Booking-out procedure
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"In fact because of this, satellite monitoring of ELT’s in the U.S. will end in, IIRC in 2009."
Fortunately, whoever told you that didn't have a clue.
Satellite monitoring of 121.50MHz (useless for a long time now, and accuracy always nearly unusable) and of the old 243MHz (poor position fixing and many false alarms) is what is ending.
I also suspect the 15% figure is meaningless. Obviously, in ditchings the figure will be 100%.
All modern beacons use 406MHz. (they also emit 121.50 for close-in SAR DF purpose). This system continues and is very accurate. Especially if you spend the extra dosh and get one with an integral GPS; the coordinates are distributed fast and internationally.
Not that this stops UK pilot shops selling 243MHz units, cheaply
I have a 243MHz unit in my N-reg, to meet the legal requirements. Due to widespread ripoff practices in the UK on anything to do with N-reg planes, I was quoted a small fortune for fitting a 406MHz one. I carry a 406MHz handheld instead. Now, one can get quite reasonably priced 406MHz fixed ELTs e.g. Artex ME-406.
If you want some reading, here's an article I found somewhere
Worldwide, the 121.5/243.0 MHz ELT signals will no longer be detected by
the SAR satellites. The following references will explain it better
than I can, but here is the first line of the text from the URL: "The
International Cospas-Sarsat System will cease satellite processing of
121.5/243 MHz beacons from 1 February 2009."
http://www.cospas-sarsat.org/FirstPa....5PhaseOut.htm
I did not find a reference to whether there is any FAA mandate that all
ELTs be replaced/upgraded, but they strongly recommend it in the AIM.
For those who want to know more about how your ELT signal gets detected
and the SAR process begins, check out the following links
http://www.cospas-sarsat.org/MainPages/indexEnglish.htm
http://www.sarsat.noaa.gov/
Fortunately, whoever told you that didn't have a clue.
Satellite monitoring of 121.50MHz (useless for a long time now, and accuracy always nearly unusable) and of the old 243MHz (poor position fixing and many false alarms) is what is ending.
I also suspect the 15% figure is meaningless. Obviously, in ditchings the figure will be 100%.
All modern beacons use 406MHz. (they also emit 121.50 for close-in SAR DF purpose). This system continues and is very accurate. Especially if you spend the extra dosh and get one with an integral GPS; the coordinates are distributed fast and internationally.
Not that this stops UK pilot shops selling 243MHz units, cheaply
I have a 243MHz unit in my N-reg, to meet the legal requirements. Due to widespread ripoff practices in the UK on anything to do with N-reg planes, I was quoted a small fortune for fitting a 406MHz one. I carry a 406MHz handheld instead. Now, one can get quite reasonably priced 406MHz fixed ELTs e.g. Artex ME-406.
If you want some reading, here's an article I found somewhere
Worldwide, the 121.5/243.0 MHz ELT signals will no longer be detected by
the SAR satellites. The following references will explain it better
than I can, but here is the first line of the text from the URL: "The
International Cospas-Sarsat System will cease satellite processing of
121.5/243 MHz beacons from 1 February 2009."
http://www.cospas-sarsat.org/FirstPa....5PhaseOut.htm
I did not find a reference to whether there is any FAA mandate that all
ELTs be replaced/upgraded, but they strongly recommend it in the AIM.
For those who want to know more about how your ELT signal gets detected
and the SAR process begins, check out the following links
http://www.cospas-sarsat.org/MainPages/indexEnglish.htm
http://www.sarsat.noaa.gov/
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White Bear,
I think what they were referring to, which I heard before, is that where an ELT is panel mounted in the aircraft there have been several cases where the impact has failed to activate the ELT.
So moral is, if you are going down turn it on yourself and dont leave it to the crash to do it for you!!!
As IO says, they are simply switching freqs but monitoring of ELTs will continue. Mate of mine bought himself an ELT just before they annouced this so had to swap it - DOH!
J.
I think what they were referring to, which I heard before, is that where an ELT is panel mounted in the aircraft there have been several cases where the impact has failed to activate the ELT.
So moral is, if you are going down turn it on yourself and dont leave it to the crash to do it for you!!!
