Atlantic routings to the Caribbean

[woottsbj25]

Hey everyone,

I've just been flying EHAM-TNCM with KLM today on FS9. Something a friend has said to me just now has made me wonder about the way I conduct my flights.

You see, since I found out about NATs (North Atlantic Tracks) a while ago, I assumed that was basically the only way pilots fly across the atlantic from/to Europe. However, a friend told me today that that isn't they way they fly to more southerly destinations, such as the Caribbean. I got a routing off Routefinder for today, and I selected to use NATs. It took me right across the top of the atlantic, coasting in at Gander, then turning southwest down to Nantucket before turning south past Bermuda and then to St. Maarten. However, when I flew there in real life, they took an almost direct routing straight across the Atlantic, with what seemed like no waypoints until SXM.

I was wondering exactly what pilots do as far as routing to places like the Caribbean from Europe goes. Is there a kind of "Mid-Atlantic Track," or are the routings given direct with just the odd oceanic waypoint given every few hundred miles, or is there another method they use?

Thanks a lot for any information!

[Rainboe]

For the Caribbean, forget the North Atlantic Track structure. Unless the prevailing winds mean it is more economical to join a northerly route and use the North Atlantic Tracks (ie a strong, further south than usual, jetstream blowing from the west), the best route is direct south west nearer the Azores, so a special route is calculated and used and clearance provided for. Other routes go further south for example, Europe- Rio, Sao Paulo, Buenos Aires

[woottsbj25]

Great, thanks a lot for that!

So they would normally just file an almost direct route after leaving the airways, and just file oceanic waypoints, such as 050N30W etc?

[spoilers yellow]

Exactly that!

And when we get a bit closer to the island in question we will be back into VHF radio range and then routed directly towards a radio beacon on the airfield where more often than not we will self postion ourselves onto a visual approach.

As rainboe says, it is also not uncommon to perhaps use half of a NAT track and then break off around 30w and route down lat/long positions - a so called "random" track for the rest of the journey.

[woottsbj25]

Thanks a lot for the helpful information!

Yes, I know that St. Maarten, as an example, has no ILS, and the only approach available is a DME into runway 9. As far as I know, like you say, the pilots normally self-position into there.

Thanks again both of you!

[Rainboe]

It's always intrigued me what Atlantic ATC control looks like! Santa Maria controls a lot of the more southerly part of the North Atlantic. Do they have a giant map on the wall with hushed WAAFs wearing headsets holding billiards cues and sliding little models across a grid of latitude and longitude as the aeroplanes transit (as per battle of Britain)? How else do they know how to provide clearance?

[av8boy]

Sorry... I think I slept through this conversation when it was going-on...

In that Santa Maria is using Adacel's "Aurora" system, I'd guess they'd look something like this...

http://www.adacel.com/images/aurora3.jpg

Is it just me, or does anybody else think that the monitor on his left side looks like it has paper taped to it? :)

Read about the system here: http://www.adacel.com/prodserv/aurora.htm

Dave

Standard disclaimer: I don't work for Adacel or Nav Portugal and I have no financial interest in anything either of them do

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

<<It's always intrigued me what Atlantic ATC control looks like!....... Do they have a giant map on the wall with hushed WAAFs wearing headsets holding billiards cues and sliding little models across a grid of latitude and longitude as the aeroplanes transit>>

No, Rainboe, you're thinking of Heathrow Approach...

[Rainboe]

And the tin hats on the WAAFs are important too. As long as they look like Juliette Binoche in the English Patient in her tin hat!
PS Not a lot happening in that film. Why are Oscar films so boring?

[scruggs]

When I last flew to TAPA from EGKK (VIR33), we routed down towards Portugal, and then turned right to head off towards the Azores.

[woottsbj25]

Yeah, it obviously differs for each route; I flew with Virgin from EGKK, but to Tobago (TTCP), and we routed straight across southern England and then with a direct route.

Thanks again for the replies everyone!