Oceanic clearance

[LevelMind 1]

Hi,

 

When you are about 30 minutes from the oceanic entry point, you should contact the oceanic atc, and therefore you must leave your current frequency. So, can you just leave your current frequency without telling them in order to Contact oceanic? And also I've learnt that you should squawk 2000 about 30 min before entering oceanic - But I have seen a few aircraft flying over the Atlantic not squawking 2000, so have they been told to squawk otherwise?

 

 

 

 

[skelsey 765]

Hi there,

 

Normally these days in real life 99% of the time Oceanic clearance would be obtained via datalink with no need to leave the domestic frequency. If getting the clearance via voice is necessary for some reason then it would more likely be done on box 2, whilst also monitoring domestic on box 1. You would certainly not just leave the domestic frequency without notifying the controller. For what it's worth, 30 minutes prior to entry is about the latest you would need to get your clearance -- anything between 90 and 30 minutes prior to the boundary is a good idea.

 

You squawk 2000 30 minutes after entering Oceanic airspace (i.e. after leaving radar coverage). That said, I imagine it isn't impossible to forget to do so!

[LevelMind 1]

Ok thank you for the information.

 

You said that you should squawk 2000, 30 minutes after entering Oceanic airspace (i.e. after leaving radar coverage). So, does that mean that when you are flying over the Atlantic you are flying without ATC and withour radar coverage?

And also, why do you need to get an Oceanic clearance if you for example fly BIKF (Keflavik) to ENGM (Oslo), since in that case you are never flying via coordinates (ex. 5860N) or NATs, nor are you flying outside radar coverage?

[skelsey 765]

 

 

You said that you should squawk 2000, 30 minutes after entering Oceanic airspace (i.e. after leaving radar coverage). So, does that mean that when you are flying over the Atlantic you are flying without ATC and withour radar coverage?

You are not flying without ATC, but you are very much flying outside radar coverage: this is one of the reasons why it is necessary to obtain an Oceanic clearance, and why you are required to make position reports at each waypoint fly a constant Mach number and, generally, fly a constant altitude (step climbs are often quite difficult to come by) -- the ATC separation is carried out on a procedural basis, using your time, speed and altitude to ensure that flights at the same level are at least ten minutes in trail over each waypoint, etc. To aid in this process, the Oceanic clearance you receive will usually have a "void" time -- i.e. you will be required to cross the entry point at (or often "not before") a specific time.

 

 

 

why do you need to get an Oceanic clearance if you for example fly BIKF (Keflavik) to ENGM (Oslo), since in that case you are never flying via coordinates (ex. 5860N) or NATs, nor are you flying outside radar coverage?

 

I'm not familiar with that particular route, but if it takes you through the NAT MNPS area you will need clearance from the Shanwick controllers (just like any other region of airspace where clearance is required to enter). Are you sure you would be inside radar coverage throughout? Remember radar is "line of sight" -- if you are over the horizon (which will depend on your height, but varies about 25nm at ground level to around 200nm ish at FL370) you will not be visible to a radar station...

[LevelMind 1]

Right, thank you.

 

And back on the "squawk 2000" thing - when you get into radar coverage again, are you still meant to be squawking 2000, or how do you know when to stop squwaking 2000?

[KevinAu 441]

You'll get your own squawk code again once atc has you back in radar contact.

[skelsey 765]

As Kevin says, Gander (or whichever domestic controlling agency you come in to contact with on the other side, Shannon/Scottish etc eastbound) will give you a new squawk when they radar identify you.

 

NATS have produced a video about North Atlantic operations that you may find useful/interesting: