Filed VFR Flight Plans in Europe

A little bit about filing and flying VFR flight plans between European FIRs.

When I fly within Scandinavia, I file via our local ATC flight planning center. They have a very nice web site (all in Swedish, of course), corresponding to similar services provided in France, England and I suppose just about every jurisdiction. They cannot, however, accept flight plans where either of the aerodromes is outside Scandinavia, so then you have to file with Eurocontrol. There are a number of services out there that will help you with this. The one I use (and love to death) is RocketRoute.

My purpose here is not to review filing services, so I'm not comparing to anything else. I can just say that I've been using RocketRoute for about six months, have filed something like 40+ legs for 65 hrs of airtime. The flights plans have always been available at the aerodromes (with only one exception, and I don't think that was a filing problem, since the departure aerodrome had the plan). And the adjunct services make access to AIPs, AD-charts, VFR approach charts, NOTAMs, etc. really easy. I take my iPad along, and everything is on it. Another nicety with RR is that they automagically insert all the required EET comments on line 18, noting the coordinates if you don't have an FIR border reporting point listed in your plan. They've got me. I have no reason to look at anything else.

I always file VFR flight plans. I know some pilots like to fly VFR without them. Maybe it gives them a greater feeling of freedom? I don't know. Even inside Sweden, I file, unless I'm just hopping over to a local field to re-fuel or down to a grass strip to meet a friend. But if I am going anywhere, I file. It seems to me that ATC appreciates you having a filed plan. It makes it very easy for them to acknowledge your presence, and they know who you are in case they notice any traffic. I believe it makes their job easier. And, of course, if anything were ever to happen, like a motor stoppage, then you can get their attention without having to give them all the background on who you are and where you were going. It all just makes sense to me.

Flying internationally, it is of course required. That said, it seems that your filed flight plan is generally available only to your departure and destination aerodromes. The "info" controllers in between don't get them from Eurocontrol. So, every time you are handed off to a new controller, they want to know DEP, DEST and TYPE, as well as your squawk, alt and position. Giving them all that unprompted puts them in a good mood.

In Germany, I've noticed they'll often give the same squawk to all the VFR traffic they are handling in one Info area. That confused me the first time I heard them giving "my" squawk to someone else, so I asked them to confirm, but that was their intention. OK, fine with me! Also, some Info areas can take a while to get them to respond. Paris Info 126.10 can be this way, and Bremen Info is the most extreme, in my limited experience. Now I always say goodbye to the previous controller and start calling 7-8 minutes before I get to Bremen airspace. I know they are busy, and I can't necessarily hear all the traffic they are handling, so starting early means I can be patient and wait for them to get back to me. Still, sometimes I have to put in 3 or even 4 calls to get a response.

When you file a flight plan, you can later delay it. That is a function Eurocontrol supports (and so does RR). However, you can't move it back an hour to depart earlier. If you want to do that, you have to cancel your plan and file a new one at the earlier time. Often the TWR does not get your plan until a half hour or so before your block time. So now I file the earliest block time I think I might fly. I know that the plan will sit there until a half-hour or so after my block time, so if I am a little late, no problem. If it looks like I am going to have to leave an hour later or more, then I delay the plan, which you can do on your mobile phone with RR's app.

/Brian