FSX-MS Atlantic Operations FSX

[matt127 1]

Please could somebody link me to a tutorial on how to properly fly from Europe to the US and vice versa on FSX? I'm not really familiar with this and I'm aware these routes work differently to European ones.

[Jim Young 2,356]

You might want to indicate the aircraft you plan on using.  Most commercial flight planners provide the flight plan.  Other than that, I'm not really familiar with the procedures used if different from any other flight plan.  I'm sure the altimeter readings are different as well as transitions but otherwise things should be about the same.  I'm sure we have an expert or two regarding these procedures you are requesting.

 

Best regards,

[codechris 9]

Transition levels are FL180 in US and across Europe it depends on the airport, but often around 5000-6000 area, but it can change to what's published on the charts, you need to listen in to ATIS. the US is always TL180 though. US also uses millibars where as Europe is HP

 

But other then that, are you speaking about the NAT tracks? NAT's change daily, you can find here http://blackswan.ch/wordpress/?page_id=73

however if using PFPX, for example, they will download the tracks and give you the best for your routing. It's as simple as planning the route as you normally would. You will need to setup ETOPS, you can find some tutorials on Youtube, pretty simple though. You can get a A318 et al across, I imagine a 737 as well. BA run a flight everyday from London City to Shannon, then across to KJFK. From memory it's something like a 20 seat business class only version. BAW001A and B, then BAW002 from KJFK to London City.

 

You do need to request oceanic clearance though, and that's probably the biggest part, however Shannon and Gander (Candian side) are rarely online on Vatsim so you often don't come accross needing to do that. But essentially, before reaching Oceanic space, you need to request clearance, then, if they are onine, file posistion reports. One of the bet ways I've found to lean this is to watch some Cross The Pond events on Youtube that people have recorded.

 

NATS also have a Youtube channel with some useful videos, like this one

[matt127 1]

Transition levels are FL180 in US and across Europe it depends on the airport, but often around 5000-6000 area, but it can change to what's published on the charts, you need to listen in to ATIS. the US is always TL180 though. US also uses millibars where as Europe is HP

 

But other then that, are you speaking about the NAT tracks? NAT's change daily, you can find here http://blackswan.ch/wordpress/?page_id=73

however if using PFPX, for example, they will download the tracks and give you the best for your routing. It's as simple as planning the route as you normally would. You will need to setup ETOPS, you can find some tutorials on Youtube, pretty simple though. You can get a A318 et al across, I imagine a 737 as well. BA run a flight everyday from London City to Shannon, then across to KJFK. From memory it's something like a 20 seat business class only version. BAW001A and B, then BAW002 from KJFK to London City.

 

You do need to request oceanic clearance though, and that's probably the biggest part, however Shannon and Gander (Candian side) are rarely online on Vatsim so you often don't come accross needing to do that. But essentially, before reaching Oceanic space, you need to request clearance, then, if they are onine, file posistion reports. One of the bet ways I've found to lean this is to watch some Cross The Pond events on Youtube that people have recorded.

 

NATS also have a Youtube channel with some useful videos, like this one

 

Thanks Jim and thank you Chris, that's really useful. I will mainly use the PMDG 777. I will take a look at the video, do a bit of YouTube searching and PFPX doing most of the work makes it much easier (which I didn't realise).

[Capt Speirs 52]

Please could somebody link me to a tutorial on how to properly fly from Europe to the US and vice versa on FSX? I'm not really familiar with this and I'm aware these routes work differently to European ones.

This video as most of Kyle's videos are very informative and professionally done. This video covers ETOPS which in flight planning is essential for trans oceanic flights. Also check out his other tutorials on flight planning.

 

[skelsey 765]

As mentioned above, depending on your route (I'll assume UK/NW Europe to USA) you'll generally be planned on a NAT track, which are a set of routes defined daily to organise the flow of traffic across the Atlantic. The reason they change on a daily basis, as you'll see from the videos linked above, is because they are designed to take in to account the weather conditions on any given day (i.e. westbound tracks tend to try and avoid the worst of the jetstream whilst the eastbound tracks will try and take advantage of it -- plus they will try and avoid any major storms etc). Flying a NAT isn't mandatory though -- you can file what is known as a "random" route provided it does not cross the tracks. Either way, you'll need to plan waypoints at every ten degrees of longitude.

 

The tracks themselves are only active during windows where the flow in each direction is at its peak: for the westbound tracks, that is 1100Z-1900Z (based on your ETA at 30W) and for the eastbound tracks it is 0100Z-0600Z (again, based on your ETA at 30W). If your ETA at 30W is outside of those times, you can still fly along the route defined by the NAT if you so desire, but technically you'll be on a random routing rather than a NAT (and, again, if the opposite direction tracks are active you'd want to remain clear of them).

