Class E Airspace and VFR
VFR Enroute
Opening the Flight Plan

Class E Airspace and VFR

Now that we're talking VFR, we have a few rules to play with that differ from IFR, which most of my topics have been about. For this review of Class E airspace, we'll be looking at the AIP RAC 2.8.5. This quick section to demonstrates the requirements for Class E airspace. The best line in it for reference is, "There are no special requirements for VFR." This is, however, a little misleading. While it suggests there are no rules for VFR, there are some that do apply. For example, since Class E is controlled airspace, the weather minima for flying VFR in it are higher than for uncontrolled airspace (Class G). RAC Figure 2.8 lists this, and has been discussed in a past topic. It tells us that VFR weather minima include a visibility not less than 3 miles (statute miles) and the aircraft must operate at least 1 mile horizontally and 500 feet vertically from any cloud. The reason is simple. IFR aircraft may operate in Class E airspace as well, but they may operate within the cloud. Forcing the VFR pilot to keep clear of the cloud by a minimum distance provides at least some opportunity for the two aircraft to see and avoid each other once the IFR aircraft exits the cloud and enters Visual Meteorological Conditions (VMC).

Also, some areas of Class E airspace are designated as Transponder Airspace. All Class E airspace in Canada within radar coverage above 10,000 feet falls into this category. In our VFR Flight example, the Moncton airport is a consideration as mentioned in the previous segments. It is Transponder Airspace out to 25 miles from CYQM at our pilot's altitude of 3,500 feet. He has a transponder, and the TWR didn't advise him that his Mode C was invalid, so it is considered valid. This means nothing further is required. Being in Transponder Airspace doesn't, in itself, mean that the pilot has to talk to ATC, just that he needs a Mode C transponder while operating within it.

VFR Enroute

Tower has cleared him to "enroute frequencies". What does this mean? Simple. It's simply a release from the ATC frequency you're on. One pet peeve of many controllers is a pilot who calls in on an ATC frequency, requests a service like flight following, and then changes frequency without telling anyone. A controller can't provide information to a pilot if he isn't listening. In the case of a tower, this rarely happens with aircraft landing and departing, but with a terminal unit or area control center, this happens all too often. Tune in the frequency, make contact, request the service, and stick with that frequency until released. If you must leave the frequency, to talk to radio or an MF established for an area you will pass through, simply advise ATC that you wish to leave his frequency. If he has any information for you, he can provide it to you at that point, and establish when, if at all, you expect to return to his frequency.

Having said that, for most airspace in Canada, there is no requirement to monitor ATC if you're VFR. Some VFR pilots will monitor the IFR unit's frequency, and listen out for traffic to determine if they're in the general area of other aircraft operating. This can be misleading, since it's not always possible for a pilot to determine where aircraft are simply by listening in. Many more VFR aircraft will monitor 126.7, which is a sort of universal communication frequency in Canada. Flight service stations (FSS) across the country that provide Flight Information Service Enroute (FISE), chiefly provided in Canada by Flight Information Centers (FIC), all have this frequency. In the far north, where communication facilities are sparse, some have the HF (High Frequency) equivalent of 5680 kHz, which is generally good over a larger area due to the way HF radio waves tend to follow the curvature of the earth. Pilots may make position reports and request weather, altimeter setting and NOTAM information on these frequencies while enroute. This is one of the first frequencies used in a "comm search" for VFR aircraft as well. If you are one hour overdue at destination, FICs will begin looking for on the radio, to see if you are monitoring that frequency.

VFR Position Reports are not mandatory, but the AIP Canada, in RAC 5.1, recommends the practice. I've mentioned this before in past topics, but it's a timely reminder here, too. Alerting services are provided by FICs on VFR aircraft. As mentioned, VFR aircraft are considered overdue if an arrival message has not been received within one hour after the estimated time of arrival at destination, based on flight plan estimated enroute time (EET) and the actual time of departure. Please note that this implies the departure message must have been reported to flight services. The flight plan must be "opened" somehow and that is done by calling FSS with the actual time of departure sometime shortly after departure. If a pilot heading from departure point A has an enroute time of 4 hours passing over points B, C, D, and E enroute to destination, point F, FSS will go looking for him 5 hours after the time provided in the departure message. In the event that the pilot doesn't file an arrival message with the FIC responsible at destination within that 5 hours, search and rescue action will be engaged, beginning with any known position. If the pilot makes no position reports, this action will commence at point of departure, perhaps taking a long time to reach where the aircraft actually is along the route of flight. If the pilot has reported passing points A, B, C and D, but failed to check in with point E, ATS and SAR personnel will know that they don't need to search between points A and D, since the pilot made it at least as far as point D. They will start searching there, thus reducing the time spent in the search.

The AIP also recommends reporting position reports on 126.7 (unless a different frequency is designated for the area concerned -- see the CFS for specific areas within the flight planning section for each FIR), even if the position reports are made on another frequency, such as with ATC. This way, aircraft who are not operating on the frequency the pilot is working will get the benefit of the position report as well, helping them to determine the impact of the other aircraft's operation on their own. For example, a pilot making a report on an MF prior to entering it while on approach to an airport may make that same report on 126.7, and another aircraft operating outside the MF, and not monitoring the MF, may determine that he is in the way, and respond to provide the first pilot with his own position and intentions. This is especially important outside controlled airspace, where even IFR aircraft are not provided with control service from ATC.

Opening the Flight Plan

Typically, an airport served by an ATC or FSS unit will automatically open a flight plan for a pilot. It is a good practice, though, for a pilot to ensure this is done by checking in with the FIC to ensure it was done, since it is the pilot who may end up in need of SAR services. Our pilot, now that he is clear of the Moncton control zone and has decided to switch to "enroute frequencies", now calls up Halifax FIC, the one responsible for FISE in this area, and makes this call.

CGOOF: "Halifax Radio, Cessna Golf Oscar Oscar Foxtrot."
CYHZ_FIC: "Cessna Golf Oscar Oscar Foxtrot, Halifax Radio."
CGOOF: "Oscar Oscar Foxtrot is airborne off Moncton, now fifteen miles south at three thousand five hundred. Confirm my flight plan is open."
CYHZ_FIC: "Oscar Oscar Foxtrot, flight plan is open at time one six one four."
CGOOF: "Oscar Oscar Foxtrot. I'll be monitoring one two six seven enroute to Debert."
CYHZ_FIC: "Oscar Oscar Foxtrot, roger."

Normally, an airport staffed by an ATS unit (Tower, flight service station) will automatically open a VFR flight plan, but the AIP stresses that the pilot is responsible to ensure it is open. Our pilot has taken an additional step, and that's to advise radio where he can be contacted, if necessary. Some pilots request flight following from an IFR unit, and it may be prudent for these people to advise radio, since they are the agency responsible for alerting services for VFR aircraft.

It seems as though things are going well for our intrepid aviator. Have any questions so far? Feel free to write me at moxner@nbnet.nb.ca. Thanks for reading!