Peter wrote:
This situation was hugely debated for many years; I am not inventing it It used to be FL120 to get a handover to LC (from Paris), for many years. Then it came down to FL100 (also Paris).
This is what happened to me till yesterday. Yesterday’s flight was dumped by Lille OCAS to London 120.530 (It’s normally London Info) – requested level off due to higher altitude clouds and strong winds too. No issues cleared direct DET with a basic service, then radar control over Southern England, h/o to Thames, then Southend.
Refreshing, especially as I was mostly IMC and that makes the whole negotiating with EGTT Info a drama.
Since coming to the UK in 2017, I always had Lille Approach hand me over to London Control
The detail may matter:
LILLE Approach: 120.27
LILLE Approach: 126.48
LILLE Approach: 134.82
I am pretty sure 120.27 would not hand you over the London Control in 2017. Probably Paris handed you over to one of the other “Lille” frequencies and then you got LC. It of course doesn’t matter now; it is history. I have the plogs going back to 2002 or so and they would have this info; when I get back home I can have a dig around.
This situation was hugely debated for many years; I am not inventing it 
It used to be FL120 to get a handover to LC (from Paris), for many years. Then it came down to FL100 (also Paris).
I imagine SID departure with Lille to DVR with LTC then DET with Thames Radar then Southend Radar? that works as long as you file +FL80
Those are route details, of a route wholly in CAS. The problem is that in the past if you filed FL080, you got dumped onto London Info who told you remain OCAS! So you had to descend below FL075 before the UK airspace boundary, while your IFR clearance (and IFR flight plan) were silently discarded. Much discussion here…
Needless to say, any foreign pilot flying into the UK at FL080 would be naturally expecting a continuous IFR clearance, would bust CAS, the CAA “pilot buster” knew perfectly well that if he busted these people, their home CAAs would fall over backwards laughing at the UK CAA “military court martial” stupidity, so he let them off. The MORs of these busts were mostly suppressed (I know; I get most MORs copied to me, and they contain almost no foreign pilots).
The only difference this time was I didn’t have to ask, and London seemed happy with me at FL70 for the direct DET bit. I didn’t think it was possible with such a close routing. I did file FL100 and got RWY heading due to wanting to avoid some heavy precip towards BNE then got direct DET south of LYD.
Peter wrote:
London Control, yes I’ve had that too but only in the last year or two. Previously, only Paris Control could do a handover to London Control. So you had to be on oxygen to enter the UK in CAS
wbardorf wrote:
Since coming to the UK in 2017, I always had Lille Approach hand me over to London Control, never an issue. Minimum level for the FPL had to be FL80 to remain in CAS.
Ibra wrote:
I imagine SID departure with Lille to DVR with LTC then DET with Thames Radar then Southend Radar? that works as long as you file +FL80If you file and fly at FL30, well good luck
I flew LFAT-EGMC then onto EGSG once I’d done the ILS into EGMC
I imagine SID departure with Lille to DVR with LTC then DET with Thames Radar then Southend Radar? that works as long as you file +FL80
If you file and fly at FL30, well good luck
Since coming to the UK in 2017, I always had Lille Approach hand me over to London Control, never an issue. Minimum level for the FPL had to be FL80 to remain in CAS.
Lille Approach handed me over straight to London OCAS (120.530 (BIG SECTOR)) and they climbed me to FL100
London Control, yes I’ve had that too but only in the last year or two. Previously, only Paris Control could do a handover to London Control. So you had to be on oxygen to enter the UK in CAS
I flew LFAT-EGMC then onto EGSG once I’d done the ILS into EGMC.
Lille Approach handed me over straight to London OCAS (120.530 (BIG SECTOR)) and they climbed me to FL100 but thought I’d stop climbing at FL70 and then onto DET>EGMC. Something has changed it seems, or maybe this was only an issue during COVID with a lack of support staff able to take anything but automated strips of airliners.
Anyway happy with that result.
Ibra wrote:
But no CTOT was issued
I didn’t look actually, but it didn’t make much of an impact.
I am guessing that lower ATS stuff needs coordination, especially due to proximity. In the same way EGSS > EGKK/EGLL stuff and vice versa requires coordination. But this would be solved by a CTOT if they had issues with it.
Had to wait on the ground for a good 5-10 minutes to be released by London…it requires handover coord via phone and not push and tag the flight strip.
But no CTOT was issued
Did the following route on Friday. It’s a well-known enroute arrival for Stapleford.
KONAN > L9 > DVR > L6 > DET
(EBOS N0125F100 KONAN3M KONAN L9 DVR L6 DET EGSG)
Had to wait on the ground for a good 5-10 minutes to be released by London. Surprising, but must be because you are launching a SID straight into their airspace (KONAN) – however if you are already enroute, there’s obviously little they can do. Which must be that because of low level CAS, it requires handover coord via phone and not push and tag the flight strip.
