Pilots¶

Below is general guidance and advice for flying in the UK.

You can find airport specific guides under the drop down to the left. Please read and understand this guide before moving onto the airport guide.

General Advice¶

If you don't understand an instruction, always ask the controller to clarify rather than do what you think.

Frequency etiquette¶

When being handed to a new frequency, take 5-10 seconds on the new frequency to make sure no one is transmitting or waiting for a response before calling up. In the UK, we call this 'tune, listen, talk':

Tune the frequency

• Double check the selected frequency is correct, and leave time for the software to change frequency.
• The UK is busy and the network infrastructure can occasionally struggle - frequency changes may not be instantaneous!

Listen to the frequency

• A controller may be waiting for another pilot to respond while they look something up - pilot responses are not immediate and just because there is 'a gap' does not mean there is room for you to talk!
• Wait for some time, listen for a couple of transmissions and make sure the controller isn't waiting for a response from another pilot.

Talk

• Avoid rambling, be courteous and speak clearly - needing to repeat a transmission because you spoke too quickly to be heard is always slower than just saying it slowly, once.
• Think before you speak and be clear about what message you need to give.

If you are told to contact a new controller "callsign only", then your initial call should include just that!

If you are requested to 'monitor' a frequency, switch to the assigned frequency as soon as practical and do NOT say anything. The controller will call you up when needed. This may take some time - be patient, comply only with your previously assigned instruction and wait.

Readbacks¶

NOT everything needs to be read back word-for-word, but the following items are mandatory to always read back in full:

• Full IFR/VFR Route clearance
• Push-back, and Taxi Instructions
• Runway-in-Use
• Clearance to Hold Short of, Cross, Enter, Backtrack, Take-Off On, or Land On any Active Runway
• Altimeter setting
• Squawk Code and related instructions (ie. Squawk Ident)
• Frequency change
• Transition Level
• Level, Heading, and Speed instructions
• Approach clearance
• Type of Air Traffic Service

Altimetry: QNH, QFE, and Flight Levels¶

Transition Altitude¶

• Stated in the charts
• Remains the same for a given airport
• Selected pressure below the Transition Altitude must be QNH or QFE
• Vertical instructions below the Transition Altitude are given using Altitude (using QNH) or Height (using QFE)

Transition Level¶

• Reported by ATC in the ATIS
• Changes depending on the QNH
• Lowest FL that provides a minimum of 1000' separation from the Transition Altitude
• Selected pressure above the Transition Level must be Standard Pressure
• Vertical instructions above the Transition Level are given using Flight Levels - 35,000' on Standard Pressure would become FL350

Climb & Descent instruction differences¶

Within UK airspace, instructions to climb or descend cancel any previous restrictions, including SID/STAR constraints, unless the restrictions are reiterated.

For aircraft on a SID, the word ‘now’ is added to the first climb clearance above the SID profile, to emphasise that the SID vertical profile is no longer applicable.

Enroute Controller Callsigns¶

There are 2 radiotelephony callsigns our enroute controllers use.

"London Control" if the callsign is:

• LON_<>_CTR
• LTC_<>_CTR

And "Scottish Control" if the callsign is:

• SCO_<>_CTR
• SCL_<>_CTR
• MAN_<>_CTR

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Before You Fly¶

Charts¶

Always obtain and understand the relevant charts before flying:

• The airfield's ground/taxi chart
• SID/STAR charts for your departure and arrival airports

Navdata¶

The VATSIM code of conduct requires you to be able to follow IFR procedures based on current charts and navigational data. You can download up to date AIRAC data from Navigraph.

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Departure¶

Stand selection¶

Please select a stand that is appropriate for the size of your aircraft.

Requesting startup and clearance¶

At busy airports PDC is the preferred method for getting IFR clearance, however if you have to use voice when requesting clearance you should provide the following 4 items:

• Aircraft type
• Stand number
• The current ATIS letter
• The QNH

The clearance will include your after departure instructions (usually a SID), a squawk code, and any other information you left out.

