Heliroute Clearances in the USA (DCA)
Can anyone tell me what kind of a clearance and ATC service you get on the heliroutes in the DC area when you cross into the DCA class B, particularly at night ?
I've been going backwards and forwards on the DC crash thread, and I've realised that things might be completely different here in the USA than in the London Heliroutes that I'm more familiar with. I think the key bit in the UK is that the service is Radar Control (ie control and separation using radar), whereas I have this horrible suspicion that it's a lot more loosey goosey in the USA.
It seems that visual separation between jet traffic and helicopters is quite normal and in fact the assumed mode of transit (even at night). Obviously that didn't work for this accident. There is a suspicion that the heliroutes in the DCA airspace are really just advisory (no defined lateral boundaries), although they do have mandatory altitudes.
Thanks,
WMF