My understanding is that IFR flightplans are routed to the appropriate FIR facility and that VFR flightplans are routed to the appropriate Flight Service facility. The latter are not generally available to air traffic control and are primarily used to initiate SAR for overdue flights. In the US, ATC will have no clue of a VFR flightplan, not their job. The FSS holds most of these flightplans and uses them only if the aircraft is overdue as an input to search and rescue (SAR) activities.
Yes – Europe has a similar system. Eurocontrol processes the IFR ones (including Z or Y) and the VFR ones are stored in a database which is accessible only for S&R or national security purposes. Actually all FPs go into the latter database.
Peter wrote:
VFR ones are stored in a database which is accessible only for S&R or national security purposes.
Nope, at least not in Spain. There they go to all sectors along your filed route, much as an IFR FP would.
Yes – that’s true in France too and not just along the route. All of French ATC apparently can see all flight plans.
Actually my description was ambiguous. VFR flight plans are normally addressed to the FIRs (e.g. London Information, Brest Information, etc) and they can see them.
But if say you file a VFR FP in the UK from Lydd EGMD to Bournemouth EGHH, it will be visible to
but none of the airports along or near that route will be able to access the flight plan (Shoreham, Goodwood, Southampton, whatever). That’s unless they were explicitly addressed, but if they were, they will take one look at the flight plan, realise you are not landing there, and chuck it in the bin.
There are so many variations around Europe…
NCYankee wrote:
My understanding is that IFR flightplans are routed to the appropriate FIR facility and that VFR flightplans are routed to the appropriate Flight Service facility. The latter are not generally available to air traffic control and are primarily used to initiate SAR for overdue flights.
In the US, yes. It is different in Europe. We don’t have “Flight Service facilities” – it’s a US thing.
Michal wrote:
include CZ into the list, all VFR only flight planes are processed manually, human decides where to send it.
Sweden, too.
I try and use NAV aids and intersections and in the old days would put DCT between each.
I now let SkyDemon ‘file’.
I’ve not noticed if SD insets DCT or not – will have to check next time.
DCT was always (I think) mandatory in the old days.
Talking VFR.
Jan_Olieslagers wrote:
As for VFR flight plans being mandatory in EBBU FIR: only if one intends to access controlled airspace, and don’t I remember that is an ICAO requirement?
ah well, sorry for the shortcut, but always departing from ELLX means i always have to file…
And yes it may be an ICAO requirement but in France, VFR, you will contact ATC a few minutes before entering their airspace, they will enter an “ad-hoc” flight plan for their CAS (AFIL) and that’s it. The paper flight plan is never mandatory in(side) France.
That’s why i never learnt to file one before arriving in Luxembourg 
.
Yes, we all know about the “abbreviated” flight plan, filed over the radio. EBAW Antwerp used to do it, too, when I was in ground class; not sure if they still do today.
There are so many variations around Europe…
And it’s a complete shambles due to the various software being used by the various ANSPs, and the various VFR route planning software available to pilots in different countries.
There was talk of a project at Eurocontrol to standardise the addressing and syntax of filing of VFR flight plans several years ago.
I’m not sure where that went.
The best thing would be to do away with the mandate for VFR flight plans inside the Schengen/EU area. It should be up to the pilot to decide whether he wants to benefit from this service.
