ENR 1.10 FLIGHT PLANNING

1 Procedures for the Submission of a Flight Plan

In accordance with European Commission Implementing Regulation No 923/2012 (SERA) a flight plan shall be submitted prior to operating:

  1. any flight or portion thereof to be provided with air traffic control service;
  2. any VFR flight wishing alerting service;
  3. any flight within FIZ/RMZ or which passes these zones;
  4. any domestic flight within uncontrolled airspace when flying closer than 2.7 NM (5 km) to the dividing line between Estonia and Russia or mainland part of the border line between Estonia and Latvia;
  5. any flight across national borders;
  6. any flight planned to operate at night, if leaving the vicinity of an aerodrome.
An IFPS flight plan shall be submitted in IFPZ for each individual flight to ensure that relevant information is available in IFPS for transmission to the appropriate ATS units.
1.1 Time of Submission

Flight plan shall be submitted not more than 120 hours before flight's EOBT. If the flight plan is submitted earlier than 24 hours before the EOBT, the date of flight shall be inserted in flight plan's field 18 after DOF/.

Flight plan shall be submitted at least (or no later than) 60 minutes before EOBT in flight plan.

For flights that may be subject to ATFM measures, the flight plan must be submitted at least 3 hours before the EOBT.

For the VFR flight not crossing the border of Republic of Estonia, the flight plan shall be submitted at least 30 minutes before EOBT in flight plan.

If the flight plan is submitted during flight, it must be done sufficiently in advance to be received by concerned air traffic service unit 10 minutes before estimated time of arrival to:

  • controlled airspace;
  • FIZ/RMZ.

Flight plan requirements for flights subject to ATFM procedures are given in ENR 1.9.

1.2 Content and Format of a Flight Plan
  1. The flight plan form completion requirements presented in Appendix 6 of the European Commission's Implementing Regulation No. 923/2012 (SERA) apply;
  2. Flight plan for glider flights shall contain detailed information about the entire route or area covered by the flights and the altitudes (lowest and highest flight altitudes);
  3. The flight plan submitted for a flight across the Estonian border shall contain information on the entire flight up to the planned landing aerodrome;
  4. The flight plan submitted for the flight along the Estonian border or for a special flight shall contain detailed information about the flight route, times and flight levels;
  5. SID/STAR procedures are not included in the flight plan;
  6. Flight plans submitted for a flight through the Tallinn FIR shall comply with national restrictions published in the RAD document (https://www.nm.eurocontrol.int/RAD/index.html).
  7. When during VFR flight the pilot will be in the radio contact with other ATS units than those responsible for its departure and/or destination aerodromes, the four-letter ICAO code of these aerodromes shall be inserted at the end of RMK/ on field 18.
    For example: for an EETN-EEKE flight that is planning to fly through EEEI and EEKA airspace, RMK/EEEI EEKA shall be added to FPL field 18.
  8. To ensure alerting service, the pilot's phone number shall be provided in field 18 of the VFR flight plan after RMK/, e.g. RMK/PIC TEL 37212345678.
  9. When submitting an IFR General Air Traffic (GAT) flight plan to Tallinn ARO, the plan shall include the calculated take-off mass, expressed in kilograms. This may be included in item 18 of the flight plan form, behind the RMK/ indicator (e.g. RMK/TOW 1117KG). In case of changes to the calculated take-off mass, these changes shall be relayed to Tallinn ARO.
1.3 Place of Submission

Flight plan shall be submitted before departure to the ATS reporting office (ARO) or during flight to a corresponding ATS unit.

ATS reporting office (ARO) for all Estonian aerodromes is centralised ARO and it is the central unit for accepting, processing and transmitting flight plans and flight plan related messages.

Flight plans shall be preferably submitted before departure to the centralised ARO:

ARO TALLINN
Tel:+372 671 0241
Tel:+372 5826 7100 (back-up)
E-mail:fpl.tugi@eans.ee
 

When submitting a flight plan by phone, the sequence of fields in the ICAO flight plan form shall be followed.

Flight plans can be submitted via the Estonian centralised ARO web-based application (isb.eans.ee).

Flight plans can also be submitted via a form on the website aim.eans.ee and via email. In both instances, for a flight plan to be considered as submitted and for it to be processed, a phone call must be placed to Tallinn ARO confirming the submission.