As IO says, they are simply switching freqs but monitoring of ELTs will continue. Mate of mine bought himself an ELT just before they annouced this so had to swap it - DOH!
J.
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Also having a transponder on and switching it 7700 on the way down may activate SAR I should imagine......
You can get some nifty small EPIRBS from the USA with dual frequency and GPS built in. About £350 delivered to your door in the UK....about £650 bought in the UK
It was not ML was it? I wondered why he sold it to me so cheap, doh.... 
You can get some nifty small EPIRBS from the USA with dual frequency and GPS built in. About £350 delivered to your door in the UK....about £650 bought in the UK
As IO says, they are simply switching freqs but monitoring of ELTs will continue. Mate of mine bought himself an ELT just before they annouced this so had to swap it - DOH!
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Englishal,
IO comments on the 406 MHz ELT’s served as a reminder to me that they existed. In retrospect I find it odd that not one pilot of the 100 or so that attended the AOPA meeting, questioned the instructor’s comments about ceasing to monitor older ELT transmissions, nor did the instructor mention the newer 406 MHZ ELT's.
As to your comments on using a transponder code to alert the controlling agency. With respect that might work in the U.K., but the distances in the U.S. might make reception difficult, and the very real possibility that one would not change transponder codes until one was absolutly certain one was going down, by then altitude may well make it impossible for anyone to receive the emergency code.
It seems the best thing is to save one’s shekels’ and install a 406MHZ ELT coupled to the GPS, and as Julian says, install a switch on the panel.
I always montior 121.5 with my backup radio, so with the flick of a switch it is ready to transmit. Let's hope that with proper planning, good maintenance and a little luck, I'll never have to use either of them!
When the instructor at the AOPA meeting asked the question "How many of you have had to make an emergency landing because of engine failure, or fire?", only one pilot raised his hand.
About 80% of the pilots attending were grey haired, those that had any that is, don't know if that means anything except the need to encourage more young people to fly, but it did suggest we had some very experienced pilots in the room.
Regards,
W.B.
IO comments on the 406 MHz ELT’s served as a reminder to me that they existed. In retrospect I find it odd that not one pilot of the 100 or so that attended the AOPA meeting, questioned the instructor’s comments about ceasing to monitor older ELT transmissions, nor did the instructor mention the newer 406 MHZ ELT's.
As to your comments on using a transponder code to alert the controlling agency. With respect that might work in the U.K., but the distances in the U.S. might make reception difficult, and the very real possibility that one would not change transponder codes until one was absolutly certain one was going down, by then altitude may well make it impossible for anyone to receive the emergency code.
It seems the best thing is to save one’s shekels’ and install a 406MHZ ELT coupled to the GPS, and as Julian says, install a switch on the panel.
I always montior 121.5 with my backup radio, so with the flick of a switch it is ready to transmit. Let's hope that with proper planning, good maintenance and a little luck, I'll never have to use either of them!
When the instructor at the AOPA meeting asked the question "How many of you have had to make an emergency landing because of engine failure, or fire?", only one pilot raised his hand.
About 80% of the pilots attending were grey haired, those that had any that is, don't know if that means anything except the need to encourage more young people to fly, but it did suggest we had some very experienced pilots in the room.
Regards,
W.B.
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It seems the best thing is to save one’s shekels’ and install a 406MHZ ELT coupled to the GPS, and as Julian says, install a switch on the panel.
FAA rules do require a panel switch, plus a G-activated (3G?) mechanism. What the FAA doesn't mandate (yet) is 406MHz.
But everybody is expecting 406MHz to be mandated. The ELT market is changing, and new cheaper and smaller ELTs are coming out.
Be grateful that you don't need to fit an ELT in the UK. With the older units, say a Kannad 406 with a list price about £1500 plus fitting, it would cost not far short of what a Mode S costs to put in.
About 80% of the pilots attending were grey haired
That's UK GA I am afraid. Not so sure they were necessarily very experienced. More likely they did their PPLs 20-30 years ago (in their 40s generally) and are still flying. High hour pilots rarely go to these "safety" presentations; they tend to be rather embarrassing.
FAA rules do require a panel switch, plus a G-activated (3G?) mechanism. What the FAA doesn't mandate (yet) is 406MHz.
