North Atlantic Tracks

[FlareArmed]

I will be flying from Washington to London across the Atlantic for the first time and was wondering if anyone has any pilot notes to supplement the official material on the North Atlantic Track system.

[4PON4PIN]

Are you flying as pax or operating crew!!?
If latter, surprised your company hasn't briefed you; either way, if you go to
www.nat-pco.org
you can download the North Atlantic MNPSA Operations Manual (9th Edition) which is a "Thumping Good Read!" Not something you're going to read from cover to cover in one sitting, but a well laid out manual with good index for you to pick out salient points for your area of concern. It's designed for planners, operators and aircrew alike.

If you have any specific queries then send me pm. First query f.o.c.!!!:ok:

[FlareArmed]

4PON4PIN,

Thanks for the info. This is a corporate style operation and we have a lot of 'firsts' without any support for briefing or dispatch.

[BlueEagle]

When I flew for a now defunct charter airline in the UK we were not ALLOWED to enter the NAT system if neither had been before, we had to take a jump-seat pilot who had been before and was familiar with the system. That may have been a CAA requirement, based on the extension of our AOC to cover the North Atlantic, I'm not sure.
The actual track flying is no big deal but I do strongly suggest you make yourself very familiar with the requirements in the event of a diversion, radio failure etc., as well as being up to speed on the overall communications set up and in particular the procedure for obtaining your crossing clearance from Oceanic Control on box 2 whilst at the same time not losing communication with the ATC unit whose airspace you are currently in. You should know the format required to request your clearance as well as the format in which it will be given and be familiar with that days Track Message and ID. Sometimes it is so simple it is not true, just a track ID and a Track Message number combined with call sign and FL plus ETA at the Oceanic boundary, other times, if the tracks are not in use yet, (West bound prior to 0800gmt I think), you may still have to give every way point by it's Lat and Long!.
We used to find there were plenty of BA F/O's with lots of North Atlantic experience only too happy to earn a few bob by coming on the jump seat each way, accommodation and food provided!!!
Not sure if they still do that though.
(And as pointed out below, we had to do some ground school first, then a jump seat trip, then a trip with a Line Trainer and finally a trip being observed by an experienced NATS pilot).

[Direct BAMES]

Page iii of the North Atlantic MNPS Airspace Operations Manual, 9th edition:

‘Pilots MUST NOT fly across the North Atlantic within MNPS Airspace, nor at flight levels designated as RVSM Airspace, unless they are in possession of the appropriate Approval(s) issued by the State of Registry or the State of the Operator….. Within NAT MNPS Airspace a formal Approval Process by the State of Registry of the aircraft or the State of the Operator ensures that aircraft meet defined MNPS Standards and that appropriate crew procedures and training have been adopted.’

Your authority will probably require you to attend a course at an establishment such as FlightSafety and to produce for their inspection a briefing document outlining your company’s North Atlantic SOPs before approving operations.

From experience ATC will from time to time ask for your approval number before you enter North Atlantic airspace.

[OpsReturn]

Everything you wanted to know about NAT Tracks but were afraid to ask, with good links. Nat tracks (http://www.natroutes.glideslope.de/)