VFR traffic
Parking
General VFR traffic will normally be parked at Apron 3.
- Light aircraft pilots will usually get to choose their parking spot after landing. ATC will instruct the pilot to taxi to apron 3 via DL or AD.
- At rare occasions stand 351 or 352 may be blocked by a larger aircraft. Taxi to these stands is performed via taxiway DM.
Local restrictions
- VFR flights are restricted during peak hours and during simultaneous IFR approaches to parallel runways (04L/R or 22L/R). Check ATIS prior to flight!
- VFR flights shall not climb above 1000 FT without explicit clearance from ATC.
Helsinki Control Zone is ATS airspace classification D with vertical limits SFC - 1300 FT.
- VFR traffic is not separated from other traffic in the Control Zone
- Traffic information is given by Helsinki Tower
- VFR pilots are expected to maintain sufficient separation to other IFR or VFR traffic when traffic information is provided
Visual Reporting Point OGELI may be used only used for SAR flights.
Visual Reporting Points DEGER, NOKKA and RASTI shall not be used for any VFR traffic leaving or entering the Control Zone.
- Find the Visual Approach Chart HERE.
Departing VFR
- Request start-up and clearance on initial contact with ATC
- State any requests such as the use of a specific runway for departure
- ATC clearance is usually given on stand
| 🧑🏻✈ | HELSINKI GROUND, OH-CME, CESSNA 172, APRON 3, INFORMATION MIKE, QNH 1011, REQUEST START-UP |
| 🎧 | O-ME, HELSINKI GROUND. START-UP APPROVED, RUNWAY 15, LEAVE CONTROL ZONE VIA LILJA, 1000 FT OR BELOW, SQUAWK 0355 |
| 🧑🏻✈ | START-UP APPROVED, RUNWAY 15, LEAVE CONTROL ZONE VIA LILJA, 1000 FT OR BELOW, SQUAWK 0355, O-ME |
- When ready for departure, ATC may give departure restrictions. Please follow all clearances given by ATC.
- Pilots are requested to report when leaving the Control Zone.
- If cleared via VRP: "O-ME, LILJA OUTBOUND"
- If cleared direct en-route: "O-ME, CONTROL ZONE BOUNDARY OUTBOUND"
Arriving VFR
- Report your position and intentions on initial contact with Helsinki Tower when approaching the Control Zone boundary.
- Helsinki tower will normally give clearance to a part of the traffic circuit serving the runway in use.
- During peak hours VFR flights might be cleared to visual holdings or to absorb delay with other means such as orbitting.
| 🧑🏻✈ | HELSINKI TOWER, OH-CME, CESSNA 172, RADIAL 360, 20 MILES FROM HELSINKI, 1000 FT, INFORMATION MIKE, QNH 1011 FOR LANDING |
| 🎧 | O-ME, HELSINKI TOWER, VIA TURFI JOIN RIGHT BASE LEG RUNWAY 22 LEFT, 1000 FT OR BELOW |
| 🧑🏻✈ | VIA TURFI JOIN RIGHT BASE LEG 1000 FT OR BELOW, O-ME |
- Pilots are requested to report once established on the downwind leg
- Pilots shall report on final if Tower has not given a clearance to use the runway (landing, touch-and-go, low approach etc.)
Traffic Circuit
- Local VFR flights (normally training flights) may be cleared for a traffic circuit.
| 🧑🏻✈ | HELSINKI GROUND, OH-CME, CESSNA 172, REQUEST START-UP |
| 🎧 | O-ME, HELSINKI GROUND, START-UP APPROVED, CLEARED TRAFFIC CIRCUIT RUNWAY 15, 1000 FT OR BELOW, SQUAWK 0422 |
| 🧑🏻✈ | START-UP APPROVED, CLEARED TRAFFIC CIRCUIT RUNWAY 15, 1000 FT OR BELOW, O-ME |
- Pilots are requested to report once established on the downwind leg
- Pilots shall report on final if Tower has not given a clearance to use the runway (landing, touch-and-go, low approach etc.)
Delaying VFR traffic
-
Tower may delay VFR traffic when traffic information is not sufficient
-
Examples of delay action:
- orbit left/right
- make three-sixty left/right
- extend downwind
- join holding ...
-
Please follow the clearances given by Helsinki Tower
Flight Plan instructions
Flight planning is an essential phase of your flight. A good flight plan will give Air Traffic Control sufficient information regarding your intentions and reduces the need to ask intentions during the flight.
Traffic circuit
Traffic circuit is marked with TC in the ROUTE field.
TC can be further specified in FPL field-18 ('remarks field') as follows:
- Conducting one spot landing:
- RMK/1SL
- Conducting a practiced forced landing after which the flight continues to two training areas:
- RMK/PFL 2TA
- Conducting two spot landings after which the flight continues to a training area:
- RMK/2SL TA
| Most common abbreviations | |
|---|---|
| FS | Full Stop (Ladning) |
| LA | Low Approach |
| TA | Training Area |
| AP | Approaches |
| TGL | Touch and Go Landing |
| TC | Traffic Circuit |
| SL | Spot Landing |
| PFL | Practiced Forced Landing |
| PFLR | Practiced Forced Landing back to Runway |
En-route flights
- It is highly recommended to plan via Visual Reporting Points. These points are indicated on the Visual Approach Chart.