But everybody is expecting 406MHz to be mandated. The ELT market is changing, and new cheaper and smaller ELTs are coming out.
Be grateful that you don't need to fit an ELT in the UK. With the older units, say a Kannad 406 with a list price about £1500 plus fitting, it would cost not far short of what a Mode S costs to put in.
About 80% of the pilots attending were grey haired
That's UK GA I am afraid. Not so sure they were necessarily very experienced. More likely they did their PPLs 20-30 years ago (in their 40s generally) and are still flying. High hour pilots rarely go to these "safety" presentations; they tend to be rather embarrassing.
niknak
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Getting back to the original thread, if you book out and don't turn up when you are expected, then we and others have a pretty good idea of where to look for you.
The other reason for booking out, especially via the telephone before the flight, is so you don't occupy a busy frequency with information you could have imparted by other means, thereby not inconveniencing others with your life story.
We all know that the chances of something going wrong are rare, and an ATC unit is not obliged to follow up an overdue aircraft which has not filed a flight plan, but we would as matter of duty of care.
Of course, if you're a fully subscribed member of the "it'll never happen to me" club, with no regard for others, carry on....
The other reason for booking out, especially via the telephone before the flight, is so you don't occupy a busy frequency with information you could have imparted by other means, thereby not inconveniencing others with your life story.
We all know that the chances of something going wrong are rare, and an ATC unit is not obliged to follow up an overdue aircraft which has not filed a flight plan, but we would as matter of duty of care.
Of course, if you're a fully subscribed member of the "it'll never happen to me" club, with no regard for others, carry on....
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I still fail to see the point of a departure aerodrome keeping a record. One can fly non-radio in Class G. One could still crash somewhere, and unless somebody else is watching out of you, nobody will ever know and nobody will know they should start looking for you. And if somebody is watching out for you, they will know when you left (because you sent them a text message, etc).
My ATC days are somewhat distant now, but I recall one or two facts. First, filing a flight plan satisfies the Rule of the Air Regs; it also provides the information on which overdue action is based. Various documents provide info. on when the filing of plans is mandatory and recommended. Hence if you file a plan and then subsequently land at an unplanned destination for whatever reason, you must inform ATC that you were on a flight plan. Second, booking out provides ATC with essential information about your intentions after the wheels leave the ground. It enables ATC to accommodate your flight requirements and in the event that you are 'not landing away' will alert ATC if you don't return.......could save your bacon. Third, whilst some ATC units may be happy to accept 'booking outs' over the RTF, most will prefer this chatter to be done on a telephone where ther necessary interrogation can take place without inconveniencing and delaying others. (ATC telephone line busy is not a good reason for resorting to the RTF, it probably means that the RTF is also going to be busy)
H49
H49
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In other words, Helen, if I read you correctly there is no point in any of this except for search & rescue purposes 
In the UK, Air Traffic do not provide a service to GA in Class G. There is only FIS (London Info etc) which has no radar, and there are bits of LARS and there you often can't get a service.
So it's no wonder that few people file flight plans within the UK. However, I am sure the powers to be are more than happy with this - nobody wants to spend extra money on services for GA.
In the UK, Air Traffic do not provide a service to GA in Class G. There is only FIS (London Info etc) which has no radar, and there are bits of LARS and there you often can't get a service.
So it's no wonder that few people file flight plans within the UK. However, I am sure the powers to be are more than happy with this - nobody wants to spend extra money on services for GA.
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Originally Posted by IO540
In the UK, Air Traffic do not provide a service to GA in Class G.
There is only FIS (London Info etc) which has no radar, and there are bits of LARS and there you often can't get a service.
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But surely the point here is, that completing a booking out form at your airport of departure, in no way informs your destination of your intended flight.
Therefore your destination has no idea you are coming, and no reason to instigate S&R?
Calling your destination for PPR may give them something to go on, but this is something completely seperate to booking out at your departure airport.
Therefore your destination has no idea you are coming, and no reason to instigate S&R?
Calling your destination for PPR may give them something to go on, but this is something completely seperate to booking out at your departure airport.
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Indeed Vintage ATCO, I wonder what we have been doing all that time on LARS Radar.
Booking out is an essential at our airport, without it you won't get airborne, as to what use it is, well it helps work out my salary
.
