ENR 1.3  Instrument flight rules

1.   RULES APLICABLE TO ALL IFR FLIGHTS

SERA.5015 Instrument flight rules (IFR) — Rules applicable to all IFR flights
  1. Aircraft equipment
    Aircraft shall be equipped with suitable instruments and with navigation equipment appropriate to the route to be flown and in accordance with the applicable air operations legislation as prescribed by the BHDCA.
  2. Minimum levels
    Except when necessary for take-off or landing, or except when specifically authorized by the BHDCA, an IFR flight shall be flown at a level whichthat is not below the minimum flight altitude establish by the State whose territory is overflown,IFR altitude or, or where no such minimum flight altitude has been established:
    1. over a high terrain or in mountainous areas at a level which is at least 600 M (2000 FT) above the highest obstacle located within 8 KM of the estimated position of the aircraft;
    2. elsewhere than as specified in a), at a level which is at least 300 M (1000 FT) above the highest obstacle located within 8 KM of the estimated position of the aircraft.
  3. Change from IFR flight to VFR flight
    1. An aircraft electing to change the conduct of its flight from compliance with the instrument flight rules to compliance with the visual flight rules shall notify the appropriate air traffic services unit specifically that the IFR flight is cancelled and communicate thereto the changes to be made to its current flight plan.
    2. When an aircraft operating under the instrument flight rules is flown in or encounters visual meteorological conditions it shall not cancel its IFR flight unless it is anticipated, and intended, that the flight will be continued for a reasonable period of time in uninterrupted visual meteorological conditions.
    3. Change from IFR flight to VFR flight shall only be acceptable when a message initiated by the pilot-in-command containing the specific expression ‘CANCELLING MY IFR FLIGHT’, together with the changes, if any, to be made to the current flight plan, is received by an ATS unit. No invitation to change from IFR flight to VFR flight shall be made by ATS either directly or by inference.
SERA.5020 IFR - RULES APLICABLE TO IFR FLIGHTS WITHIN CONTROLLED AIRSPACE
  1. IFR flights shall comply with the provisions of Section 8 when operated in controlled airspace.
  2. An IFR flight operating in cruising flight in controlled airspace shall be flown at a cruising level, or, if authorised by ATS unit to employ cruise climb techniques, between two levels or above a level, selected from the table of cruising levels in Appendix 3, except that the correlation of levels to track prescribed therein shall not apply whenever otherwise indicated in air traffic control clearances or specified by the BHDCA in aeronautical information publications.
SERA.5025 IFR - RULES APPLICABLE TO IFR FLIGHTS OUTSIDE CONTROLLED AIRSPACE
  1. Cruising levels
    An IFR flight operating in level flight outside of controlled airspace shall be flown at a cruising level appropriate to its track as specified in the table of cruising levels in Appendix 3, except when otherwise specified by the BHDCA appropriate air traffic control unit for flights at or below 900 M (3 000 FT) above mean sea level.
  2. Communications
    An IFR flight operating outside controlled airspace but within or into areas, or along routes, designated by the BHDCA in accordance with SERA.4001 (b)(3) or (4) 3.3.1.2 c) or d) of ICAO Annex 2 shall maintain an air-ground voice communication watch on the appropriate communications channel and establish two-way communication, as necessary, with air traffic control unit providing flight information service.
  3. Position reports
    All IFR flights operating outside controlled airspace and required by BHDCA
    1. to maintain an air-ground voice communication watch on the appropriate communication channel and establish two-way communication, as necessary, with the air traffic services unit providing flight information service, and shall report position as specified in SERA.8025 for controlled flights.

2.   FREE ROUTE AIRSPACE GENERAL PROCEDURES

2.1   APPLICABILITY
2.1.1   Area of Applicability:
For lateral and vertical limits of SECSI FRA see:
  • ENR 2.2 of AIP Albania, AIP Austria, AIP Bosnia and Herzegovina, AIP Croatia, AIP North Macedonia, AIP Serbia/Montenegro and AIP Slovenia;
  • ENR 6 of AIP Albania, AIP Austria, AIP Bosnia and Herzegovina, AIP Croatia, AIP North Macedonia, AIP Serbia/Montenegro and AIP Slovenia.
Free Route Airspace within Sarajevo FIR is available as part of the SECSI FRA (South East Common Sky Initiative Free Route Airspace) from FL 205 to FL 660.
The SECSI FRA encompasses the FRAs within the lateral and vertical limits as published in AIP Albania, AIP Austria, AIP Bosnia and Herzegovina, AIP Croatia, AIP North Macedonia, AIP Serbia / Montenegro and AIP Slovenia.
2.1.2   Time of Applicability:
H24
2.1.3   Definitions:
Free Route Airspace (FRA): A specified airspace within which users may freely plan a route between a defined entry point and a defined exit point, with the possibility to route via intermediate (published or unpublished) way points, without reference to the ATS route network, subject to airspace availability. Within this airspace, flights remain subject to air traffic control.

South East Common Sky Initiative (SECSI): Initiative of several States/ANSPs on European Southeast Axis traffic flow to implement cross-border FRA.

South East Common Sky Initiative Free Route Airspace (SECSI FRA): The airspace volume consisting of airspace volumes defined in ENR 2.2 of the corresponding AIPs where cross-border application of FRA is implemented.

FRA Arrival Connecting Point (A): A published Significant Point to which FRA operations are allowed for arriving traffic to specific aerodromes. The FRA relevance of such points shall be included in ENR 4.1/4.4 columns as (A). Indications on their use for arrivals to specific aerodromes shall be notified via the RAD.

FRA Departure Connecting Point (D): A published Significant Point from which FRA operations are allowed for departing traffic from specific aerodromes. The FRA relevance of such points shall be included in ENR 4.1/4.4 columns as (D). Indications on their use for departures from specific aerodromes shall be notified via the RAD.


FRA Horizontal Entry Point (E): A published Significant Point on the horizontal boundary of the Free Route Airspace from which FRA operations are allowed. The FRA relevance of such points shall be included in ENR 4.1/4.4 columns as (E). If this point has specific conditions of utilization, this shall be described in the RAD.

FRA Horizontal Exit Point (X): A published Significant Point on the horizontal boundary of the Free Route Airspace to which FRA operations are allowed. The FRA relevance of such points shall be included in ENR 4.1/4.4 columns as (X). If this point has specific conditions of utilization, this shall be described in the RAD.

FRA Intermediate Point (I): A published Significant Point or unpublished point, defined by geographical coordinates or by bearing and distance via which FRA operations are allowed. If published, the FRA relevance of such points shall be included in ENR 4.1/4.4 columns as (I). If this point has specific conditions of utilization, this shall be described in the RAD.

Route Availability Document (RAD): A common reference document containing the policies, procedures and description for route and traffic orientation. It also includes route network and free route airspace utilisation rules and availability.
2.2   SECSI FRA FLIGHT PROCEDURES AND FLIGHT PLANNING PROCEDURES
SECSI FRA flight procedures and flight planning procedures are published in ENR 1.10 of the corresponding AIPs.
2.2.1   Route Availability Document (RAD)
All SESCI FRA constraints, exceptions, limitations and restrictions, if any will be published via the RAD and promulgated in accordance with ENR 1.10
2.3   FRAIT - SECSI FRA
  1. Cross-border FRA operations between FRAIT and SECSI FRA are allowed (FRAIT lower limits is FL 195).
  2. FRA boundary intermediate points are not mandatory for flight planning.