ENR 1.3 Instrument flight rules

1 Rules applicable to all IFR flights

1.1 Aircraft equipment

Aircraft shall be equipped with suitable instruments and with navigation equipment appropriate to the route to be flown.

1.2 Minimum levels
Except when necessary for take-off or landing, or except when specifically authorized by the appropriate authority, an IFR flight shall be flown at a level which is not below the minimum flight altitude established by the State whose territory is over flown, or, where no such minimum flight altitude has been established:
  1. over high terrain or in mountainous areas, at a level which is at least 2 000 FT (600 M) 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 1000 FT (300 M) above the highest obstacle located within 8 KM of the estimated position of the aircraft.

Note 1.– The estimated position of the aircraft will take account of the navigational accuracy which can be achieved on the relevant route segment, having regard to the navigational facilities available on the ground and in the aircraft.

1.3 Change from IFR flight to VFR flight
1.3.1 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, if a flight plan was submitted, 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.
1.3.2 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.

2 Rules applicable to IFR flights within controlled airspace

2.1 IFR flights shall comply with the provisions of 3.6 of ICAO Annex 2 when operated in controlled airspace.
2.2 An IFR flight operating in cruising flight in controlled airspace shall be flown at a cruising level, or, if authorized to employ cruise climb techniques, between two levels or above a level, selected from the Tables of cruising levels (see ENR 1.7.2.7), except that the correlation of levels to track prescribed therein shall not apply whenever otherwise indicated in air traffic control clearance or specified by the appropriate ATS authority in Georgian AIP.

3 Rules applicable to IFR flights outside controlled airspace

3.1 Cruising levels
An IFR flight operating outside of controlled airspace shall be flown at a cruising level appropriate to its track as specified in the Tables of cruising levels (see ENR 1.7.2.7).

Note. – This provision does not preclude the use of cruise climb techniques by aircraft in supersonic flight.

3.2 Communications

An IFR flight operating outside controlled airspace but within or into areas, or along routes, shall maintain a listening watch on the appropriate radio frequency and establish two-way communication, as necessary, with the air traffic services unit providing flight information service.

3.3 Position reports

An IFR flight operating outside controlled airspace shall report position as specified in 3.6.3 of ICAO Annex 2 for controlled flights.

4 Free route airspace general procedures

4.1 Area of application
4.1.1 FRA is available H24 from FL195 to FL660 in the airspace encompassed by the lateral limits of Tbilisi FIR.
4.1.2 FRASC encompasses the FRAs within Tbilisi FIR and Yerevan FIR. For Cross-Border operations planning within FRASC see item 4.2.4.
4.2 Flight Procedures
4.2.1 General
4.2.1.1 Within FRA aircraft, other than State aircraft, shall comply with the aircraft equipment requirements as published in AIP Georgia GEN 1.5.
4.2.1.2 Within FRA airspace users will be able to plan user-preferred trajectories through the use of significant points with 5LNCs (Five-Letter Name Code) defined in ICARD and published in ENR 4.4.
4.2.1.3 Within FRA significant points are considered FRA Horizontal Entry (E), FRA Horizontal Exit (X), FRA Intermediate (I) points as described in ENR 4.4.
4.2.1.4 In accordance with ICAO Doc 4444 - ATM (PANS-ATM) within FRA for flight planning purposes when submitting FPL segments between the significant points shall be indicated by using the decoded abbreviation/indicator DCT (Direct).
4.2.1.5 There is no restriction on the maximum DCT distance.
4.2.1.6 The use unpublished points, defined by geographical coordinates or by bearing and distance are not allowed.
4.2.2 Overflying traffic
4.2.2.1 Within FRA, traffic overflying Tbilisi FIR shall plan DCT between FRA Horizontal Entry, FRA Horizontal Exit and FRA Intermediate points. There is no restriction on the number of FRA Intermediate points used.
4.2.2.2 Availability of DCT segments within the FRA are affected by restrictions described in paragraph 4.2.4.
4.2.2.3 Overflights proceeding inbound or outbound airports located in close vicinity of Tbilisi FIR shall plan in accordance with paragraph 4.2.2.1 above and paragraph 4.4 even if a portion of their flight is below the lower limit of free route airspace. Airports in close vicinity of Tbilisi FIR are considered to be: LTCG, UBBG and URSS.
4.2.3 Access to/from Terminal Airspace
4.2.3.1 Flights arriving to or departing from local airports (UG**) are not free route eligible flights and will follow the standard ATS route network only.
4.2.4 Cross-Border Applications
4.2.4.1 Planning DCTs across Tbilisi FIR borders (cross-border DCTs) are allowed only within FRASC. Entry and exit from FRASC shall be planned over the published FRA Horizontal Entry and FRA Horizontal Exit points only.
4.2.4.2 Planning DCT segments that are partially outside the lateral limits of FRASC (multiple re-entries segments) are not allowed.
4.2.4.3 Planning DCT segments closer than 2.5 NM of the FRASC boundary are not allowed.
4.2.4.4 All details and exceptions from the rules in items 4.2.4.1 - 4.2.4.3 are published in RAD (See subsection ENR 1.10)
4.3 Airspace Reservation – Special Areas
4.3.1 Flights within FRASC shall be planned outside active Prohibited areas as published in AIP Georgia using valid FRA Intermediate points.
4.3.2 Tactical radar vectoring might be applied in order to ensure additional safety margin from temporarily active Restricted areas. The expected route extension in these cases is 10NM or less.
4.4 Flight Planning Procedures
4.4.1 General
4.4.1.1 For speed or flight level change inside FRASC, on FPL Item 15, operators shall use only the FRA Intermediate points as described in ENR 4.4. There is no restriction on the number of FRA intermediate points used within FRASC.
4.4.1.2 The use of FRA Intermediate point defined by geographical coordinates or by bearing and distance in Item 15 of the flight plan is not allowed.
4.4.2 ATS Route Network
4.4.2.1 The ATS route network within Tbilisi FIR will remain available.
4.4.3 Flight Level Orientation Scheme
4.4.3.1 Cruising levels shall be planned in accordance with the information provided in the column “Remarks” in ENR 4.4. The direction of cruising levels (EVEN or ODD) shall be chosen depending on the direction of flight level required over the FRA entry and FRA exit points as described in the following table:
Direction of Cruising levels within Tbilisi FIR and FRASC
FLs over FRA entry pointFLs over FRA exit pointFLs inside FRA
EVENEVENEVEN FLs for all DCT segments
ODDODDODD FLs for all DCT segments
EVENODDA change from EVEN to ODD FLs must be planned inside FRA
ODDEVENA change from ODD to EVEN FLs must be planned inside FRA

Note: ODD is the direction of IFR cruising levels with a magnetic track between 000° and 179° while EVEN is the direction of IFR cruising levels with a magnetic track between 180° and 359° as described in the table of cruising levels in ENR 1.7.

4.4.3.2 Cruising levels shall be planned in accordance with Flight Level Orientation Scheme of adjacent ATS route network and/or FRA.
4.4.4 Use of DCT in the Flight Plan
4.4.4.1 All FRA exceptions and restrictions, if any, shall be published via the RAD and promulgated in accordance with subsection ENR 1.10.

5 Flight within RVSM airspace

Flight operating as General Air Traffic (GAT) within RVSM airspace shall be conducted in accordance with IFR unless otherwise authorized by the Georgian Civil Aviation Agency within a temporarily reserved area not available to IFR flights.

6 Non B-RNAV equipped aircraft flights

Aircraft having no B-RNAV equipment on board can use air routes in the upper airspace. Radar service along these routes will be provided whenever requested.