Hi all, I am planning some France/Germany cross-border flying and I am wondering about some technicality of the flight plan activation procedure.
Let’s say I am taking off from Germany for a flight to France, but I want to first do a little spontaneous detour for sightseeing over Germany. Do I need to include the detour in the flight plan (making it, therefore, less spontaneous) and then proceed as usual or is there a way to take off without getting the FPL activated and then after I am done with the sightseeing have it activated in-flight and head towards the border?
I also wonder if in such a case the estimate of the border crossing would be relative to takeoff time or to FPL activation time.
Just activate FPL on takeoff and adjust EET vs takeoff time 
Some ATS may not be able to fetch FPL very far in the past, better have it activated and live and do what you wish, it’s not like there is someone holding the gate for you
Ibra wrote:
Just activate FPL on takeoff and adjust EET vs takeoff timeSome ATS may not be able to fetch FPL very far in the past, better have it activated and live and do what you wish, it’s not like there is someone holding the gate for you
My concern is more about deviating from the planned route, especially in Germany. If I file a direct route and then fly a heading going say 90 degrees to the east are they going to be happy with it? I know probably French controllers wouldn’t mind as long as I informed them about it.
On a VFR flight, nobody really cares what the flight plan says 
The estimated tme for the border crossing means nothing.
In fact I never file any such time anyway. But then I am always in radio contact when border crossing.
Peter wrote:
On a VFR flight, nobody really cares what the flight plan saysThe estimated tme for the border crossing means nothing.
In fact I never file any such time anyway. But then I am always in radio contact when border crossing.
In France people seem to care a lot about the EET for border crossing. They are all quite concerned about the fact that deviating from it too much would trigger SAR operations. Of course, I am talking about pilots and instructors, I have never asked a controller so maybe they actually don’t care.
Seba wrote:
I have never asked a controller so maybe they actually don’t care.
According to my personal experience, until some years ago I never even indicated estimated time for border crossing between Germany and France in the Flight Plan and no one cared. I was not aware that it’s mandatory to fill it out. No one ever asked. And I even did some flights in microlights between Germany and France without any flight plan, because there used to be an agreement that it was possible to fly without. However it seems as if this is not active any more.
In any case, it is an “estimated” time and you fly VFR without any strict routing requirement. But if it makes you happy just indicate the EET one hour later or more, this should give you enough time for sight seeing.
Regarding Search and Rescue, if you talk to FIS they know that you’re still there, so there’s no point in activating SAR. Of course you don’t have to talk to FIS, but in that case if you indicate a time for border crossing and are quite late then maybe you just contact them and all is fine.
Just have EET in FPL and ETA to FIS, it’s not an issue for VFR
Peter wrote:
On a VFR flight, nobody really cares what the flight plan says
I would not go that far, the routing is not tracked but will help in case for SAR, it’s the first they will look at when things don’t go as planned.