- Unless otherwise specified in a flight plan, ATC will assume the aircraft will fly straight from the departure aerodrome to the destination aerodrome as filed.
- If this is to be significantly deviated from, the planned flight route must be shown in the FPL. In such a case the route can, when required, also be inserted using the plain-language place names.
- Example: (EFHK) LINTU NUMMELA VIILA (EFTP)
- If you wish to join the traffic circuit at Helsinki, add "TC" to the route and mark your requested approaches in the remarks section, e.g. "RMK/EFHK 2TGL"
Example flight plan
VFR flight leaving Control Zone and re-entry for traffic circuit performing 2 touch-and-go landings, 2 spot landings and 1 full-stop landing:
Helicopter flights
VFR helicopters may choose the take-off or landing location.
| Take-off and landing locations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Location | Within Maneuvering Area? | Remarks |
| Runways | YES | |
| FATO H16/H34 | YES | Serving traffic to Apron 4 |
| Helipad Y | YES | Serving traffic to Apron 3 |
| FATO FH10 | YES | Medical helicopter FinnHEMS 10 |
Example phraseology:
| 🚁 | HELSINKI TOWER, OH-HEH, ROBINSON 44, EAST OF HELSINKI, 1200 FT, ESTIMATING LILJA IN 4 MINUTES FOR LANDING, APRON 3 |
| 🎧 | O-EH, HELSINKI TOWER, CLEARED HELSINKI CONTROL ZONE VIA LILJA, DIRECT HELIPAD Y, 1000 FT OR BELOW, QNH 1011 |
| 🚁 | CLEARED HELSINKI CONTROL ZONE VIA LILJA, DIRECT HELIPAD Y, 1000 FT OR BELOW, QNH 1011, O-EH |
| 🚁 | O-EH, LILJA INBOUND |
| 🎧 | O-EH |
| 🎧 | O-EH, WIND VARIABLE 4 KNOTS, HELIPAD Y CLEARED TO LAND, CLEARED TO CROSS RUNWAY 33 |
| 🚁 | HELIPAD Y CLEARED TO LAND, CLEARED TO CROSS RUNWAY 33, O-EH |
| 🎧 | O-EH, AIR-TAXI VIA DL TO APRON 3 |
| 🚁 | AIR-TAXI VIA DL TO APRON 3, O-EH |
Outside Maneuvering Area
When departing or landing outside of the Maneuvering Area, pilots are requested to report airborne or to report on ground. No take-off or landing clearance will be issued.
- You can view the Maneuvering Area boundaries from the Aerodrome Charts (APDC). The Area is marked with a gray line called "ATC SER BDRY" on the charts in AIP Finland.
| 🎧 | O-EH, WIND CALM, MAKE APPROACH TO APRON 7, REPORT ON GROUND, CLEARED TO CROSS RUNWAY 04L |
| 🚁 | MAKE APPROACH TO APRON 7, CLEARED TO CROSS RUNWAY 04L, WILCO, O-EH |
Special VFR
VMC Conditions
| Airspace class | Minimum visibility | Minimum cloud ceiling |
|---|---|---|
| D (Control Zone) | 5 km | BKN or OVC 1000 ft |
When the visibility is less than 5 km and/or when the cloud ceiling is below 1000 ft, ATC may give clearance for Special VFR, and the minima may be reduced to:
- minimum visibility 1500 m
- minimum cloud ceiling 600 ft
Special VFR traffic is separated from all other traffic by ATC
Geographical Restrictions for Separation
ATC may restrict a VFR flight to remain outside of the IFR Approach Funnel in order to separate a Special VFR aircraft from other aircraft.
| 🎧 | O-BC, leave control zone via Kitka, special VFR, after departure remain outside of IFR approach funnel. O-BC, jätä lähialue Kitkan kautta, erityis-VFR, lähdön jälkeen pysy pois IFR-lähestymisen suojaalueelta. |
| 🎧 | O-BC, report when outside of IFR approach funnel. O-BC, ilmoita kun pois IFR-lähestymisen suoja-alueelta. |
| 🎧 | O-BC, LEAVE CONTROL ZONE VIA LINTU, SPECIAL VFR, AFTER DEPARTURE REMAIN OUTSIDE OF IFR APPROACH FUNNEL |
| 🎧 | O-BC, REPORT WHEN OUTSIDE OF IFR APPROACH FUNNEL |
ATC may give a warning when a possibility of IMC conditions is present, especially during a change from IFR to VFR.
| 🎧 | O-BC, INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS REPORTED / FORECASTED IN THE VICINITY OF HELSINKI |
| 👨✈️ | ROGER, MAINTAINING IFR, O-BC |