Piotr, autorouter uses the very same database as IFPS so our idea of the route is the same. We do take the arrival into account, to the extent that we have data available. We typically do not have all waypoints of the approach procedure but the difference should be small. Other solutions on the market do not know about SID/STAR and just assume a DCT from/to the enroute fix. Eurocontrol internally always add a SID/STAR if none is given in the flight plan and the disseminated version includes that. This means that we are typically more precise than other solutions out there.
There is one other issue that could cause your problem: autorouter currently does not apply the wind forecast to the flight plan it files. It calculates all times without wind. The briefing pack you get is with wind, however. The documentation from Eurocontrol is not clear on this but we are most likely going to change it so that we use the wind forecast. If you file your plan 5 days in advance, then it could have a detrimental effect. Not an easy subject…
We use the Eurocontrol database to compute EET, so we really compute it exactly as Eurocontrol does, except that we use a more precise aircraft model.
I’m sorry, I should have written: this is not what ATS expects instead of this is not what Eurocontrol expects.
If your calculated landing time, even calculated the official way, is more than 10 mn sooner than your actual landing time, alerfa will be triggered.
It’s hence a good idea to try to estimate your actual landing time, instead of calculating it the way Eurocontrol does.
For a flight with a FPL with no arrival report from crew, ICERFA should be triggered before H+30 (and not necessarily at H+10).
It’s hence a good idea to try to estimate your actual landing time, instead of calculating it the way Eurocontrol does.
Given that all IFR flight plans in Europe go through the IFPS profiler, it’s a hence a good idea for French AIS to do it like the rest and stick to the standard ICERFA timeframes. If in doubt, they should be able to check with ATC. I don’t think there is a problem on the planning/filing side of things.
I wondered why very often, the ATS calls me on my mobile phone to remind me to close my flight plan. It happens when I land at an unattended airfield, in France. They call during taxi, just after landing. Incerfa begins 10mn after estimate time for landing, so why do they call while I’m still taxying?
Incerfa actually starts 30 mins after ETA. That makes the difference in ETA much less critical. Why is French ATC calling so early?
Annex 11
5.2 Notification of rescue coordination centres
5.2.1 Without prejudice to any other circumstances that
may render such notification advisable, air traffic services
units shall, except as prescribed in 5.5.1, notify rescue coordination
centres immediately an aircraft is considered to be in a
state of emergency in accordance with the following:
a) Uncertainty phase when:
1) no communication has been received from an aircraft
within a period of thirty minutes after the time a communication should have been received, or from
the time an unsuccessful attempt to establish communication
with such aircraft was first made,
whichever is the earlier, or when
2) an aircraft fails to arrive within thirty minutes of the
estimated time of arrival last notified to or estimated
by air traffic services units, whichever is the later,
except when no doubt exists as to the safety of the
aircraft and its occupants
