Oceanic Procedures

Clearances and flight plans for aircraft crossing the Atlantic are a lot more detailed than for aircraft flying domestically.

Once a pilot has copied his/her normal route clearance they must contact Oceanic and obtain Oceanic Clearance prior to departure. This may be done by voice, remembering that if they have already established communication with ATC at airfield of departure then ---ATC should be advised that the pilot is going off frequency for a short while to get Oceanic clearance, or by Chat Message.

PILOT:"Santa Maria Oceanic, RZO121 request clearance to KBOS"
SANTA MARIA: "RZO121, Go ahead
PILOT: "RZO121, Request KBOS via VFL DCT FRS DCT KOKER DCT 40N040W 41N050W 42N060W DCT ENGLE N22A WHALE DCT BOS , FL380 and mach 0.82 ,estimating VFL at 11:45, RZO121".
SANTA MARIA: "RZO121, Cleared as filed to KBOS at FL380 Mach 0.82, cross VFL not before 11:35, clearance expires VFL 11:45"

The time restrictions MUST be strictly observed. Should a pilot discover, after departure, that the VFL estimate is outside the tolerance given (11:35 to 11:45) they MUST contact SANTA MARIA again for a revised clearance.

Flight plans not following any predefined NAT Track shall include coordinates as waypoints.
Flights flying predominantly from east to west or vice-versa, shall use even coordinates based on 10 degrees scale on longitude, and any latitude coordinates as needed.

eg. 38N020W 39N030W 41N040W
incorrect eg. 38N018W 38N021W 39N023W

Flights flying predominantly from north to south or vice-versa, shall use even coordinates based on 5 degrees scale on latitude, and any longitude coordinates as needed.

eg. 40N020W 35N022W 30N027W
incorrect eg. 40N020W 38N021W 34N023W

Oceanic Clearences

It is of the responsibility of the pilot to get the Oceanic Clearence, having such to make its
request at least 40 minutes BEFORE entering in the oceanic region. In case that it does not obtain the Oceanic Cleanrence, it must immediately get a domestic re-clearence to remain itself out of the area of oceanic control.

• The used words to indicate the hour estimated to a point is "ESTIMATING".
As to ask for:
1 - Identification of the aircraft (callsign)
2 - “Estimating” Oceanic entry position
3 - Hour on the position
4 - "Request Oceanic Clearance"
5 - Mach Number and Flight Level asked for for the Oceanic Clearence
6 - Any additional information (for example weather report)
Examples:

Position Resports

When passing for each point in the flight plan, the pilot must make a Position Report.
• In the oceanic regions, the position reports are made of 10º in 10º of longitude or 5º in 5º of latitude, as the direction of the flight and in accordance with the following criteria:

1 - Any flight to be operated predominantly east/west will have to report its position when entering and leaving the FIR, and every 10º
2 - Any flight to operate north/south predominantly will have to report its position when entering and leaving the FIR, and every 5º
3 - The oceanic control centers can ask for any flight that it has reported in one any intermediate point if to consider necessary. For former: 25W, 35W.

• Content of the position reports:
The used words to indicate the hour estimated to a point is "ESTIMATING" and to indicate the following position (8) it is "NEXT"

1 - Word POSITION
2 - Identification of the aircraft (callsign)
3 - Present position
4 - Hour on the present position
5 - Flight Level
6 - Next position in path
7 - Hour on the next position
8 - Following position
9 - Any additional information (for example weather report)
Examples:

POS AFR510 40N020W 1515 FL350 41N030W 1620 40N040W
POS RZO121 DELTA 0905 FL340 38N020W 0931 KOMUT MOD TURB REQ FL370
POS AMM134C 40N016W 1013 FL380 NAVIX 1045 SNT 210/55 MS52 TURB NIL

PILOT: " Gander, AAL9907 position "
GANDER: " AAL9907, Gander, go ahead "
PILOT: " Gander, AAL9907, position 51/40 FL350 2046Z estimating 52/30 2110Z, 52/15 NEXT "
GANDER:"aal9907, Gander, 51/40 AT 2046 FL350, estimating 52/30 2110, 52/15 NEXT "

