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Connecting London center


Miro Karhu 1425803
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Miro Karhu 1425803
Posted
Posted

I am now sure is this right place to put this but i have one questing about London center. Yesterday i flew to EGLL and there was EGLL approach and three guys in London center. I flew many minutes in their area but nobody asked me to connect to them so i disconnected. Do i have to do something myself or did i something wrong?

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Robert Shearman Jr
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Posted

If you believe you're in someone's airspace, you should be contacting them, not waiting for them to contact you.

 

Many controllers will send a private "contact me" message as a courtesy, but, it is ultimately the pilot's responsibility.

Cheers,
-R.

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Miro Karhu 1425803
Posted
Posted

Thank you. I thought that they always send the contact me message.

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Peter Lund
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Miro,

 

London is a tricky one and I also p[Mod - Happy Thoughts]ed through yesterday without any contact since it didn´t look like my route p[Mod - Happy Thoughts]ed their airspace.

 

The online took ex. ServInfo and VatSpy might not give a accurate picture of the control zone. VATUK have this map https://www.vatsim.uk/operations/sectors on their site with the different sectors and when they start ect.

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Miro Karhu 1425803
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I keep learning about vatsim

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Joe Burberry 865512
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If in doubt send them a private message!

If you don't feel like you can call them on their frequency, a private message is the way to go.

 

Keep learning, Vatsim is an amazing community and you won't be disappointed.

Regards

Joseph

C1 - Vatsim UK member since 2003

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  • 2 weeks later...
Harry Sugden
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Little bit late to this one, but some information on the area sectors in the UK is available on this page: https://www.vatsim.uk/operations/sectors

 

If you know that you need to call a controller, then please don't wait for a contact me has been sent - get in contact! Have a look where each of the LON sectors covers on the diagram on that page, and then call up maybe 20-30 miles or so before you enter their airspace.

 

If you're departing a UK airfield, please please please check that page for the coverage of each sector. Far too many times to aircraft just depart without bothering to check if a sector covers the airport 'top-down'.

 

For arrivals into one of the London airfields (or any other UK airfield for that matter), don't call up an APP position any higher than FL195, but in the descent anywhere between FL120-FL160 is probably a fair time to switch frequency, start listening in, and then call up.

 

Two other little tips:

  • When making contact with the first London Controller, if you know which STAR you are likely to be issued (e.g. the LOGAN1H for EGLL arrivals via LOGAN), then call up with "London Control, BAW123, FL340, LOGAN1H arrival". This saves the controller having to issue it, but of course they will correct you if needs be.
  • I'm pretty sure that every single UK STAR ends in a hold, and the charts all carry a warning of something similar to "WARNING. Do not proceed beyond OCK without ATC clearance."
    Unbeknownst to many pilots, this means that if you do not get given instructions to "leave OCK heading XXX degrees" or any other heading off the STAR, you must enter the hold, even if the controller doesn't explicitly say "hold at OCK".

 

If you ever see me on London and would like to double check whether I cover your flight, do give us a shout!

ATC Examiner, VATSIM UK

No nonsense controlling Twitch - HazControl ✈️

@HVatsim

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