¶ General Information
Enroute control for Military in the United Kingdom covers all flights within the UK take place outside of controlled airspace. As a direct result of this, most flights are controlled under UKFIS requiring the use of Basic, Traffic, Deconfliction and Procedural Services. Military flights commonly request a Traffic Service.
There are of course a couple of exceptions. The use of Radar corridors for transits through controlled airspace being one of them.
Radar Corridors are routes that allow aircraft to cross controlled airspace with minimum disturbance to controllers and other aircraft. These routes are primarily used by military aircraft but these can be used by any pilot. It is asked that pilots use these corridors whenever possible to allow for easier coordination and integration of aircraft.
All entry-exit points are the centre points of the corridors with the width of the corridors being the full width. Full details on this can be found here – Click Here
The exception is control of Military Aircraft themselves in the vicinity of a relevant airfield. While most airfields are outside of controlled airspace, vectoring is permitted to establish on to the ILS, vectors for and undertaking PAR, vectors for and undertaking SRA and for Vectors to Initials for landing on request.
Direct control also applies to separating SO air traffic from Civilian air traffic where needed.
¶ Areas of interest and to keep in consideration
¶ Areas Of Intense Aerial Activity
An Areas of Intense Aerial Activity is defined as airspace within which aircraft regularly participate in unusual manoeuvres. Details of all AIAAs are available in the UK Civil AIP.
Prohibited, Restricted And Danger Areas
Danger areas are set up to warn pilots that during the specified times there could be activity inside this area that could affect the safety of their flight and that the pilot should take this in to consideration. A Restricted area is a defined part of airspace that flight within it is only allowed if the defined conditions are meet. A Prohibited are is a defined part of airspace such that no flight is allowed to operate it during its times of operation.
¶ Air To Air Refuelling Areas
Air to air refuelling areas are defined parts of airspace that allows assured use of the airspace for tanking operations, this means during their operation controllers are to assure separation of other traffic. Details of all AARA’s are available in the UK Civil AIP.
¶ Military Training Areas
Military Training Areas are parts of airspace that allows free movement of Military aircraft without a radar controlled service, at heights that would not normally be possible. Details of all MTA’s are available in the UK Civil AIP.
¶ Aerial Tactics Areas
Aerial Training Areas are parts of airspace that allows the training of Air combat that commonly consists of High energy manoeuvres. Pilots not participating that require to enter the Area is strongly suggested to obtain a Radar service. Details of all ATA’s are available in the UK Civil AIP.
¶ Temporary Reserved Areas
Temporary Reserved Areas are parts of airspace Between Fl195 and FL245 that allows various VFR UK airspace users including military autonomous flights to operate above FL195. TRA can only be activated by a covering controller and is to be closed as soon as there are no flights within it. Locations of TRA’s can be found in the UK AIP.
¶ Area of Responsibility