Flight plans may also be submitted to the following units before departure:

  1. departing from Ämari Military Aerodrome to the AIS unit there;
  2. upon departure from the following aerodromes to local ATS providing ARO services during their working hours:
    • Kärdla
    • Kuressaare
    • Pärnu
    • Tartu

IFR or mixed flight rules IFR/VFR flight plans and associated messages (CHG, DLA, CNL) may be submitted directly to IFPS, as described in ENR 1.11, subject to the procedures described in the IFPS Users Manual. Direct submitters are fully responsible for complying with the applicable IFPZ procedures, including full addressing of the VFR and OAT parts of an IFPZ flight.

If a flight plan submitter uses a computerised flight plan transfer system other than the Estonian centralised ARO web-based application to submit flight plans, the responsibility for correctness and addressing of the flight plan form lies with the submitter.

1.4 Processing and Transmission of Flight Plans
The centralised ARO processes and transmits flight plans and, if necessary, flight plan related messages (CHG, DLA, CNL) as follows:
  1. Flight plans and flight plan related messages for flights departing from Estonia submitted directly to the centralised ARO:
    • checks compliance with the format and data presentation requirements;
    • checks the completeness and to the extent possible, accuracy of the flight plan;
    • transmits flight plans for IFR flights and mixed flight rules IFR/VFR GAT flights to IFPS and other relevant units;
    • transmits VFR flight plans to all relevant units.
  2. Transmits flight plans and flight plan related messages for flights departing from Estonia through the respective units of EEKA, EEKE, EETU, EEPU and EEEI to all relevant units.
  3. Transmits flight plans for IFR flights and mixed flight rules IFR/VFR GAT flights departing from outside Estonia to the responsible ATS unit at the aerodrome of departure;
  4. In the case of a flight through intermediate stops, where the flight plans for each planned stage of the flight are submitted to the centralised ARO or to the first responsible ATS unit of departure aerodrome within Tallinn FIR:
    • transmits flight plans for IFR flights and mixed flight rules IFR/VFR GAT flights to IFPS and other relevant units;
    • transmits flight plans of VFR flights for all stages of flight departing from Tallinn FIR to all relevant units;
    • flight plans for VFR flight stages not departing from Tallinn FIR shall be transmitted to the AROs of the departure aerodrome or to other units responsible for the subsequent transmission of flight plans.
1.5 Adherence to ATS Route Structure and FRA Procedures

Airspace users are permitted to follow published ATS routes or to submit flight plan according to published FRA procedures, as described in ENR 1.3, between any of the 5 letter waypoints published in ENR 4.4 within Tallinn FIR above FL95.

Airspace users operating according to FRA procedures are permitted to cross Tallinn FIR BDRY between Riga FIR and Helsinki FIR according to published FRA procedures of Estonia, Latvia and Finland.

Submitting of flight flans for flights in Bodø OFIR shall be in accordance with the flight planning rules in ICAO Doc 7030, NAT section.

1.6 Authorisation for Special Flights

A single permit shall be obtained from the Estonian Transport Administration to organise air races or public aviation events and to conduct flights where it is impossible to follow the rules of the air, or other extraordinary flights.

A request for authorisation shall be mailed so as to be received at least one week before the intended day of operation to:

Post:Estonian Transport Administration
Valge 4/1
11413 Tallinn, ESTONIA
Tel:+372 620 1200
Fax:NIL
E-mail:info@transpordiamet.ee

2 Repetitive Flight Plan System

NIL

3 Changes to the Submitted Flight Plan

When a specific IFR flight is likely to be delayed for 15 minutes or VFR flight for 30 minutes in excess of the estimated departure time stated in the FPL, it shall be announced as early as possible before departure to:

Note: If a delay in departure (or cancellation) of an uncontrolled VFR flight is not properly reported, alerting or search and rescue action may be unnecessarily initiated when the flight fails to arrive at the destination aerodrome within 30 minutes after its current ETA.

Whenever a flight, for which a flight plan has been submitted, is cancelled, it shall be informed immediately:

Significant changes to a current flight plan for a controlled flight during flight shall be reported or requested according to the provisions in ICAO Annex 2, para. 3.6.2.
Significant changes to a flight plan for an uncontrolled VFR flight include:

4 Activation and Closure of a Flight Plan

4.1 Activating a Flight Plan

In order to initiate ATS services an IFR or VFR flight plan (if submitted) must be activated by one of the following means.

If a departure takes place from an aerodrome or operating site without any ATS in operation, the pilot shall activate the FPL:

  • by phone not more than 10 minutes before departure to Flight Data Assistant (FDA), or
  • after airborne by radio to Tallinn FIC (CH 128.980, or
  • after airborne by radio to Tallinn APP (CH 127.905) if the operating site is located below Tallinn TMA.
Flight Data Assistant (FDA):
Tel:+372 625 8374
Tel:+372 5826 7100 (back-up)
AFS:EETTZFZX

If a departure takes place from an operating site located inside a CTR or FIZ, the pilot shall contact the appropriate TWR or AFIS unit by phone or by radio before departure.