As Niknak has said whilst we are not obliged to start overdue action unless an aircraft has filed a flight plan we certainly would do on an aircraft that was booked out if we had reason to believe they were overdue, we actually have a local agreement with the flying club as to how long we expect aircraft to be airborne and the booking out does include expected time airborne. In the event of a book out land away as opposed to local flight then of course all we could provide are ATD and the time the aircraft changed frequencies and to whom, that however could still help in the event of SAR.
I can only speak for an ATC controlled field, but it certainly has uses from our point of view.
Booking out is an essential at our airport, without it you won't get airborne, as to what use it is, well it helps work out my salary
.As Niknak has said whilst we are not obliged to start overdue action unless an aircraft has filed a flight plan we certainly would do on an aircraft that was booked out if we had reason to believe they were overdue, we actually have a local agreement with the flying club as to how long we expect aircraft to be airborne and the booking out does include expected time airborne. In the event of a book out land away as opposed to local flight then of course all we could provide are ATD and the time the aircraft changed frequencies and to whom, that however could still help in the event of SAR.
I can only speak for an ATC controlled field, but it certainly has uses from our point of view.
aceatco, retired
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Originally Posted by dublinpilot
But surely the point here is, that completing a booking out form at your airport of departure, in no way informs your destination of your intended flight.
Therefore your destination has no idea you are coming, and no reason to instigate S&R?
Therefore your destination has no idea you are coming, and no reason to instigate S&R?
Calling your destination for PPR may give them something to go on, but this is something completely seperate to booking out at your departure airport.
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Vintage ATCO
I am of course referring to how often an RIS is refused. Sunny Sundays especially. Especially in the last year or two.
I suppose an FIS (no squawk) from a radar unit is worth having because (one never knows....) they might in reality be keeping half an eye on you even if they don't tell you.
But an FIS from a non radar unit is worth exactly what? A listening watch on 124.60 is just as good. Apart from additional services such as getting airways clearances from London Control, it does no more than a text message to my girlfriend telling her of my departure, and to call the police if I don't arrive by time X.
It's a real shame London Info don't have radar.
The French FIS now seems to have radar almost universally; this results in being watched all the way across France while having a very quiet flight, with little work for the pilot and presumably little work for ATC too. Transits through bits of Class D "just happen"; they are so damn close to implicit that you don't even need to call up; just giving them your route amounts to a clearance all the way across France. I am talking VFR of course, outside Class A. Not sure why the UK can't do that; somebody decided to keep "ATS to the rifraf" in the gutter.
I am of course referring to how often an RIS is refused. Sunny Sundays especially. Especially in the last year or two.
I suppose an FIS (no squawk) from a radar unit is worth having because (one never knows....) they might in reality be keeping half an eye on you even if they don't tell you.
But an FIS from a non radar unit is worth exactly what? A listening watch on 124.60 is just as good. Apart from additional services such as getting airways clearances from London Control, it does no more than a text message to my girlfriend telling her of my departure, and to call the police if I don't arrive by time X.
It's a real shame London Info don't have radar.
The French FIS now seems to have radar almost universally; this results in being watched all the way across France while having a very quiet flight, with little work for the pilot and presumably little work for ATC too. Transits through bits of Class D "just happen"; they are so damn close to implicit that you don't even need to call up; just giving them your route amounts to a clearance all the way across France. I am talking VFR of course, outside Class A. Not sure why the UK can't do that; somebody decided to keep "ATS to the rifraf" in the gutter.
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Dublinpilot
Absolutely correct.
Not true in all cases, although I take your point that it is not linked to booking out. For example, if you are one of the rare breed who files a VFR Flight Plan (which could be a written or verbal 'abbreviated' one), then the arrival aerodrome ATC unit will have your information and can commence 'overdue' action upon it if you don't arrive. Also, if your arrival airfield is not connected to the AFTN (i.e. they won't receive the plan) or does not have an ATC unit, then the obligation is on the pilot to appoint a 'responsible person' who will initiate the 'overdue' action if you have not arrived within 30 minutes of your notified arrival time (if you can't find one, then the parent Area Control Centre can be asked to act as this person, in which case you need to call them to let them know you are safe (or running late) before the 30 minutes after planned arrival time is up). Full details in the UK AIP ENR section.
