"Peter" wrote in message
...

"Chris" wrote

I would agree its a real belter flying IFR in uncontrolled airspace taking
Radar Advisory Service when a nearby aircraft might be getting a service
from someone else. It become a real relief when you can move into
Controlled
airspace usually Class A and have the benefit of London Control looking
after you.

Statistically, the risk of a mid-air in IMC is closer to zero then
most risks we routinely accept in life.

But getting into CAS is not easy either even with an IFR flight
plan.

Could you please expand on this? If you file an IFR flight plan (a
proper ICAO one) which passes through CAS then you will get ATS radar
service all the way. The flight plan, if on a route acceptable to
CFMU, must be accepted. Not exactly as filed but the general route
won't be refused.

I recently went from White Waltham to Jersey.

Even though I had used DCT in CAS to get to Southampton, all the Radar
controllers instructed me to remain outside controlled airspace. This meant
scrambling along in marginal VFR until I got to north of the Solent area and
climbed to 4000 in Class G in IMC and waited for clearance into the Solent
Area (Class D).

I was kept holding outside outside the Southampton Zone for 20 minutes
before being allowed to enter CAS. In fact when I was passed onto Solent
from Farnborough, I was greeted with the statement " remain outside
controlled airspace until I get back to you which might not be today, we are
busy."

Eventually, I was cleared in the CTA and vectored around Southampton to the
Isle of Wight when I was given my airways clearance (Class A) to Jersey and
transferred to London Control where normality prevailed all the way to
Jersey with a STAR and the ILS to 27.
(the stupid thing is that flying the N reg plane my legal minimums on the
ILS approach are way less than if I was flying a G reg using my IMC rating
privileges.

Anyway, what other flight plan is there to file unless its a proper ICAO
one?