Revises Estimate

To be used when a new hour of esteem to a point is gotten, different of the indicated in the last Position Report.
The used words to indicate the hour estimated to a point is "ESTIMATING" and to indicate a new estimating time (1) it is "REVISED ESTIMATE"

As to ask for:
1 -" Revised Estimate "
2 - Identification of the aircraft (callsign)
3 - Next position in path
4 - Hour on the next position
5 - Any additional information (for example weather report)

Altitude Changes

To be used when it has alteration in Flight Level, whenever is the pilot or the controller resquesting.

 If asked for for the pilot. It must wait for authorization:
1 - Identification of the aircraft (callsign)
2 -" Request "
3 - New Flight Level

Authorization of the controller:
1 - Identification of the aircraft (callsign)
2 -" Emended Flight Level Clearence "
3 - New Flight Level
4 - "Report leaving, Report reaching"

(the pilot must report when leaving the current flight level, and reporting when reaching the new flight level)

Route Changes

To be used when it has a route alteration, whenever is the pilot or the controller resquesting.
The used words to indicate the hour estimated to a point is "ESTIMATING" and to indicate new requesting position (6) it is "REQUEST"

If asked for for the pilot. It must wait for authorization:
1 - Identification of the aircraft (callsign)
2 - Last position
3 - Hour on the last position
4 - Next position in current route
5 - Hour on the next position
6 -" Request "
7 - New Route

Authorization of the controller:

1 - Identification of the aircraft (callsign)
2 -" Emended Route Clearence "
3 - New route

Selcal (SELective CALl)

This procedure is implemented in VATSIM using a private message including the "SELCAL" word. When a pilot gets this message must contact the current oceanic ATC as soon as possible.

This procedure is used to prevent that the pilot passes long hours listening to the ATC, expecially in HF frequencies, where the statical noise is very strong. In case that the controller needs to speak with the pilot, he will send the SELCAL code of the airplane, making to sound in cockpit a
sonorous and/or luminous alarm, giving indication to the pilot of whom its presence to the radio is necessary. Each airplane has its own pre-defined SELCAL, never being able to be modified.

The Selcal works with the sending of 2 groups of 2 tones, each one different one of the other, chosen of a pre-defined stack of frequencies inside of the audible specter. The used frequencies are not harmonics, thus reducing interferencies.

Each tone corresponds to a caracther. They are A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, J, K, L, M, P, Q, R, S.

The SELCAL is subject to these rules:

• The fisrt tone must be lower than the second: eg: AB, FS, EG (never GE, SF or BA)
• There can't be the same tone twice: eg: CS-CD (is an invalid selcal - C repeats it self)

SELCAL Examples:
1. CS-JL
2. KS-GR
3. HS-LQ
4. CG-BS
5. BF-PQ

The pilot must indicate its SELCAL to the first contact with the oceanic center.

Minimum Navigation Performance System

This regulation is used only under RVSM airspace and inside conventional areas, making order to the minimum longitudinal and lateral separation.
Airplanes on the same route: 10 minutes longitudinal and 60 miles lateral
Airplanes on diferent but crossed routes: 15 minutes longitudinal and 60 miles lateral.

NAT Tracks

View here the text version of all NAT Tracks for today.

Reduced Vertical Separation Minima

• Vertical Reduced Separation Minima (Splittings) is implemented including the Flight Levels 310 trought 390. This allows separations of 1000 feet for airplanes that fly in NATs. Airplanes to cross the Atlantic, and that they are not characterized for RVSM separations, will be lead the lower flight levels than 290 or higher than 410.

Eastbound Levels are Odd (290/310/330/350/370/390/410)
Westbound Levels are Even (300/320/340/360/380/400)

Operation with Transponder

• Except in cases of radio lost the pilot must keep transponder in: Mode A/c, Code 2000 all directions
When entering in a control area on radar, the pilot will receive instructions from new transponder code.