR flight plan (compared to the departure time that was filed). Incredibly, it seems only Norway have actually produced a number (30 minutes early) - nobody else.

I remembered it being 1 hour before or after - but not sure, and no references anywhere...

So if I was creating an electronic flight data management system for airfields in CAS from scratch, I'd go to the national or ICAO guidance, and based on that I would set the time that the strip appears on the controller's display screen at somewhere between one hour and thirty minutes.