63N yesterday

[ACARS]

Hello

Don't shoot me for a 'spotter' question. I flew EIDW to KORD yesterday on Aer Lingus. As a person trying to get my PPL I am obviously interesting in the routing.

Yesterday, we heading north over Belfast and headed across on the 63N parrell.

Question - Anyone know why such a northern route was chosen? (probably Weather related)

[rab-k]

Your flight routed north of the North Atlantic (NAT) Organised Track Structure (OTS) track ALPHA, which on the day in question was via ERAKA (58N010W) 60N020W 62N030W 62N040W 61N050W 59N060W LAKES. I'm guessing here that your flight was subject to ETOPS restrictions and due to density of traffic on the ALPHA had to remain to the north of it.

Alternatively, as the ALPHA and BRAVO tracks were to the north on the day you flew, it could just as easily be that the quickest route between Dublin and Chicago was indeed via 63/30.

Check the following for more:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Atlantic_Tracks
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ETOPS
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shanwick_Oceanic_Control


:ok:

[Dannaloy]

Why do people who have no idea what they are talking about bother to post.
ETOPS at 63N.................?

[clicker]

Dannaloy,

Perhaps rab-k was trying to suggest that the aircraft ACARS was in was not ETOPS certified (ie MEL restricted) and therefore had to route well north?

clicker

[av8boy]

Not to mention the simple mean-spiritedness... Take a breath, Dannaloy. :suspect:

[cleo]

Seems to me rab is very well placed to reply in an informed manner and has done so. His post is contains useful and detailed information and I'm sure he knows full well ETOPS constraints. Suggests to me that he may even have worked the flight!! :p

[rab-k]

Sorry - perhaps my previous post was misleading.

I believe that a Non-ETOPS A330 from say Shannon to Chicago and subject to the 60 Minute (90 over Greenland) Rule would most likely have to FPL via SUNOT 59N020W 62N030W 61N040W 59N060W PRAWN YDP. A route to the South of this would not be possible due to the ETOPS restrictions. (61N030W may be a possibility but I'm not 100% - someone from Aer Lingus Ops might be able to confirm that or correct me).

There is also a chance that, due to traffic and the desire to cruise at an economic level, the flight may accept a more northerly route than that planned. Given the choice of F280 on the FPL route or F380 one degree to the North, there is every possibility that the Captain, (in consultation with Ops), may elect to take the more northerly route, in this case via 63N030W.

However, without digging out the FPL for the day in question, the route on this occasion may have just as likely been due to the weather, the most northern tracks on that day being well to the north.


I hope that clarifies things. :ok:

[av8boy]

And perhaps my previous post was less-than-clear. I was suggesting that Dannaloy's post was mean-spirited. I grow tired of mean-spirited posts. I have no bone to pick with the posts of rab-k, clicker, or cleo.

Dave

[clicker]

Dont't worry av8boy, that how I read your post, no offence taken this end. The spirit of my reply was much on the same lines as yours.

Cheers clicker

[rab-k]

For fear of a banning I couldn't possibly comment, however,

http://milbut.org/smilies/camera.gif & http://milbut.org/smilies/anakin.gif & :p ....... :ok: