VFR on top

So, as a Bolton lad now living, working, and flying (for fun) in
Colorado, I'm intrigued to know if things are noticably less congested
north of, say, a Livepool - Hull line; or does flight shrink the
country so much that the traditional north/south divide doesn't exist
in the air?

(I'm spoilt rotten out here; VMC weather 300 days a year, petrol is
still less than $3.00 for a US gallon, about 4 million people living
in the state of Colorado which is bigger than Northern Ireland,
Scotland, Wales and England combined, and good showers!)

Tim.

On Thu, 13 Oct 2005 18:36:00 +0100, "Chris"
wrote:


"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?

"Peter" wrote in message
...

"Chris" wrote

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."

I *think* the above happened because in the UK the ATS routes are all
in Class A, and you were below Class A. You should have got an IFR
departure right away, into the Class A TMA whose base is at 2500ft
there. What was your initial FP altitude/level? If it was under 2500ft
that would explain it. One has to file an FP whose initial requested
level is straight into Class A.

I did, my FL65 out of WW which is straight into CAS but I was kept out of
it, maybe because its in the climb out from Heathrow. So, my flight plan
went for a burton from the off.

Maybe you mean something specific to Jersey, but that is in a Class A
CTR and you cannot go there IFR without the full IR anyway.

Exactly that, and the visibility.