Lately I have received lots of slots. This includes Newquay - Oxford. The problem in a turbine is you really do not want to start up and then shut down. RocketRoute does not seem to want to send those messages to freeze the slot.
RocketRoute always emails you the slot message which is great.
Doesn't happen if you use Rocketroute
Which bit doesn't happen -
AFAIK there is no problem discovering you got a slot if you have email connectivity the whole time.
EuroFPL send you SMS too.
The old Homebriefing.com service used to as well.
Doesn't RR offer SMS? I did suggest it to them several years ago - not everybody has email the whole time.
Doesn't happen that one doesn't get to know about a slot assignment before requesting startup. RR sends both SMS and emails for all relevant messages.
Same as EuroFPL then. Their free service (limited to 10 FPs/month I think) does just the email, obviously.
Thus I would prefer to just take it easy in the morning with my breakfast and adjust my timing according to the slot.
Exactly. That's how I use it.
I don't know if RR or EuroFPL facilitate a SWM. On the CFMU NOP portal (the protected version for which you need an ID) it's just a click. But others have reported that it's difficult to get an ID as a small operator.
I am sure the message (any AFTN message) can be sent with the AFPEX tool.
You need a UK postal address to get access. No need for any UK pilot license.
Unfortunately running AFPEX in a mobile environment is difficult. It's a java client. It can be run on an Ipad via RDP (remote desktop) but it is complicated to set this up. Android - I don't know.
The actual airspace is empty. I would happily give you £20 for every plane you can visually identify EGKA-LKPR cruising in the lower airway airspace.
Frankfurt airspace is between Prague and Shoreham. I flew over FRA in FL150 yesterday and could see plenty airliners on approach, departure like pearls on a string. I have no TCAS so spotted them with Mk1 eyeball only. Easy to see a white plane over a dark green forest.
Sure you see airliners in the terminal areas, and you see them high above (say FL300+), but they are not cruising in the lower airspace.
In general, the Eurocontrol routings keep GA a very long way away from CAT traffic in the terminal areas - both vertically and laterally.
An extreme case is Paris, where overflight is not possible below FL200 and the huge dogleg (BILGO etc) ensures that I have never even seen any of the traffic.
Frankfurt now seems to need FL140 minimum for the overhead transit. One can see traffic below but it is generally a long way below. I have TCAS set up for +/-3000ft and (even with the supposedly 15nm range) almost never does anything show up.
Last week, on this trip, I filed this route LDLO-EGKA, EOBT 0630 UTC.
I filed it several days ahead. However, shortly before the flight I got a 1.5 hour CTOT (a delay slot) apparently due to Swiss ATCOs calling in “sick”. This was really going to bugger me up, due to convective wx building up all over the place. This is the typical scenario later in the day
The filed route was this
LDLO N0152F110 PUL2F PUL P11 ROTAR L615 INBUT N503 VIC L615 LEGLO/N0148F130 L615 DESIP N851 UTAVO/N0147F140 N851 ELMUR/N0150F120 L613 HOC G4 HR/N0152F110 G4 RLP B3 BILGO H20 XORBI H40 NEBRU/N0150F120 H40 ABB N20 KUNAV DCT WAFFU EGKA
Someone suggested I change the Swiss part to VFR and re-file. So I did this
LDLO N0152F110 PUL2F PUL P11 ROTAR L615 INBUT N503 VIC L615 LEGLO/N0148F130 L615 DESIP N851 UTAVO/N0147F140 VFR N851 ELMUR/N0150F120 L613 HOC G4 HR/N0152F110 IFR G4 RLP B3 BILGO H20 XORBI H40 NEBRU/N0150F120 H40 ABB N20 KUNAV DCT WAFFU EGKA
which is the same route.
It wasn’t easy to do the change because I had only my phone and no useful enroute maps (the printed strip charts were in the plane). I got some tips though… Anyway, with the VFR…IFR change I was ready to go 15 mins later, 0630 UTC EOBT. Nice work! Eurocontrol did not issue a CTOT because VFR flights are not checked – they require no official ATC service so are not affected by ATC calling in sick.
When I was about to leave Italian airspace, they asked me if I really want to cancel IFR. I replied “negative”. This was accepted without any question 
When I entered Switzerland, they asked me if I was cancelling IFR. I replied “negative”. This was also accepted without any question
When I entered France, they asked me if I wanted an IFR clearance. I replied “negative; we are IFR already”. This was also accepted without any question
I reckon they thought this was all some Brussels computer glitch 
The same route was flown as originally filed… well, with some deviations because it was ISA+15 and we really struggled to remain VMC on top.
The first shortcut around Milan was “request right XX degrees to avoid” because there were some buildups in the way.
The second shortcut, right across Switzerland, essentialy DCT HR, was offered by ATC after I asked for it a few times.
The tops were around FL175. After about half an hour with the stall warner on (it comes on at Vs+10kt) we got to FL176. ATC asked if I am still climbing to FL180; I replied “negative, unable due aircraft performance”. They asked if I will descend to FL170; I replied with “negative, unable due icing conditions below” which was true because the temp was -6C at FL176 so this would be likely rapid icing. Plan B was to turn left and land at Cannes, refuel, and do a second flight home from there, but in the VMC conditions on top it was clear this would not be necessary. With an unusual level of ELP6, the ATCO said “would have been nice to be told”. But they let us stay there. Obviously there was no other traffic anywhere near.
I don’t think this VFR…IFR hack would work in Class A, or in much of France, for reasons here even though the FP would file OK via Eurocontrol. But as I said above, VFR was never actually cancelled, which makes the whole thing hilarious!
The fuel totaliser stabilised on 21 USG LFOB and we landed with 20.9 USG
Incidentally the bowser at LDLO is also very accurate these days – just 0.5% different from my totaliser (222 litres versus 221 litres).
Obviously one shouldn’t play dirty tricks with the Eurocontrol system and expect them to work. In general, declaring a leg VFR with the intention of flying it IFR can be considered a nasty trick.
However, in this situation it was adequate and I would have done the very same thing. The slot (CTOT) you got was due to a congestion in the Zurich area. You only got it because your filed route went via Zurich — something you never wanted (enforced by the Eurocontrol rules) and also something you could realistically expect to not fly. Your past experience told you that you would get pretty much a DCT from the entry point until the exit point which is exactly what happened:
Switzerland does not have airspace A and it is perfectly fine to file VFR legs in airspace C. Filing does not mean you can rely on getting a clearance but at least you did not file anything impossible.
I’d say this is exactly what one should do.
