VATSIM.net

Hello all,
New to all this so bare with me.

I have looked everywhere and searched the forum with no luck.

My first VATSIM online flight i intend to make a VFR flight from EGUB to EGLL. I take it at first whilst at EGUB i will use UNICOM to text my intentions? Do i get answers back on UNICOM or is this solely for stating my intentions and positions?

Also, once i approach the Heathrow zone, how should i contact APP or TWR, as in, what do i say??

Thanks in advance,

Ross Clarkson.

Hi Ross,

Your post is better suited to the "Pilot Talk" portion of this forum by the way and for everyone this is how we do it in Canada.....southern Ontario at least.

1) Good luck trying to get into EGLL as VFR. Last time I checked that is a Class A zone which means that no VFR is allowed in it. However, since I am a nice guy I'll give you some tips.

When wishing to enter a control zone call up the control a bit before entering his/her zone to give them a heads up.
Usually: "Hamilton Tower Good Afternoon Cessna 152 GYAG with ATIS X"

Just a call-up. The Tower controller will call you back asking for your intentions etc: "YAG, Hamilton Tower"
You go: "Hamilton Tower Cessna YAG is 10 nm to the north at 2400ft would like touch-n-go at Hamilton (or transit through the zone to the south or whatever).

And then your conversation. Depending on the class of control zone you are flying into you may or may not be able to actually fly into it in real life. However, on Vatsim everyone has a Mode C transponder and everything is ok unless your VFR into EGLL (Class A).

I am sure there is something in the Vatsim PRC about this but at the minimum something about the classes of airspaces and the minimum requirements to fly into/through them.

Questions/comments welcomed. Happy VFR flying!

VFR and controlled airspace depends on what class of airspace and how the particular country regulates its controlled airspace. I control London so can advise you quite specifically about your EGUB-EGLL example. EGUB = Benson is a military airfield with a Military Air Traffic Zone. Controlled airspace above it is at 5500ft. Its class G - open FIR around it. As mentioned by Daniel, EGLL Heathrow is Class A - no VFR. You can, however, get a Special VFR clearance. In the real world this is limited to helicopters. We do discourage slow aircraft from flying into Heathrow as its often difficult to fit into the landing sequence. There are plenty of other controlled airports near Benson with Class D airspace. Namely Luton, Stansted and Gatwick. You still require ATC permission to enter these. The conversation is more likely to be like this:

G-ABCD: Luton Radar, Golf Alpha Bravo Charlie Delta
EGGW_APP: Golf Alpha Bravo Charlie Delta pass your message
G-ABCD: Golf Alpha Bravo Charlie Delta is a Cessna 172, 15nm to the South west of you, 2000ft VFR on London QNH 1016 request entry to Luton zone, to land.
EGGW_APP: Golf Charlie Delta, cleared to enter the Luton Zone via M1 Junction 8, not above 1500ft VFR on Luton QNH 1015

Excellent,
Answered my question superbly. Thanks and apologies that post is probably in wrong thread.

Regards,

Ross

Did a VFR flight in a baron just last night around New York. Started at KEWR, got clearance from Center to traverse the bravo airspace at or below 1500; gave him a general route (to the statue of liberty, past the Verrazano and back up to KTEB) and all was cool. We had pretty minimal contact till he went offline about 20 minutes later.

As long as ATC knows your intentions and is kept in the loop and you're squawking, it should be ok.

Out of curiosity anyone know why British airports are Class A as opposed to Class B? Surely there's a historical reason. Or is it simply that procedures are so complex that they're impossible without IFR? Traffic doesn't make any sense - Heathrow is a busy place, but so is Atlanta, and you can fly VFR into Atlanta (once cleared into the airspace, naturally).

Unfortunately, I'm old enough to remember when we didn't have class A, B, C, D or E airspace in the U.S. and were mis-aligned with the rest of the world. We had TRSAs, ARSAs and other kinds of airspace. Additionally, we have a LOT more airports than the UK and a much greater tradition of pilots flying VFR (and not having IFR ratings) pretty much wherever they want and often not even talking to ATC.

I think if the powers-that-be had been able to, they would have made the major US airports Class A instead of B, but it would have been totally unworkable given the amount of VFR traffic and small airports right by those major fields...heck the protests when Mode C transponder veils around them were implemented were a HUGE issue in the US.

I stand ready to be corrected, but believe there are a lot more VFR-only pilots and regular VFR flights that never talk to ATC in the US than in Europe. As a matter of fact, I seem to recall you need an IFR rating and flight plan to fly at night... Result is that a Class A restriction around say EGLL isn't nearly the impact a Class A restriction would have around KATL.

Dave

If you are interested in flying VFR in the UK, have a look at the comprehensive training documents of the Cix VFR Online Flying Club. http://www.cixvfrclub.org.uk/training.htm

We also provide one-to-one training, have a very helpful forum, and regular club nights so feel free to come and join us.

Ruth

Thanks Ruth, much appreciated and i will give it a look. I must say, your name is very familiar! Do you write for Pilot magazine or something like that?

Regards,

Ross.

No, definitely not me, guv! But you'll see me a lot round here (don;t anyone dare say too much)

Ruth

I feel I should correct the impression given by Wade. Heathrow is the only UK airport whose CTA is Class A - all the others are Class D. We don't have any Class B airports!

Come on down under to Australia! we have Class A, C, D, E, G (uncontrolled) no be. I don't know of any airports that are class A here but mode is C or D and well you know the story with uncontrolled, G. The thing I get confused about is whether to contact tower and request or contact center or approach to request the clearance???

In the UK its usually best to contact approach first. Even if its not their responsibility to clear you into controlled airspace they may be able to offer you a service outside controlled airspace i.e. flight information or radar information, then clear you in or hand you off to tower.