Odiham MATZ
 

I want to fly from Wycombe Air Park to Sandown on Sunday and was wondering if I should avoid flying directly overhead Odiham due to the gliding at weekends? Ha s anyone done this? Obviosly I would get an FIS from Farnborough LARS, but are they likely to reroute me anyway?

Cheers

D

I'd ask to route overhead Farnborough rather than Odiham. Keeps you out of the way of Blackbushe and further away from Lasham too.

Evo, cant say I favour your route. The direct route I have in mind is clear of Blackbush anyway, and going overhead means getting very close to the LHR Class A airspace, then leaves me a bunch of danger areas to dodge. If I went above 3000ft QFE I'd be clear of the MATZ anyway.

I dont know, maybe I'll go direct to Southampton and fly aorund the Needles instead.

What's the call sign for Farnbrough LARS anyway??

I use Farnborough Radar - they've never complained yet. :)

Dude~ - fair enough. Overhead Farnborough is the one I ask for and usually get, but you can always ask for overhead Odiham. They'll say no if it's busy.

Oh, and can you route direct to Southampton? That will take you straight down their approach/departure (depending on runway in use). They're usually happy to let you through East-West, but I thought a North-South transit was fairly rare?

Hmm good point. Do you know how I can find out? Would it be worth ringing the tower to ask?

Booker to Sandown VFR in as straight-a-line as sensible will have you coming down directly overhead Blackbushe until inbetween Odiham and Farnborough, then jink right heading direct Sandown.

Keeps you out of Blackbushe ATZ (LTMA is 3500+ over Blackbushe, ATZ is to ALT2400), out of Farnborough and Odiham way (MATZ will probably be cold, but the ATZ will be active) and out of Solent's class D completely -- say initial heading 190 then jink right to 205 ish before coasting-out over the east side of Portsmouth harbour...

If you want children just watch-out for Oakhanger ;)

I've never known Farnborough object to any routing 'straight line' anywhere unless it passes through the Odiham ATZ rather than above it. I often plan Popham - Hook - (across Odiham ATZ) - Petersfield - B Waltham -(across Solent E-W) - Romsey to Old Sarum for a navex for US or SA trained pilots wanting to start flying at Popham and new to UK airspace. Looks horrendous, works fine.
The think about Solent is to notice the orientation of airspace, which suggests N-S routing would be unwelcome, (due to runway alignment), (so route to one side), whereas E-W OK unless your radio patter is - err- um --err ---- err -- quite --- eerrrr - poor! :O
Make sure you're at least 2021 feet if you pass over Fleetlands, watch out for that little triangle of Solent which drops to 2500' just NW of Fleetlands too and remember Lee has gliders!

Farnborough are always friendly and helpful, and like Irv says, as long as you keep clear of the Odiham ATZ, it's usually a case of anything goes. Lasham is generally more of a problem than Odiham, Farnborough will tell you if they're active.

As for call sign, I use Farnborough Radar if I want a LARS service from them, or Farnborough Zone if I want to transit the MATZ, but I don't think it really matters.

As for phoned Southampton, I've never done this, but I have phoned other ATC units for flight planning advice, and they are always, without exception, helpful. They'd much rather you phone before your flight than take off without having planned properly!

FFF
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Having tried to transit Solent E-W or W-E several times I have to say I get a rather mixed response and there seems very little reason to it - no obvious "congestion"

Sometimes on the initial call you seem to get "Remain clear of controlled airspace until I call you back" - by which time I had already doglegged around the IoW and was about to call Bmth App.

Other times they seem to fall obver themselves to help - most recently it seems because I have asked for vectors to the ILS at EGHH to keep current with some form of instrument approach - asking for this seems to make it very easy - especially if you tell them you can accept IMC or VMC.

Agree that a N/S transit overhead would not be received too well but it does seem odd that some days they are very helpful and others completely the opposite.

Any comments?

Thanks

TZ

Thanks for the replies everyone. Unfortunately I dont have time to reply in depth, just to say I decided not to fly that route on sunday due to the weather, so some other time. I did however, call Southampton ATC to enquire about a north south transit via SAM. They said they have no objection to it, providing traffic levels permit it. I asked if in reality it would be very unlikely to be approved, they said no, but be flexible and be prepared to route via the VRPS either to the east or west as requested.

Therefore, being reasopnably smooth on the radio I think I will try it, but also be ready to skirt round the edge too.

Odhiam MATZ sounds easy, as long as one avoids the ATZ and talks to Farnbrough.

ANyway, I'll let you know if I get my N/S transit granted!

D