The activation message shall contain the following elements of information:

  • aircraft identification;
  • departure aerodrome;
  • destination aerodrome;
  • time of departure.

An activation message is not required when the aerodrome is provided with ATS and it is evident that the departure has been observed.

4.2 Closing a Flight Plan

An arrival report shall be made after landing on an aerodrome or operating site where ATS is not provided by any IFR or VFR flight for which an FPL has been activated.

The arrival report shall be made at the earliest possible moment after landing but not later than ETA+30 minutes to Flight Data Assistant (FDA):

Tel:+372 625 8374
Tel:+372 5826 7100 (back-up)
AFS:EETTZFZX

If a landing takes place to an operating site located inside a CTR or FIZ, the report shall be made to the appropriate TWR või AFIS unit by phone or by radio.

The report is not required after landing when the aerodrome is provided with ATS and it is evident that the landing has been observed.

The arrival report shall contain the following elements of information:

  • aircraft identification;
  • departure aerodrome or operating site;
  • destination aerodrome or operating site (only in the case of a diversionary landing);
  • arrival aerodrome or operating site;
  • time of arrival.

VFR flight plan in uncontrolled airspace submitted only for a portion of a flight, or when a pilot decides to close an active flight plan mid-air, shall be closed by radio to the relevant ATS unit.

Whenever an arrival report is required, failure to comply with the requirement may cause serious disruption in the air traffic services and incur great expenses in carrying out unnecessary search and rescue operations.

5 FF-ICE

5.1 Definitions

Flight and Flow – Information for a Collaborative Environment (FF-ICE): information necessary for planning, coordination, and notification of flights, exchanged in a standardised format between members of the ATM community, including those involved in flight operations and aerodrome operations.

FF-ICE services: a set of services established to facilitate the exchange of FF-ICE, enable accurate assessment of demand, support appropriate resource planning, and optimise flight planning and execution.

FF-ICE services unit: a unit designated by the appropriate ATS authority for the provision of FF-ICE services.

Filed flight plan (FPL or eFPL): the latest flight plan submitted by the pilot, an operator, or a designated representative for use by ATS units.

Note: The FPL denotes a filed flight plan exchanged using aeronautical fixed service while eFPL denotes a filed flight plan exchanged using FF-ICE services. The eFPL allows for the exchange of additional information not contained within the FPL.

Globally Unique Flight Identifier (GUFI): an unchangeable data element associated with a flight that allows all eligible members of the ATM community to unambiguously refer to information pertaining to the flight.

5.2 FF-ICE Services

FF-ICE operates within a system-wide information management (SWIM) operational environment in which the main procedures and processes are described in terms of services.

EUROCONTROL Network Manager (NM) is the designated FF-ICE services unit for the IFPS Zone and provides the following FF-ICE services:
  • filing service: the evaluation of a filed flight plan (eFPL) for the provision of air traffic services and indication of flight plan acceptability;
  • trial service: the evaluation of a trial request with respect to flight plan acceptability and, where practicable, the indication of applicable restrictions and resultant constraints on the flight;
    Note: The trial service offers an opportunity for an operator or designated representative to submit “what-if” scenarios and to receive feedback from an FF-ICE services unit, prior to submitting an eFPL or flight plan update.
  • flight data request service: the provision of data regarding a specific flight such as the latest version of a filed flight plan or search and rescue data upon request by an eligible recipient;
  • notification service: the provision of data regarding a certain flight event such as departure and arrival to required recipients;
  • publication service: the publication of FF-ICE data for access by authorised subscribers.

Detailed descriptions of the NM FF-ICE services are available in the European SWIM registry.

An NM B2B certificate is required to make use of the FF-ICE services provided by NM via their B2B (Business to Business) Services.

NM provides a translation service whereby all eFPL messages are translated to the FPL message format. Operators may make use of the FF-ICE translation and delivery service provided by NM to address translated FPL messages to ATS units outside of the IFPZ.

