ENR 1.10  Flight planning

1  Procedures for the submission of a flight plan

1.1  General
1.1.1  For flights within Mogadishu FIR flight plan shall be submitted in accordance with Annex2- Rules of the air, paragraph 3.3. The format and content of the FPL shall be that in PANS-ATM Doc 4444.
1.1.2 Because of the great difficulties of Search and Rescue operations within Somalia, the pilot is strongly advised, regardless of his formal obligations, to file a Flight Plan for every flight. At aerodromes which are not manned by the Somali Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA), the Flight Plan should be filed with ATS Reporting Officer, if established or the nearest ATS Unit by telephone or over the Radio (VHF or HF).
1.1.3 In this way, the general intentions regarding the flight will be known, or will ultimately become available to Air traffic Services, and could be used as a basis for any Search operations that might become necessary.
1.2  A pilot MUST file a Flight Plan:
  1. If intending to fly in controlled airspace.
  2. If intending to fly an aircraft operating as a public transport aircraft under VFR or IFR.
  3. If wanting to fly across an international border.
  4. If departing from aerodromes manned by ANSP Somalia.
  5. If intending to fly in IFR.

Note:The Air Traffic Services Unit may, at their discretion, exempt the Commander of an aircraft in respect of an intended flight which is to be made in a local flying area within a radius of 30NM and in which the aircraft will return to the aerodrome of a departure without making an intermediate landing.

1.3  Time of submission

Flight Plan should be filed at least 60 minutes before departure or at most 120 HRs before EOBT unless arrangement have been made for submission of a repetitive Flight Plan which shall be activated by providing supplementary information before departure.

1.4 Place of submission
  1. Fligh plan shall be submitted at the ARO (Briefing office) at the departure aerodrome.
  2. In the absence of such an office, a flight plan shall be submitted by email:mbof@scaa.gov.so
  3. For domestic flights from an uncontrolled to a controlled aerodrome, a flight plan shall be submitted by email to Mogadishu Briefing Office via mbof@scaa.gov.so
VFR flight plan for alerting service only

An alerting service is, in principle, provided to flights for which a flight plan has been submitted.

1.5  Contents and form of a flight plan
1.5.1 Flights from Aerodromes on the Aeronautical Fixed Telecommunication Network (AFTN) except when other arrangements have been made for submission of repetitive flight plans, the pilot should complete and sign the Flight Plan form (ICAO format) and submit it to the ARO office at the aerodrome. (By local arrangement at large aerodromes, the operator’s competent representative may file the Flight Plan on behalf of the pilot.).
1.5.2 ICAO flight plan forms are available at AROs, and briefing offices of the aerodromes manned by SCAA. The instructions for completing those forms shall be followed. Each Flight Plan form is filled in triplicate. The top sheet will be retained by the ATS unit concerned. The second sheet is used for immediate transmission over the AFTN. The third is for retention by the pilot.
1.6  Adherence to ATS route structure

No flight plans shall be filed for routes deviating from the published ATS route structure unless prior permission has been obtained from the appropriate authorities.

1.7  Adherence to ATS route structure

Flights of a specific character, such as survey flights, scientific research flights, etc., may be exempted from the restriction specified above. A request for exemption shall be mailed to be received at least one week before the intended day of operation to the Somali Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA).

2  Through Flight Plans

2.1 Through Flight Plans may only be filed where:
  1. During the proposed flight, it is not intended that the aircraft will cross the boundary of Mogadishu Flight Information Region,
  2. Where the aerodrome of intended intermediate landing is/are not on the AFTN, and,
  3. Where the time spent on the ground at any intermediate place of landing is not expected to be more than 60 minutes.
2.2 When a through Flight Plan has been filed, the portion of the plan for each segment of the flight will be active for ATS purposes only when the appropriate ATS Unit has received a message announcing departure from the previous point of landing indicated in the Flight Plan.
2.3 If an ATS unit is established at the aerodrome of departure, the following information shall be passed to that unit before departure on each segment of the flight, except the first segment.
2.3.1 Either confirmation of the relevant part of item 15 of the Flight Plan using the phrase “TRU PLAN VALID”
2.3.2 or amendment of the relevant part of item 15; Number of persons and on board Endurance
2.4 If no ATS unit is established at the aerodrome of departure, a departure message including items (i) and (ii) above shall be sent by radio to the ACC as soon as possible after departure.

3  Changes to Submitted Flight Plans

3.1 All changes to a flight plan submitted for an IFR flight or a controlled VFR flight, and significant changes to a flight plan submitted for an uncontrolled VFR flight, shall be reported as soon as possible to the appropriate ATS unit. In the event of a delay in departure of 30 minutes or more for a flight for which a flight plan has been submitted, the flight plan shall be amended, or a new flight plan shall be submitted after the old plan has been cancelled.

Note 1. If a delay in departure of a controlled flight is not properly reported, the relevant flight plan data may no longer be readily available to the appropriate ATS unit when a clearance is ultimately requested, which will consequently, result in extra delay for the flight.

Note 2. 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

3.2 Changes to a current flight plan for a controlled flight during flight shall be reported or requested, subject to the provisions in Annex 2, 3.6.2. (Adherence to flight plan). Significant changes to a flight plan for an uncontrolled VFR flight include changes in endurance or in the total number of persons on board and changes in time estimates of 30 minutes or more.
Repetitive flight plan system

RPL not in use in the Federal State of Somalia