The ANO also gives a generic catch all in Rule 20 so that you have to let somone know before you depart, and once you arrive. As with a lot of laws, there are some holes in it and it does not make things crystal clear though
It certainly doesn't say that you need to let an arrival airfield know about you before you arrive.
Agreed 
In terms of SAR usefulness, there are two main elements which Rule 20 mandates and can be used by the authorities. Let's not debate how the 'overdue' action came to pass (for now) but talk about what happens next.
First of all, the authorities will check with the arrival aerodrome whether you have actually arrived or not. Remember that Rule 20 says you have to tell someone there you have arrived, be it the ATC unit, airfield owner/operator, or parent ATC unit. They will also probably dispatch a local bobby if they can't get confirmation from anyone so he can see if your aircraft is on the airfield. Whilst this is going on, similar checks will also be made at your departure airfield. This is to help calculate the radius of the search area because they will know your approximate departure time (Rule 20 requires you to give notice of your intended departure), a ball park aircraft speed (either as filed, or from aircraft data they hold), and an endurance (worst case would be your maximum if you did not pass your exact one to anybody). From that, they will know how far you could have made it from the departure aerodrome, and when your fuel would have been exhausted. In addition to providing a radius for any ground search, this will also help identify other aerodromes where you might have landed instead. They can then contact these other aerodromes by a signal if they have ATC which is open (A generic Request News message), by telephone, or by other means through the local police.
So 'booking out' is not as big a waste of time as it might seem. It certainly saves the SAR people some time in tightening up any action they are required to take.
Coming back to the initiating 'overdue' action part of the story, my own view is that this is not robust enough and the ANO should mandate someone being nominated as a responsbile person, either by communicating a Flight Plan to the arrival ATC unit, by nominating someone such as the airfield operator/owner or a relative or friend, or by getting the parent ATC Centre to do it on your behalf. The AIP and the ANO don't totally align on this and there are gaps in both 'procedures' which mean that you can still fly without anyone knowing you will be coming and looking out for you if the worst should happen.
But surely the point here is, that completing a booking out form at your airport of departure, in no way informs your destination of your intended flight.
Therefore your destination has no idea you are coming, and no reason to instigate S&R?
The ANO also gives a generic catch all in Rule 20 so that you have to let somone know before you depart, and once you arrive. As with a lot of laws, there are some holes in it and it does not make things crystal clear though
It certainly doesn't say that you need to let an arrival airfield know about you before you arrive.
Notification of arrival and departure
20 (1) The commander of an aircraft who has caused notice of its intended arrival at any aerodrome to be given to the air traffic control unit or other authority at that aerodrome shall ensure that the air traffic control unit or other authority at that aerodrome is informed as quickly as possible of any change of intended destination and any estimated delay in arrival of 45 minutes or more.
(2) The commander of an aircraft arriving at or departing from an aerodrome in the United Kingdom shall take all reasonable steps to ensure upon landing or prior to departure, as the case may be, that notice of that event is given to the person in charge of the aerodrome, or to the air traffic control unit or aerodrome flight information service unit at the aerodrome.
Paragraphs 3 & 4 omitted as they are not really relevant.
20 (1) The commander of an aircraft who has caused notice of its intended arrival at any aerodrome to be given to the air traffic control unit or other authority at that aerodrome shall ensure that the air traffic control unit or other authority at that aerodrome is informed as quickly as possible of any change of intended destination and any estimated delay in arrival of 45 minutes or more.
(2) The commander of an aircraft arriving at or departing from an aerodrome in the United Kingdom shall take all reasonable steps to ensure upon landing or prior to departure, as the case may be, that notice of that event is given to the person in charge of the aerodrome, or to the air traffic control unit or aerodrome flight information service unit at the aerodrome.
Paragraphs 3 & 4 omitted as they are not really relevant.
Calling your destination for PPR may give them something to go on, but this is something completely seperate to booking out at your departure airport.
In terms of SAR usefulness, there are two main elements which Rule 20 mandates and can be used by the authorities. Let's not debate how the 'overdue' action came to pass (for now) but talk about what happens next.
