A trip that was many years in the making. Planning my first IFR trip.
This was a brilliant little run, it helped me understand some of the setup of the London TMA and how they integrate a light aircraft wishing to fly from A to B in IFR conditions. There’s a lot more to it than meets the eye in your training and the theory prepares you for nothing of what the real world entails.
I suspect in the future I need more time to do my planning, and I need to be a bit better with my timing. I took a lot away from this flight and how the aircraft performs in this environment for any future trips or flights I plan.
FlyNQY was brilliant as usual, and the fees are within a reasonable amount expected for a large international airport. I’m more capable than I give myself credit for. I am confident but not overconfident and this was a great little trip and forever a small amount of that steep learning curve has been traveled.
Have a read of the write up here of my experience on my first IFR trip: https://www.theflyingvlog.uk/planning-the-first-ifr/
Any suggestions or proof-reading welcome;
Stay tuned for the VLOGs -
First Video – Releasing Sep 19th, 2021
Second Video – Releasing Oct 3rd, 2021
Looks like a nice trip and brilliant destination, it’s interesting that you never flew toward BPK & CPT for joins or dumps while at Stapleford? do they always fly training toward Lydd, Southend, Cambridge or LeTouquet? or they have also some IFR choices on the west side?
What was the IFR clearance on departure from Newquay?
Thanks for reading. It was a great little trip, just a shame more time wasn’t spent there. But the hotels that weekend were fully booked and anything available was in the £1000s+ mark. I suspect most training is done at those airfields you mention, so never a need to depart westbound for say Oxford or Gloucester.
Interestingly, all my departures bar one have been via BPK. One was vectors across Stansted/Luton airspace. It makes sense though as you depart away from the Heathrow RMA where they can climb you above the stacks.
https://www.aurora.nats.co.uk/htmlAIP/Publications/2021-09-09-AIRAC/graphics/239318.pdf
239318_pdf
Ibra wrote:
Looks like a nice trip and brilliant destination, it’s interesting that you never flew toward BPK & CPT for joins or dumps while at Stapleford? do they always fly training toward Lydd, Southend, Cambridge or LeTouquet? or they have also some IFR choices on the west side?What was the IFR clearance on departure from Newquay?
I’ll have to listen to the ATC audio and get back to you as I’ve not yet edited that video.
That was my impression for IFR departure from Stapleford going north/west, they like to square us in London City BPK/CPT departure to 3kft before getting vectored above Luton/Stansted (Heathrow BPK & CPT departure are bit higher to 6kft), no idea about IFR arrival from the west to Stapleford, I never bother trying or guessing 
Yes, 3000ft or 5000ft is the common altitude out this way. It’s to keep you clear of the Heathrow, City, Luton/Stansted stuff. I find once you clear the MSL (Min Stack Level) you are turned enroute. Also for noise restrictions, NATS will tend not to turn you up and until passing 4000ft.
For IFR from the West, usually leaving CAS via BPK with a descent in parallel with the BNN stream into Heathrow. From the Daventry Radar Corridor, I’ve had vectored over the top of Luton leaving via CAS and vectored as a Stansted Arrival, both leaving via BPK again.
Ibra wrote:
That was my impression for IFR departure from Stapleford going north/west, they like to square us in London City BPK/CPT departure to 3kft before getting vectored above Luton/Stansted (Heathrow BPK & CPT departure are bit higher to 6kft), no idea about IFR arrival from the west to Stapleford, I never bother trying or guessing
A fairly quick flight back from Newquay to London. Climbing up to FL110 into one of the world’s busiest TMA’s and hitting over 200mph as we fly back with a flight time almost 1 hour quicker than the morning.
The sunset on this flight home was magical…
