During summer I’m considering to fly to Rome (LIRU), possibly out of Olbia (LIEO). Due to all the slightly complex approach waypoints and the assumption that I won’t be allowed to cross the ROMA 1 CTR which would imply a detour coming from Olbia, I’m checking how to fly IFR as far as possible (Also here at fliegen-in-italien I read this seems the more convenient approach). I read in the LIRU AIP under Arriving Aircraft:
IFR Flights bound to the Roma/Urbe airdrome shall perform Roma/Ciampino instrument approach procedures till reaching VMC and visual reference to the ground then after IFR plan shall be cancelled in order to proceed VFR to destination. IFR flight plan can be cancelled only after reaching URB NDB and 3000ft.
The expected approach/runway for Ciampino seems to be RWY15 as ATC will use that runway as long as the tail wind component is not greater than 7 kts.
Questions that I have:
-Is filing out of Olbia: LIEO BATOX6K BATOX L5 LUNAK VFR LIRU good enough such that I get offered or can ask ATC to fly the instrument approach to Ciampino and do a break off?
-At the IAF of Ciampino ILS RWY15 , I will be at 3000 at LOCRI which is more or less over the URB NDB. From there I break from the ILS but I wonder what I can expect from there. Do I already obtain before breaking off instructions on how/where to join the traffic circuit at Urbe? I can imagine checking in with Urbe Tower on a full frequency with many aircraft around after breaking off and in the meantime overflying the field having no instructions is not ideal.
First of all, I haven‘t flown into Urbe in recent years, and never IFR.
Second: in this day and age (with GPS and moving map at hand) navigating around the CTR1 of Rome and them flying the VFR approach is really not difficult. You just need to plan and brief it. It should not worry you. Also, the STARs aren‘t all easy to fly either…
Achim (who is longer participating here) had similar questions last year. In the end, he was given the choice by ATC to either cancel IFR early on and then make his way to Urbe according to the VFR procedures, or to fly the
ILS15 first. But in that case, you can‘t just cancel when convenient and then proceed straight to LIRU. You will then still have to join the VFR approach procedure from the beginning, which, by the time you have flown down past URB (funny, as that isn‘t part of any of the LIRA procedures) means returning all the way to Settecamini. They will not allow you a descending right turn to join the circuit from where you are. Going back to .settecamini at least gives you some time.
So, unless there is some clouds around which force you to fly IFR, I would just fly VFR.
If there are clouds around, and you first fly the ILS, it can be unpleasant. But if you come from the west, then the VFR approach from La Giustiniana is rather easy.
Then it indeed doesn’t add really something to fly the instrument approach.. Your advise makes totally sense. Will initially try it VFR then, thanks!
Hello.
I plan to fly IFR to LIRU next month.
I have read the above and searched a couple of other sources, but I rarely fly VFR in Europe. So I wanted to ferret out any additional experiences from anyone who has flown an IFR to VFR plan there.
If you’ve done it, please tell us about your experience:
1) Where were you encouraged to cancel IFR inbound?
2) Which VFR routing did you receive, both into and out of LIRU?
3) Where did you receive your IFR clearance on your departure from LIRU)?
4) Which moving map did you use and did it contain all of the necessary waypoints when you spoke to the controllers? (I’m most familiar with Foreflight.) Is there any other chart you need other than the two at http://www.urbeairport.com/urbe-airport-details ?
5) If you planned on Ciampino as your alternate, did you make any advance arrangements with the handler?
I appreciate very much any info you can pass on!
