Eurocontrol CTOT / airport slot assignments for light GA and how to get around them

I found another way today to beat these “staff shortage” CTOTs.

The problem is that when they come in, my laptop is packed up and all I have handy is a phone. So what can one do with just a phone, and easily?

The key turned out to be this:

VFR routes are not checked. The problem is that it is not easy, AFAICT, with the Autorouter, to change IFR to VFR in the flight plan header. You have to do it all again, it seems. But if you file VFR-IFR i.e. “Z” (could also be VFR-IFR-VFR which is also “Z”) then the header does not need changing. You merely need to cancel the old FP, and then load the route again, open it for editing, and just move the “IFR” keyword further down. This is quite easy to do with a phone.

For example today’s route, which produced something like a dozen CTOTs of lengths varying from 27 mins to 1hr, and with them alternating bizzarely, was

EGKA N0152F100 XORBI/N0152F100 IFR H20 PERON/N0152F110 H20 BILGO B3 RLP G4 HOC/N0152F150 L613 RIPUS/N0146F160 N850 GERSA Z50 SOPER/N0145F170 Z50 RESIA P131 TAGIP/N0144F150 P131 MOVOR/N0146F120 P131 ADOSA/N0150F110 L612 CHI/N0152F110 VFR LDLO

and I just moved the “IFR” (in bold above) to after HOC, producing a route which was VFR all the way through France, so bypassing any area where there may be French ATC issues.

Then, when initially speaking to France, and at FL070 across the Channel, I called them up and asked for an IFR clearance and a climb FL100. The wx was nice…

It took them a long time; I’d say about an hour! So I was VFR for a long way, but you can fly VFR below FL120 in France, and they let you fly more or less the same routes as you would fly IFR. Eventually they gave me a Eurocontrol squawk and a climb.

It would not have worked in bad wx, when you need a climb to get VMC on top and such a delay could have been really dangerous.

I did try in the past to depart from Shoreham anyway as VFR but nobody in the tower would allow it – as expected. The only way one could do it is with an untowered departure: a farm strip, or departing before the tower opens (needs a signed indemnity). Then nobody would give a damn because once you are airborne, ATC don’t care about CTOTs. The entire implementation of CTOTs (which are mostly software artefacts) is via tower staff. And this is obviously another way to get around them

Because in bad wx you may be sitting in icing conditions, but can’t get a climb if VFR in most of NE France, above FL115.

Peter wrote:

Because in bad wx you may be sitting in icing conditions, but can’t get a climb if VFR in most of NE France, above FL115.

Or even worse you could not stay VMC for the part which is planned VFR.

Esp. in Germany they very carefully check if weather conditions are really VMC for the VFR part of the route – there actually have been cases of fines for pilots who tried to bypass such restrictions by filing VFR and then departed into a flight where they have known that they could not actually fly it VFR – just to try to press ATC top give them an IFR clearance earlier.

So don’t try this “trick” in Germany if you not really intend to fly the VFR part actually in VMC.

Not if there is terrain, or mil airspace, etc. Also sometimes not in the winter.

VFR in IMC, ir VFR when trying to avoid IMC, can get you into a difficult situation.

But I am sure you know all this. I just thought it was a useful tip, because if the FP is already “Z” then in AR you just need to load the route (which produced the CTOT) and edit just the position of the “IFR” keyword. Then re-file it. No need to dig out the Eurocontrol page which shows the ATC problem areas and work out where to put firstly a “VFR” keyword (and then change the FP from “I” to “Z”) and secondly a matching “IFR” keyword later on. Doing it this way enables a re-filing without doing a re-route, which is key if you have already got a route prepared and don’t want to change it.

Out of Shoreham, going VFR to France is shorter than going IFR to France, generally, because London Control send one a long way out east.

there actually have been cases of fines for pilots who tried to bypass such restrictions by filing VFR and then departed into a flight where they have known that they could not actually fly it VFR – just to try to press ATC top give them an IFR clearance earlier.

We have done this one here before. Were they actual collected fines, or “pilot forum fines”? I can’t see a court action succeeding on the “where they have known that they could not actually fly it VFR” assertion. If somebody got fined, I’d like to know the details. It is perfectly legitimate to fly VFR to avoid a CTOT.

It took them a long time; I’d say about an hour! So I was VFR for a long way, but you can fly VFR below FL120 in France, and they let you fly more or less the same routes as you would fly IFR. Eventually they gave me a Eurocontrol squawk and a climb.

They gave you IFR before BILGO as you get in Alpha? (although it’s not unheard to get VFR climbs by Paris into Alpha while they “workout your IFR” but I only heard it on phone for startup from airfield without SID), Seine SIV west of Paris & Beauvais SIV north of Paris are NOTAMed U/S that would explain the delays?

there actually have been cases of fines for pilots who tried to bypass such restrictions by filing VFR and then departed into a flight where they have known that they could not actually fly it VFR

We have done this for “IFR icing”, is there now some sort of METAR/TAF in TMA or Airways at cruise levels that publishes “VFR VMC”? my understanding, in-flight conditions VMC & IMC are always pilot interpreted (not talking about Delta CTR aerodrome where Visibility & Ceiling are measured and broadcasted in ATIS for takeoff & landing)

Even in days with cloud-base at OVC006 and cloud tops at FL200, you can happily cruise VFR in VMC between 6kft-8kft, this was IFR but surprised how much VMC is out there

Peter wrote:

Were they actual collected fines, or “pilot forum fines”? I can’t see a court action succeeding on the “where they have known that they could not actually fly it VFR” assertion. If somebody got fined, I’d like to know the details.

At least in one case they actually paid fines. It was a flight from somewhere near Hamburg to Berlin.

Exactly the same case: They did not get an IFR flight plan through with an acceptable CTOT (due to some slot regulations) so they thought they’d be clever by filing VFR until almost at destination (which obviously is no problem in Class E airspace in Germany). They had, however to cross a warm front with ceilings below 1000ft and Tops in the two hundreds.
Half way en route they got stuck between layers approaching the front and demanded an IFR clearance …

So yes, it has been clear before departure that the flight could impossibly performed in VMC as planned and yes also the court agreed that they should have known and actually did know this fact.

Ibra wrote:

in-flight conditions VMC & IMC are always pilot interpreted

Yes, this is generally true – there are, however, weather conditions where it might be quite difficult for the pilot to explain why he actually interpreted it the way he did. Expecting a “magic VMC tunnel” when crossing a winter warm front with low ceilings and high tops or expecting “no ice” when passing a Cu at -5 rightfully poses some questions if the pilot has enough knowledge on weather to safely operate an airplane…

So yes, it has been clear before departure that the flight could impossibly performed in VMC as planned and yes also the court agreed that they should have known and actually did know this fact.

That is legal BS. They had a very poor defence lawyer, and/or it was a kangaroo court

With wx, there are no “facts” in advance.

Are you sure there were no other factors? Forum reports are often partial.