Primarily for general aviation discussion, but other aviation topics are also welcome.
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By Paul_Sengupta
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1644534
So...question. I was travelling north one day, happily pootling along at about 3500ft. Normally I avoid CAS, but thought since I was at 3500ft, rather than descend and go round, I'd call up East Midlands for a transit. From what I could hear on the radio it seemed that 3500ft, perpendicular to the runway, would have been a good place to just go straight through.

So I called them up...

They asked me to descend to (IIRC) 1000ft and take up on orbit before playing chicken with the approaching airliners by using that VFR lane up the M1. I had to wait until one airliner passed then put my foot down to cross over the approach path to get through before the next one ("with the airliner in sight") got to me.

I would have thought that going straight over the top at 3500 without deviation would have been simpler and safer than making a run across the final approach between arrivals?
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By TC_LTN
#1644578
Paul_Sengupta wrote:So...question. I was travelling north one day, happily pootling along at about 3500ft. Normally I avoid CAS, but thought since I was at 3500ft, rather than descend and go round, I'd call up East Midlands for a transit. From what I could hear on the radio it seemed that 3500ft, perpendicular to the runway, would have been a good place to just go straight through.

So I called them up...

They asked me to descend to (IIRC) 1000ft and take up on orbit before playing chicken with the approaching airliners by using that VFR lane up the M1. I had to wait until one airliner passed then put my foot down to cross over the approach path to get through before the next one ("with the airliner in sight") got to me.

I would have thought that going straight over the top at 3500 without deviation would have been simpler and safer than making a run across the final approach between arrivals?


I see the missed approach goes around to 3,000ft. Perhaps they are not confident that they could keep you out of the way of an airliner executing a MAP?
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By Charliesixtysix
#1644583
The ATC team at EMA are excellent.
I pass throught their airspace many times each year and ( to date) have never been asked to follow a low level lane - Transit VFR via whatever route and height I happen to ask for is much more what I have come to expect within EMA class D ( unless a tweak is required to fit around arriving or departing CAT). :thumleft:
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By Paul_Sengupta
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1644585
TC_LTN wrote:I see the missed approach goes around to 3,000ft. Perhaps they are not confident that they could keep you out of the way of an airliner executing a MAP?


Yes, I would guess that, but surely the possibility of conflict is a lot smaller than the certainty while whizzing through final in between a stream of arrivals?
By almost professional
#1644586
On a normal day, maintain 3500FT VFR via the overhead or just east works - ops 27, going west abeam at that level on westerlies can be done, but runs risk of getting in way of departures and is difficult to work round. It may not have been a normal day-and bear in mind we are Frequency split a lot now, so you may not get full picture, ie traffic running down wind dropping to 3000Ft etc. As Charlie 66 says normally we can get you through one way or the other, sometimes up the lanes, holding on base with the Tower and going in the gap is the way.....Always happy to discuss what we do, and if we can improve the service- subject to the usual provisos-will try our best.
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By flybymike
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1644606
Just to go back to my original query, it turns out that direct enquiries with Donair and signature provide much cheaper quotes of approx £45 for landing, £25 for handling and only a modest parking charge of a fiver or so if staying for more than two hours. :thumright:
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