[4K, ATC] Flight to Hawarden (Chester) with ILS approach for RWY 22

Flight from Welshpool (EGCW) to Hawarden (EGNR) near Chester, known as Airbus factory responsible for producing wings and home of Airbus Beluga. I decided to refresh my skills and land on ILS approach for runway 22. This is something we do not do so often as PPL pilots but definitely would be handy to be 'up to date' in case of IMC conditions.
July 2022
C172, GBPRM

[@christaylor3627]

Great illustration of an ILS procedure. Very informative for the bog standard VFR pilot and good to see the Beluga at Hawarden.

[@theflyingadventures]

Thanks Chris, much appreciated :)

[@EtiRats]

Thanks, that was interesting and nice views of the scenery en route.
As someone who has been out of the UK GA world for a while, just so I can understand the process what happens if the broken cloud at 1200' on the Hawarden ATIS had in fact been present? Presumably if the low cloud ceiling was actually there maintaining VFR whilst setting up for the ILS would not have been possible. Do you get cleared into the controlled airspace when approaching Hawarden for the ILS, even if not having filed an IFR flight plan (assuming you hadn't)? The controller remarks that below his MSA terrain clearance remains your responsibility, so would it be an option to declare IFR, climb into IMC above MSA and continue under radar vectoring?
Thanks, keep up the good work.

[@theflyingadventures]

Hello there, thank you for watching and commenting :)
You can change the rule from VFR to IFR and vice versa at any point of the flight as desired. If you are flying on instruments then cloud base of 1200' would not make much difference since you could fly without any reference to the ground simply relaying on instruments. Hawarden doesn't have its own airspace but there is RMZ around there so Hawarden Radar has to be contacted before approaching the ATZ; they already knew I am going to do an ILS approach. As I was not flying to Hawarden from far away I did not see any point climbing too high to approach and intercept the ILS for this particular runway, it was just practice ILS approach for myself to keep 'current'. The MSA levels are published for safety reasons to allow appropiate clearance from the ground on the approach. And yes, if you need radar vectoring you can request it too, thay can still see you on the radar.

[@sixtiethofasecond]

Useful - just got my IRR rating and looking to do my first solo ILS approach on Saturday into Hawarden

[@theflyingadventures]

Good luck, Hawarden is very accommodating :) The IRR is very helpful in this country.