In a previous thread I mentioned my interest in trying some cargo flights in the 777. The route I gave chosen is a FedEx flight from PANC to VHHH.

 

I'm somewhat familiar with transoceanic flights across the Pacific using PACOTs, but notice routes to and from Alaska are not mentioned in the NOTAMs. Is this because there is complete radar coverage along these routes? Are there specific guidelines to follow when planning such a route like there are with Transpacific and Transatlantic routes? For example, I have read about NOPAC tracks and OTR tracks when planning Transpacific flights and am curious about how these come into play when planning a flight.

 

I posted a similar question in the flight planning forum but I think this forum will get more hits from the diehard long haul gang.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Todd

Is this because there is complete radar coverage along these routes?

 

No. Even less coverage than the NATs. It's more that there isn't as much traffic here to put into organized tracks than the NATs.

 

EDIT: I was answering this as if you were crossing CENPAC. There is some ARSR coverage up in that area, but definitely not to the level you'd expect in the mainland of the United States. I'm not sure about the coverage on the other side, though.

 

Are there specific guidelines to follow when planning such a route like there are with Transpacific and Transatlantic routes? For example, I have read about NOPAC tracks and OTR tracks when planning Transpacific flights and am curious about how these come into play when planning a flight.

 

This might help:

http://www.slideshare.net/FernandoNobre1/operations-pacific-briefing

Good link, scandinavian.

 

I did some more research and cam across more good info, for those who are interested:

 

http://www.slideserve.com/nantai/nopac-operations

 

http://avstop.com/seaplane/70/ch4.html

Try looking up your flight on FlightAware.  On the page showing results of the flight will be the flight plan flown.

 

Here is Cathay Pacific 71 flown on March 12.

 

TED NODLE R220 NEONN R220 NODAN R217 GTC V30 IKUJI V30 JEC Y45 HKC A1 AISAR A1 APU MKG A1 ELATO V521 ABBEY

 

Interestingly, FlightAware does not show any recent FedEx flights on the route.

Thanks drdickie. I use flightaware a lot, which is what initiated my curiosity about these Alaska-Asia routes. There was a FedEx flight on March 8, I believe, which was the most recent.

 

I've been doing more research on the subject since I posed my initial questions, and it seems the PACOTs that are published daily do not include routes to and from Alaska. I finally found an international NOTAM from Anchorage ARTCC that sets some guidelines about the use of NOPACs from Alaska. Essentially the two northern NOPAC tracks are the airways of choice for westbound flights.