Peter wrote:
Are you expected to switch the txp 2000/7000 if flying in UK Class G and not talking to anyone?
According to SERA, the transponder shall always be turned on in flight, if operational, and unless ATS has requested it be turned off. (I know that you know that.)
AIP-UK ENR 1.6 2.2.1(e)(ii) says you should operate the transponder on 2000 “when operating within United Kingdom airspace in accordance with IFR and is either not receiving an ATS or has not received a specific instruction from ATS concerning the setting of the transponder;”
That is repeated with a slightly different wording in ENR 1.6 2.2.2.1.3 which also states that 7000 should be used for VFR but that in all cases Frequency Montitoring Codes should be used instead, when applicable.
it could be a problem in Stapleford where the CAA doc says “VFR only” and me filing an IFR departure then someone documenting that it was in proper IMC !
In the UK, you can depart from a farm strip, straight into IMC.
I believe the min departure vis of 400m still applies.
Nobody cares what FP you file, unless it enters CAS and you work the handover procedure to London Control, or some local unit’s clearance into its Class D. Eurocontrol validates most low-level things in the UK; including routes through DAs RAs etc etc. The UK doesn’t supply the data on these to Eurocontrol (same for most of Europe).
That is repeated with a slightly different wording in ENR 1.6 2.2.2.1.3 which also states that 7000 should be used for VFR but that in all cases Frequency Montitoring Codes should be used instead, when applicable.
That’s curious; my experience, FWIW, is that while the “squawk conspicuity” ATC instruction is used purely to cover the 2000/7000 options, nobody in the system acts any different based on your squawk when you are OCAS, and in CAS every UK unit will issue a custom code anyway. I have never set 2000.
Anecdotally, you get a better ATC service if you are “IFR” and I think that’s probably true, but you would need to do a controlled experiment there, to eliminate the “fact” that IFR pilots are better on the radio and thus more likely to get a transit or a service (something else that ATC denies but is clearly true).
Peter wrote:
In the UK, you can depart from a farm strip, straight into IMC.
Yes I know, at least what was the case on 1st hour of the IMCr rating in a farm strip 
But not sure if it is the case for “non-IFR AIP licenced airfields” with AG? FISO? ATC?
Examples: Elstree has AFIS and states 600ft agl clouds or departure in some mannual, Stapleford has A/G but is “VFR only” in AIP, Redhill has “VFR ATC”
I have been stuck at Redhill with 1200ft cloud-base, altough it’s peculiar as 1/2 of the runway is in Class D
They have ATC who can’t issue SVFR or IFR clearances
Is there an “AIP airfield in UK fully OCAS in Class G with ATZ+ATC but no instruments IAP” who will allow straight in IMC flying?
Or say LandsEnd/Scilly when their IAP is not available 
I have been stuck at Redhill with 1200ft cloud-base
That must be some deal they have with Gatwick, because AFAIK a Class G airfield has to right to insist on that, ATC or not.
An IR holder can legally depart in OVC001/400m and an IMCR holder can legally depart in OVC001/1500m. Actually even lower than OVC001, but if the cloudbase is on the ground then it won’t be 400m+ vis
1200ft is a fairly typical (ICAO?) min Class D departure cloudbase for VFR. I’ve been stuck at Biarritz under OVC012 for days, but that’s D.
Alpha_Floor wrote:
It seems if I want to experience a full, proper IFR flight I need to go a bit further away, so that climbing into Class A makes sense. Fly from EGBT to any airfield with instrument procedures that is 1 hour or so away, land, have an English breakfast, then fly back. The issue these days is with land-away restrictions due to Covid etc.
Cardiff is a good option because it’s inside controlled airspace and connected up the the airway system. So find somewhere to join CAS from Turweston then find a route that validates to Cardiff while keeping you in Class A. The route is still likely to be a little contrived – i.e. considerably more track miles than if you flew the route OCAS.