Pushback and start¶

At busier airports, Delivery and Ground are operated as separate frequencies. Where this is the case, do not switch to Ground on your own initiative once you have your clearance. You must report ready for start to Delivery, and wait to be transferred.

If there's departure sequencing delay in effect, Delivery may hold you at the gate rather than approving start immediately - this is normal and doesn't mean anything has gone wrong. Remain on stand, monitor the frequency, and wait to be told your delay has been absorbed, rather than requesting again shortly after being told to wait. Once ready you will be handed over to the ground controller for start and pushback if required.

Taxi instructions¶

Expect a taxi clearance to contain:

• Always a Clearance Limit - Runway/Intermediate Holding Point, or to hold short of a Taxiway
• Optionally a taxi routing - if the routing is not obvious
• Optionally a runway to hold short of - when instructed to taxi to a Runway Holding Point
• Optionally any restrictions - ie. "give way to..."

Some airports also have so called "Named Holding Points", which have a 5 letter identifiers.

Departure frequency and line-up¶

In the UK its uncommon to receive a departure frequency before takeoff, so once airborne pay attention to the frequency you are handed to as it won't always be the same as the aircraft in front of you.

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Arrival¶

STARs and descent¶

The levels noted on the STAR charts in the UK are for pilot planning only. Expect to receive actual descent as directed by ATC.

You can expect to receive instructions to be level by, level abeam or level X miles before/after a fix. Please make sure you know how to do this in your aircraft type before connecting to the network.

On transfer to a new area sector you must report your cleared level, and any other information the previous controller instructed you to report.

Landing clearance¶

Only the phrase "cleared to land" authorises landing. "Continue approach", "number one", or similar do not authorise you to land - keep flying the approach and wait for the explicit clearance.

It is normal not to receive landing clearance by the approach minimums at busier airports. If a landing clearance has not yet been received, you may continue the approach until the numbers before initiating a go around.

When the runway is temporarily occupied, a landing clearance may be issued to an arriving aircraft provided that the controller is satisfied that at the time the landing aircraft crosses the threshold, certain criteria will be met.

Go arounds¶

If you are not happy with the approach, or get told to go around by the controller, you should initially fly the standard missed approach as it appears on the charts.

If you are instructed to go around you should begin flying the standard missed approach (the controller will not tell you to do this at first, you are expected to do this yourself) then acknowledge the instruction if possible.

The controller will be aware you are in a busy phase of flight, and won't try to talk to you unless its necessary to give an immediate deconflicting instruction. The controller will also be busy on the phone coordinating with the approach controller.

Vacating and taxi in¶

In the cruise you should plan where you will vacate the runway, and in which direction. To help with this, you can request or view your assigned stand here.

Keep your time on the runway to a minimum and use the first available exit to vacate.

When vacating, make sure the aircraft has fully crossed the Runway Holding Point before stopping. When vacating the runway, the Runway Holding Point does NOT apply to you.

Aircraft vacating the runway have priority over aircraft on the taxiway. If you are approaching a runway exit, you must slow and stop to allow the vacating aircraft in front of you. Likewise, if you are vacating the runway the pilot on the joining taxiway should wait for you.

Once vacated you can roll onto the first taxiway in the direction of your gate and if you get no further instructions stop before the next intersection.

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Common Pain Points - Quick Reference¶

• "Standby" means don't speak - if you get told to stand by do NOT read it back. Just remain silent and wait.
• Do NOT step on transmissions - if you hear someone else talking, wait until the frequency is clear (see Tune, Listen, Talk above).
• Read back what's asked, not what you assume - if a controller gives you a heading and altitude, read back both, not just one.
• "Own navigation" does NOT mean discretion on level or route - keep any assigned altitude/level and cleared routing unless told otherwise.
• Don't report when you have reached somewhere - controllers can see.

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Useful Links¶

• UKCP - Stand Finder
• NATS AIP / Charts
• VATSIM UK Division

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Thank you for reading this guide, we hope you enjoy flying in UK airspace!

Any errors or suggestions should be reported to operations@vatsim.uk