I have a question: What do you do (as realistically as possible) when you want to fly IFR and the airport doesn't have instrument charts (no SID, no approach, etc.) and you're flying VFR, but the weather conditions aren't helping.

1. Is it possible in real life to depart VFR while intercepting an airway and then begin instrument flight from there?

2. What happens if it's the other way around, departing from an airport with instrument charts, but the arrival doesn't have instrument charts?

The answer depends on where you want to fly, but by and large it tends to be similar to what happens in the US. They have the huge advantage that all training material is available online without charge, see https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/. The detailed answer to your question can be found in the Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM), specifically under "airspace". And yes, that's a lot to read 🙂

In short,

- if you want to fly IFR, you must file a flight plan.

- If the departure airport doesn't have a tower, contact center to file it.

- They will give you a departure clearance and you depart similar to VFR (using local traffic frequencies to inform others of your intentions). Once you are in the air, contact center and continue as in IFR.

- Conversely, if you fly IFR and descend to an airport without tower, Center will advise you to switch to local frequencies or unicom once you are below the altitude of their airspace. After that, it is basically a VFR flight.

11 hours ago, wilivarob said:

1. Is it possible in real life to depart VFR while intercepting an airway and then begin instrument flight from there?

in Europe you will file an "X" flightplan. Basically means you start VFR and at a designated point (which you will have to specify on ITEM 15: Route-portion) you intend to switch to IFR.

 

11 hours ago, wilivarob said:

What happens if it's the other way around, departing from an airport with instrument charts, but the arrival doesn't have instrument charts?

And other way round, you can file a "Y"-plan, wherre you depart IFR, but switch to VFR, again you have to specify it in the actual route.

note: as with the standard "Instrument"-flightplan, both X and Y flightplans are processed at Eurocontrol and not your national flightplanning centre.

20 hours ago, qqwertz said:

The answer depends on where you want to fly,......

10 hours ago, SAS443 said:

in Europe you will file an "X" flightplan.....

 

Okay, thanks to both of you. So I guess by doing this in the simulation:

If it's a VFR to IFR departure, I simply intercept a VOR, a waypoint to an airway, etc., and that's it.

The same goes for the other way, IFR to VFR, the route to a point where it allows me to enter the airport for a VFR landing.

I'd say in general what you wrote is fine.

But I will add this.
The important part IRL, is to be clear to ATC that you are cancelling your IFR flight.  Because despite a submitted Y-flightplan, ATC will never cancel IFR for you unless you specifically tell them to.

In other words, it has to be initiated from the PIC.

Same goes from VFR->IFR. You must obtain an IFR clearance in the air from the controller. 

And a correction, in earlier message I wrote that X-flightplan is VFR-> IFR, the correct term is Z-flightplan. Apologies 🙂

Edited September 20, 2025Sep 20 by SAS443