 

Flight planning aside, you fly the initial part of the route as normal. You need to request your Oceanic clearance between 30 and 60 minutes prior to reaching the Oceanic boundary (if you're departing from an airport west of 3 degrees West, such as Prestwick or Shannon, you'd request your clearance on the ground; east of 3W wait until you get airborne and 30-60 mins from the boundary). Full details are in the NATS video above. The main thing here is be very careful to ensure that you fly what you are cleared rather than what you have planned: it is not out of the ordinary to be allocated a different track, routing, flight level or Mach number to that which you have planned. Write down the clearance carefully, and if it differs from what you have planned (i.e. you have to change what is in the box) check it thoroughly.

 

The main concerns from a flying point of view are navigation accuracy and data entry. On the ground when you enter your route, check the FMC waypoint entries against both the track message and the OFP. As well as checking the waypoint identifers, you should also check the tracks and distances between them to ensure they agree with the OFP (in case, for instance, there is an error in the navigation database). Take particular care if you are entering 'short form' waypoints: there was a flurry of Gross Navigational Errors on the North Atlantic in the real world about a year ago when Jeppesen suddenly added half-degree latitude waypoints to the data: entering N5530 rather than 5530N, for instance, would result in being some 30NM off course, and those who weren't checking their tracks and distances correctly were getting caught out. Personally, I always enter the full lat/longs (i.e. N55W030) in to the FMC.

 

Once you're in the tracks, you'll need to maintain your cleared Mach number and altitude: if you are flying a Cost Index "ECON" speed, you need to change it in the VNAV CRZ page (Boeing) or Airbus equivalent to the appropriate fixed Mach number. Likewise, don't expect to be able to step climb (you can ask, but be prepared to be turned down): I usually set the FMC step size to zero once in the track. You should be level at your cleared level (don't forget to get clearance from ATC to climb/descend first if required!) and at the cleared Mach number just before you enter the track. Before you coast out you should also do a navigation accuracy bearing & distance check against a VOR to verify that your navigation systems are working correctly.

 

En-route, again it's all about making sure that you're staying on track. As a general procedure, about 5 minutes prior to a waypoint you should check the next waypoint in the FMC against the OFP and double-check the track and distance. As you pass the waypoint, verify the next waypoint becomes active and the aircraft turns on to the correct course, transmit your position report etc. Then, ten minutes or so afterwards, you would normally plot your position (from the FMC POS REF page) on a plotting chart to verify that you are on the correct track.

 

Squawk 2000 30 minutes after entering the track.

 

As you approach the other side -- again do a bearing and distance check on a suitable VOR when one becomes available to verify that your navigation systems are still accurate after a number of hours outside of radio coverage. If you're in an older aircraft which isn't equipped with GPS, it's advisable to go in to HDG HOLD before entering an area of radio updating as there is a good chance that you'll get a map shift due to IRS drift: once your FMC position has updated, use HDG SEL to smoothly re-intercept the track before re-engaging LNAV. If you've got GPS, this probably won't happen.

 

Don't automatically go back to ECON speed until cleared to do so by the domestic ATC unit (i.e. Gander/Moncton or Shannon) on the other side.

 

The FAA has a good suggested checklist here: https://www.faa.gov/pilots/intl/oceanic_ops/media/SampleOceanicChecklist.pdf

 

Otherwise, it's much like any other flight. From an airmanship point of view, be aware that unlike a short-haul flight in Europe where there's an abundance of airports literally all over the place where you can land any time you want if you have a problem and be on the ground within 20 minutes or so, 30W is a lonely place to be if you have a fire/medical emergency/decompression etc. The nearest suitable airfield may well be anything up to two hours away, often with challenging weather conditions and in some cases relatively limiting runways for a heavy, non-precision approaches etc. This is the big difference with long-haul flying: make sure you have a plan, check the weather for your alternates before you go (and enroute) and be aware of your Equal Time Points (ETPs) and where you are in relation to the nearest suitable diversion field at any given time.

 

Also worth looking up the emergency -- http://www.gofir.com/general/rvsm/in_flight_contingencies.htm -- and weather contingency - http://www.ifalpa.org/downloads/Level1/Briefing%20Leaflets/Air%20Traffic%20Services/12ATSBL08%20-%20Severe%20weather%20deviation%20procedure%20on%20the%20North%20Atlantic.pdf procedures.

 

Hope that helps!

[tf51d 284]

US also uses millibars where as Europe is HP

 

I think you mean US uses inches of Mercury ("Hg), Europe uses Millibars.

[codechris 9]

I think you mean US uses inches of Mercury ("Hg), Europe uses Millibars.

 

I think that looks like a good reason why I shouldn't be answering posts so late

[Boeing or not going 578]

You can listen in on real atc to help get an understanding

 

EINN is the gateway to and from the NATS

 

http://www.liveatc.net/search/?icao=einn

 

And liveatc.net even has some HF

 

http://www.liveatc.net/search/?icao=HF

[matt127 1]

Thank you guys for the information, really useful. Thanks Skelsey for the detailed explanation, I found it very informative