Ad Hoc fly-ins

While the meet-up in Alderney was cancelled, due to low cloud, I still went to practice an approach in actual IMC, as I’ve not done many of those, as a fairly new holder of the UK IR(R)/IMC rating.

I went with a friend that has the ‘full’ IR, and we filed an IFR flight plan for a ‘Eurocontrol IFR’ flight down to Alderney, initially at 5,000 ft, until south of SAM to join what appears to be airway Q41 at FL060 for the Channel crossing. We’d not filed for a return flight, as we hoped we could land despite the reported cloud base on departure being low (BKN004), file for the return leg and fly home.

The conditions deteriorated as we approached the Channel Islands – while on the RNP approach for runway 26 we were told that the cloud base was now SCT002 BKN003; we could not see a thing at the MDA, or even at the MAP where even looking straight down we couldn’t see the airfield which was only 300-350 feet below (there’s no doubt that this approach would have satisfied the FAA 6/6 rolling currency requirements (!)) So we flew the missed approach procedure. We asked Guernsey Approach if they would coordinate an airways joining clearance for the flight back to Fairoaks. They passed us to Jersey Control who cleared us into Q41 at FL070; after a brief stint with London Control (who issued us with a new squawk) we were with Solent Radar who asked us for our intentions beyond passing SAM (presumably because there was no flight plan to follow as we seemed to have an ad hoc clearance into Class A). Solent asked if we happy to leave CAS at PEPIS (north of Southampton) – we said this was fine – we could easily get back to Fairoaks on our own from there; the weather was much better than in the CI – but the controller did ask us what route we would like if we wanted to remain within CAS (but we didn’t have a considered request immediately to hand and so said we’d be happy to leave).

However, before we got to SAM, Solent told us that London Control wanted us back with them, so we were duly handed over and turned towards Goodwood – RIMUP, on an extremely busy frequency with a load of Heathrow & Gatwick arrivals. No time to hesitate when reading back instructions! Soon we were turned NE to NIDGO and to EVATA (with a request to descent fairly rapidly to be level at 4,000 ft at EVATA) and then handed over to Farnborough to join the KATHY 1V arrival until reaching 2,500 ft (the base of CAS) when we were free fly to Fairoaks OCAS.

A great training experience and I was very pleased with the service we got – I was surprised, as I had understood that “pop-up” clearances into Class A (especially around the LTMA) in the UK were not common. We could quite easily, of course, made it back IFR OCAS, but the airways clearances made it a lot easier (and safer) – and fun! More motivation to get my own IR …

Shame we didn’t get to do the meet-up though.

Looks like fun flying nonetheless, better than sunny meet up what was the reported visibility during the approach? anything bellow 3km means no runway in sight at DA when ceiling is edging 200ft-300ft (in theory, one needs 550m-2km depending on lights, guidance and runway but that’s the theory)

It was sunny toward Dover all the weekend

Thank you for writing this up Indochine
More interesting than a photo of a plate or airport parking

Indochine wrote:

A great training experience and I was very pleased with the service we got – I was surprised, as I had understood that “pop-up” clearances into Class A (especially around the LTMA) in the UK were not common. We could quite easily, of course, made it back IFR OCAS, but the airways clearances made it a lot easier (and safer) – and fun! More motivation to get my own IR …

This was not really a pop-up clearance as you were diverting after a missed approach so your flight plan was still active. Of course, a flight plan doesn’t specify the route to the alternate, so ATC has to ask. Did you file Fairoaks as alternate?

Airborne_Again wrote:

This was not really a pop-up clearance as you were diverting after a missed approach so your flight plan was still active.

I agree, the airways flight plan and transponder code have remained alive the whole flight, so in theory, you can go back to system easily, if you talk to London Terminal Control frequency or Secondary Radar Units (e.g. Solent, Jersey, Southampton, Thames, Farbrough)

If you go-missed from non-ATS airfields after leaving airspace: LTC frequency or secondary ATSU units YMMV:

- If you swap to 7000 (VFR) or 2000 (IFR): your FPL will be dead even after missed approach, on first contact with London Info or Radar ATSU, you may need a new flight plan as well as transponder code and altitude verification, it will tough as hell to get back to system as ‘pop-up IFR’ (about 30min of coordination by then you are likely to have landed somewhere)

- If you stay on airway squawk: your FPL is designed to stay open if you execute a missed and pop-up on screen within 30nm of arrival airfield, if you call London Info they can fetch it but as their frequency is usually busy it’s easier to simply revert to previous radar frequency (Thames Radar on east side or Farnbrough Radar west side), then it’s as simple as walk in the park

In both cases, LTC issue a new transponder code 0027 or 32xx while you are on direct to alternate filed or not it does not matter…

Ibra wrote:

what was the reported visibility during the approach? anything bellow 3km means no runway in sight at DA when ceiling is edging 200ft-300ft (in theory, one needs 550m-2km depending on lights, guidance and runway but that’s the theory)

Visibility was reported at 2,000 metres.

Airborne_Again wrote:

Did you file Fairoaks as alternate?

No, Jersey. But I take you/Ibra’s point that this was not a true “pop-up” (cf. freecalling London Info without a flight plan asking for a Class A route); we were on an “airways” squawk the whole time (which changed on the way back). Still, one often reads on here stories of being (in the UK) dumped outside of Class A and not being able to get back in; so I was surprised by how helpful ATC were and by the joined-up nature of the co-ordination between Jersey/Solent/London/Farnborough. But perhaps that is just the system working properly.

Still, one often reads on here stories of being (in the UK) dumped outside of Class A and not being able to get back in

Happened to me at Lydd, the ILS DA minima there is so high that you may need oxygen to fly it level, you get asked to switch back to London Info and there you go , I guess it boils down to continuous “being in touch radar units” and retaining “airways squawk”…the same dump style will happen “if you get thrown to Shoreham”

Not the case on dump at DET to Stapleford with Thames Radar or when diverting from Elstree to Biggin in IMC back to TMA, things are just smooth with top coordination just hectic radio

We are going to Ireland next week. And now I’m thinking about a meet-up at Dublin from Friday 12th to Saturday 13th. We are going to Weston EIWT for refueling on Friday, so we may stay for a night at Dublin. Anyone interested to meet there on Friday evening?