The reality of what you’re looking to do is that options for pure inside-CAS IFR flight between UK airfields (or at least, those accessible to light GA) are quite limited without getting up fairly high or taking routes so convoluted that it is clearly a practice exercise and if flying the route ‘to get there’ one would simply go OCAS. Even more so when the distance between the airfields is short. The reasons relate to airspace structure/ownership, as well as ATC funding and the complete lack of a joined-up service across the country.
By all means fly the approaches at Oxford (they are super-friendly) but it won’t be airways-style IFR flight. You’ll be in the same boat as little old me with my IR(R), hacking about in Class G taking whatever radar service I can get and then flying the approach.
Peter wrote:
Are you expected to switch the txp 2000/7000 if flying in UK Class G and not talking to anyone?
I guess so – it would seem to be the intended use of the system. Obviously my comment about rapidly changing back and forth is facetious and simply to demonstrate that it’s up to you and no-one else. :-)
Alpha_Floor wrote:
Regarding IFR flight OCAS, can one design his own let-down procedure? I seem to recall an IR instructor saying you can use your own “do-it-yourself” approaches in Class G. If that’s so I could do an IFR “approach” to Turweston using DTY and the Garmin G430. If that’s the case, could I log an “instrument approach” doing these?
My (admittedly simple and perhaps not entirely accurate) understanding is that you’re not allowed to descend below MSA unless you’re in sight of the surface or on a published instrument approach. This makes DIY approaches of limited use in real IMC conditions – essentially your minima is the sector MSA. In VMC you can do what you like – it would only be an ‘approach’ in your head.
I don’t know what logging of approaches there is for an IR holder. With my IR(R), the only time I make a note of an instrument approach in my logbook is if I want it recognised for revalidation purposes. That is just one approach in the six months leading up to revalidation every two years, so it is not often.
Graham wrote:
My (admittedly simple and perhaps not entirely accurate) understanding is that you’re not allowed to descend below MSA unless you’re in sight of the surface or on a published instrument approach. This makes DIY approaches of limited use in real IMC conditions – essentially your minima is the sector MSA. In VMC you can do what you like – it would only be an ‘approach’ in your head.
There is no restriction on descending below the MSA in instrument conditions for the purpose of landing. I have written a short article about it.
Peter wrote:
That must be some deal they have with Gatwick
Indeed, one can get SVFR but it’s coordinated by Gatwick, which parts of the runway are Class G or Class D, I never managed to figure that out, funnily enough, we were told if we filled up out of hours forms we could have departed 1h earlier that morning, with worse ceilings than 1200ft
Very informative, thank you!
I guess our man can do DIY approaches at Turweston then, but the impression I got from his original post was that he’s looking to practice something with the full ATC experience, preferably in controlled airspace.
@Graham I believe not descending below MSA (1,000 feet above obstacle within 5nm) without visual reference is a standard learning objective of the IR ( R ), and the IR itself, when conducting a let down procedure. Am not an aviation lawyer or regulator, but can think off the top of my head around a dozen accidents (with a fair proportion of fatalities) in the UK alone, including by the contributor referred to in Airborne_Again’s article.
BTW a diy OBS 3 degree slope will not provide obstacle clearance in quite a few airports in the UK, I wonder if Garmin software integrates topo database to alert flight crew if this is the case.
Sorry for the garbled text, but despite editing it three times it is not loading correctly. Must be the message.
[ It was the forum text processor getting confused by the IR(R) – normally this works, and was fixed to work since this is an aviation forum :) but in this case there was some stuff before it which was “too much”. If this happens, just insert some spaces ]
Indeed. I think not going below MSA (1000ft above obstacles) unless visual or on a published approach is a pretty good rule, but I am always interested in the question of what is legal vs what is a good idea.
The chap you reference provided a good objective lesson in the optics of the situation. If one does this sort of stuff, it is perhaps better not to make a lot of noise about it.
My own forays into this area are limited to a spiral descent over the sea just west of Caernarfon EGCK, becoming visual at about 800ft QNH. I felt the probability of an offshore windfarm going up that morning without a NOTAM was low.