5.3 FF-ICE Messages

FF-ICE messages are used to exchange FF-ICE information and are described in the following table:

Message
Description
Submission Response
A response message indicating whether a submitted FF-ICE message is valid or not. In case of rejection, it also indicates the reason.
Trial Request
A query to evaluate a flight plan under consideration for an intended flight.
Trial Response
A response to a validated Trial Request message indicating the expected flight plan acceptability and, where practicable, applicable restrictions and constraints.
Filed Flight Plan (eFPL)
A flight plan (to be) submitted as a request for air traffic services.
Filing Status
A response to a validated eFPL message indicating the flight plan acceptability.
Flight Plan Update
An update to the information contained in a previously submitted flight plan.
Flight Cancellation
An instruction to cancel and remove a previously submitted flight plan.
Flight Data Request
A query for flight plan or search and rescue information for a particular flight.
Flight Data Response
A response to a validated Flight Data Request message, which includes the requested data.
Flight Departure
A notification that a flight has departed.
Flight Arrival
A notification that a flight has landed.

The Flight Information Exchange Model (FIXM) provides individual exchange schema for each of the FF-ICE messages.

Further details on the format, fields and content are provided in the NM B2B Reference Manual and the FIXM User Manual.

5.4 FF-ICE Requirements

General air traffic, operating under IFR must submit eFPLs using the FF-ICE services provided by NM, instead of FPL messages.

For all operators an eFPL message shall include, as a minimum (civil aircraft operating as general air traffic fully under IFR have additional requirements):
  • the GUFI;
  • the operator flight plan version;
  • the flight data items required for FPLs as prescribed by the provisions in ICAO Annex 2 Section 3.3.2, ICAO Doc 4444 PANS-ATM Appendix 2 and this AIP Section ENR 1.10.
Civil aircraft operating as general air traffic fully under IFR are additionally required to include the following in their eFPL:
  • expanded route and 4D trajectory;
  • flight specific performance data consisting of performance climb and descent profiles and climb and descent speed schedules;
  • estimated aircraft take-off mass.

For state aircraft operating as general air traffic fully under IFR and general air traffic operating under mixed IFR and VFR, the inclusion of items 3. a., b. and c. in eFPLs is optional.

Details on the expression of route/trajectory information in an FF-ICE flight plan are provided in the EUROCONTROL Network Manager IFPS Users Manual. When providing a trajectory in an FF-ICE flight plan, the full trajectory from aerodrome of departure to aerodrome of destination must be provided.

The operator, or its designated representative, is required to generate and allocate a GUFI to its FF-ICE flight plan. The provision of the GUFI is mandatory when using the filing service and the notification service.

The operator flight plan version number is a mandatory element when submitting eFPLs and any subsequent updates. The version number shall be incremented by the operator or their designated representative with every update to the flight plan.

5.5 FF-ICE Flight Planning Procedures
Submission, update and cancellation of FF-ICE Flight Plans:
  • FF-ICE flight plans are submitted, updated and cancelled using the FF-ICE filing service;
  • upon processing of an FF-ICE flight plan submission or update, NM provides feedback via a submission response and filing status. In the case of an FF-ICE flight plan cancellation, NM provides feedback via a submission response only.
Use of the FF-ICE Trial Service:
  • the trial service is initiated through the submission of a trial request;
  • upon processing of an FF-ICE trial request, NM provides feedback via a submission response and a trial response.
Use of the FF-ICE Flight Data Request Service:
  • The use of the FF-ICE flight data request service enables users to request:
    1. a copy of accepted eFPLs;
    2. a copy of supplementary flight plan data;
    3. a copy of the latest filing status for the flight;
    4. the submission response status.
The notification service is used to enable users to transmit departure and arrival notification information to NM.
The data publication service is used to enable subscribers to obtain information about flights relevant to their operations.
FF-ICE flight plan re-evaluation:
  • NM performs re-evaluation of FF-ICE flight plans to determine whether flight plans remain in compliance with published restrictions or ATM measures that may have been applied or modified since the flight plan was last evaluated.
  • the IFPS performs re-evaluation of eFPLs in the same way that it revalidates FPLs/IFPLs, with all valid flight plans subjected to the same process, same criteria and same possible outcome.
  • the re-evaluation process applies to all processed eFPLs that received an ACK submission status and ACCEPTABLE filing status.
  • operators should make use of the NM B2B Publish/Subscribe services that will provide updates to the eFPL’s filing status, to maintain awareness of the re-evaluation results.
Further details on the NM implementation and provision of FF-ICE services and related procedures are provided in the NM IFPS Users Manual.
5.6 Further Information
Further information on FF-ICE, the NM implementation and associated procedures can be found in the following:
The EUROCONTROL Network Manager will provide a flight plan translation service for the FIRs/UIRs in the IFPZ where FF-ICE/R1 is not mandated and as transition arrangements until full implementation by the concerned states.