Dimme wrote:
It’s still something I would not like to do. I mean imagine if another guy is doing the same thing, IFR in IMC OCAS without radar or deconfliction (whatever it is called in the UK) service, you have no chance to avoid a collision if you are on a collision course. I understand that the probability of that happening is probably one in a million, but still…
Timothy (I believe) has said there has not been a collision in the UK between two aircraft in IMC OCAS since WWII. And there is a lot more IMC OCAS traffic in the UK compared to what we’re used to in Sweden because of their national IR(R) rating.
There are lot of other things you have more reason to worry about if you fly IFR…
Dimme wrote:
One question, you received a VFR clearance on the ground and instructions to contact Glasgow, presumably to receive your IFR clearance. However you climbed into clouds with the VFR clearance prior to receiving your IFR clearance. Did I miss something? I didn’t hear you receiving an IFR clearance. Probably it was edited out of the video.
UK practise in this case differs from what you would see in other countries. In Sweden, you would get a complete IFR enroute clearance at your first contact with ATC even if your flight was (partially) OCAS.
CAP413: Unless otherwise instructed or paragraph 1.4.1 applies, when changing communication channel to an ATC unit (including changes within the same ATS unit), the initial call on the new channel shall include aircraft identification and level only.
After a couple of misunderstandings with ATC I decided to deviate from this rule a little bit: when handed over while flying a radar heading, I would add “radar heading XXX” to my initial call.
That is not deviating. On hand over the previous unit should tell you to report your heading to the next unit if you are on a radar heading. That always seems to happen in the UK and I cannot recall an instance when I haven’t been told to do this. However, if I wasn’t told then I would anyway if on a radar heading or off the flightplan route heading to a different waypoint.
JohnR wrote:
On hand over the previous unit should tell you to report your heading to the next unit if you are on a radar heading. That always seems to happen in the UK and I cannot recall an instance when I haven’t been told to do this.
I had this happen to me while flying under control of Southend Radar. This was a very busy day in the air, though.
A very interesting and instructive video on UK IFR for continental pilots. Many thanks for doing it and sharing.
I’ve also been taught to announce just call sign and altitude on a new frequency unless flying an assigned heading in which case that should also be mentioned.
One UK particularity seems to be that there is never an IFR clearance, per se. It is apparently deduced via clearance to enter CAS and/or Radar service. I also never heard an IFR clearance limit (G-MOTI cleared to EGNE via …). What are general lost comm procedures in the UK, especially once the clearance varies from the flight plan route? E.g. in this video, what would one do after cleared to DCS before reaching?
To me this looks like VFR conditions. A bit depressing and dark, but good vis and adequate ceiling (by the looks of it, since it was VFR from the start). There would be no problem flying on top just a bit further south, and the ceiling was rather high. Admittedly it looks much more relaxing and nice on autopilot above the clouds in the sun, but still.
Nice video though, and interesting to see IFR video without landing on Boeing sized runways followed by 10 miles final. This looks kind of fun actually. Just wondering, could you do the same thing with EIR?
Dimme wrote:
I mean imagine if another guy is doing the same thing, IFR in IMC OCAS without radar or deconfliction (whatever it is called in the UK) service
You mean on a long en-route that will be just plain stupid or for a local flight?
- For en-route, you only get exposed to that risk in the climb before reaching ground obstacles + 1000 ft to get a radar signal and deconfliction service
- For local, you will know who is already up there and you can call him if you like, on difficult day they are like hens teeth 
One aberration in the UK, sometimes you may get asked if you can climb (that puts you from VMC to IMC) for XYZ reason, then to be denied a deconfliction service, so my default answer now is “want to remain VMC”
Italic