First of all, the authorities will check with the arrival aerodrome whether you have actually arrived or not. Remember that Rule 20 says you have to tell someone there you have arrived, be it the ATC unit, airfield owner/operator, or parent ATC unit. They will also probably dispatch a local bobby if they can't get confirmation from anyone so he can see if your aircraft is on the airfield. Whilst this is going on, similar checks will also be made at your departure airfield. This is to help calculate the radius of the search area because they will know your approximate departure time (Rule 20 requires you to give notice of your intended departure), a ball park aircraft speed (either as filed, or from aircraft data they hold), and an endurance (worst case would be your maximum if you did not pass your exact one to anybody). From that, they will know how far you could have made it from the departure aerodrome, and when your fuel would have been exhausted. In addition to providing a radius for any ground search, this will also help identify other aerodromes where you might have landed instead. They can then contact these other aerodromes by a signal if they have ATC which is open (A generic Request News message), by telephone, or by other means through the local police.
So 'booking out' is not as big a waste of time as it might seem. It certainly saves the SAR people some time in tightening up any action they are required to take.
Coming back to the initiating 'overdue' action part of the story, my own view is that this is not robust enough and the ANO should mandate someone being nominated as a responsbile person, either by communicating a Flight Plan to the arrival ATC unit, by nominating someone such as the airfield operator/owner or a relative or friend, or by getting the parent ATC Centre to do it on your behalf. The AIP and the ANO don't totally align on this and there are gaps in both 'procedures' which mean that you can still fly without anyone knowing you will be coming and looking out for you if the worst should happen.
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I can see the point in booking out if there is ATC on the field, and you are returning back to the same field. ATC are then expecting you back by a certain time, and can get concerned if you don't.
But lets say I book out from Old Sarum, for a flight to Blackpool. There is no requirement to file a flight plan, so I don't. Any time I have rung Blackpool for PPR, they have told me that it is a public use airport, and I don't require PPR, and they have taken no details. So lets say this happens this time.
Now unlike what PPruneRadar says, I have never seen a booking out form (so far as I can remember) that asked me for speed and endurange. Yes a flight plan will, but usually a booking out form ask for no more than:
Date
Type
Operator
No of paxs
Time of departure
Destination/Nature of exercise.
So I take off from Old Sarum, en route to Blackpool, and I go missing. I never turn up at Blackpool.
No one is expecting me in Blackpool because of my booking out in Old Sarum. But when eventually someone realises that I have gone missing, their first port of call will be the booking out form.
They can tell that I left, what time I left, and that I intended to go to Blackpool and can confirm with Blackpool that I didn't turn up, but no more. They have no idea whatsoever of my intended route, and therefore have an impracticably large part of the country to cover. If I got to Caernarfon and decided the weather wasn't good enough to continue so stopped there, there would be no reason for me to phone Blackpool. They weren't expecting me, and no one there was either.
A requirement to "book in" with the destination before departure would have some advantages. A requirement to file a flight plan would have some advantages. But I still fail to see the use in booking out, at least as far as S&R goes. Even in the Bentine incident, I fail to see how it would have helped. Most likely the booking out sheet would have simply shown either "Local" or given a destination, but not a routing to start looking for him.
It may help ATC with traffic flow, but I can't see the use for S&R.
It seems to be a pecularity to the UK.
It's all very well to talk about the benefits of filing a flight plan, but that's not what we're talking about here. We're talking about a booking out.
dp (Who files a flight plan for 9 out of 10 flights)
But lets say I book out from Old Sarum, for a flight to Blackpool. There is no requirement to file a flight plan, so I don't. Any time I have rung Blackpool for PPR, they have told me that it is a public use airport, and I don't require PPR, and they have taken no details. So lets say this happens this time.
Now unlike what PPruneRadar says, I have never seen a booking out form (so far as I can remember) that asked me for speed and endurange. Yes a flight plan will, but usually a booking out form ask for no more than:
Date
Type
Operator
No of paxs
Time of departure
Destination/Nature of exercise.
So I take off from Old Sarum, en route to Blackpool, and I go missing. I never turn up at Blackpool.
No one is expecting me in Blackpool because of my booking out in Old Sarum. But when eventually someone realises that I have gone missing, their first port of call will be the booking out form.
They can tell that I left, what time I left, and that I intended to go to Blackpool and can confirm with Blackpool that I didn't turn up, but no more. They have no idea whatsoever of my intended route, and therefore have an impracticably large part of the country to cover. If I got to Caernarfon and decided the weather wasn't good enough to continue so stopped there, there would be no reason for me to phone Blackpool. They weren't expecting me, and no one there was either.
A requirement to "book in" with the destination before departure would have some advantages. A requirement to file a flight plan would have some advantages. But I still fail to see the use in booking out, at least as far as S&R goes. Even in the Bentine incident, I fail to see how it would have helped. Most likely the booking out sheet would have simply shown either "Local" or given a destination, but not a routing to start looking for him.
It may help ATC with traffic flow, but I can't see the use for S&R.
It seems to be a pecularity to the UK.
It's all very well to talk about the benefits of filing a flight plan, but that's not what we're talking about here. We're talking about a booking out.
dp (Who files a flight plan for 9 out of 10 flights)
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Ok, having thought a little more about it, I can see one useful point in the booking out procedure.
In the above example, if someone at Old Sarum thought I should be returning and got concerned because I didn't, they could go to the booking out sheet, and confirm that I had intended to fly to Blackpool. They could then call Blackpool would could confirm that the aircraft was safely sitting on their apron, and that no S&R was required.
But I still can't see it's usefulness when S&R is required, or how the booking out would alert S&R.
dp
In the above example, if someone at Old Sarum thought I should be returning and got concerned because I didn't, they could go to the booking out sheet, and confirm that I had intended to fly to Blackpool. They could then call Blackpool would could confirm that the aircraft was safely sitting on their apron, and that no S&R was required.
But I still can't see it's usefulness when S&R is required, or how the booking out would alert S&R.
dp
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dp, you sum it up pretty well. All I can add (others may add more) that if you have given anyone at your original destination any hint you would be arriving and then land elsewhere, do let them know. It just stops any hares running. OK, we don't have to do anything but it just stops that nagging thought.
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Now unlike what PPruneRadar says, I have never seen a booking out form (so far as I can remember) that asked me for speed and endurange. Yes a flight plan will, but usually a booking out form ask for no more than:
Date
Type
Operator
No of paxs
Time of departure
Destination/Nature of exercise.
Date
Type
Operator
No of paxs
Time of departure
Destination/Nature of exercise.
PS Perhaps the Irish authorities will assume otherwise, my notes only apply to UK FIRs.
But I still fail to see the use in booking out, at least as far as S&R goes. Even in the Bentine incident, I fail to see how it would have helped. Most likely the booking out sheet would have simply shown either "Local" or given a destination, but not a routing to start looking for him.
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what do the SAR folks know about it
The Q one might ask here is how many planes just vanish into thin air.
Those (very few) examples where somebody didn't arrive and their remains were not found until the next year, etc, don't really prove anything. If you come down into a forest, unless it is next to Tesco (or a footpath) and somebody notices the smell, you may be there for years, and be invisible from an aerial search.
Quite a lot of countries have mandatory flight plans, or (like Spain) mandatory for CAS which means mandatory for anything practical. But one can't tell whether this is for "control of GA" or S&R.
I actually think that if you come down somewhere and are injured and can't move, S&R won't find you for many hours or days at best. Your best hope is a radio call and setting 7700. Curiously, you should get picked up much quicker if you ditch and are sitting in the raft with an activated EPIRB. Again, mandatory ELTs (US-style) would help here but that would be another Mode-S-like uproar.
The Q one might ask here is how many planes just vanish into thin air.
Those (very few) examples where somebody didn't arrive and their remains were not found until the next year, etc, don't really prove anything. If you come down into a forest, unless it is next to Tesco (or a footpath) and somebody notices the smell, you may be there for years, and be invisible from an aerial search.
Quite a lot of countries have mandatory flight plans, or (like Spain) mandatory for CAS which means mandatory for anything practical. But one can't tell whether this is for "control of GA" or S&R.
I actually think that if you come down somewhere and are injured and can't move, S&R won't find you for many hours or days at best. Your best hope is a radio call and setting 7700. Curiously, you should get picked up much quicker if you ditch and are sitting in the raft with an activated EPIRB. Again, mandatory ELTs (US-style) would help here but that would be another Mode-S-like uproar.