allthecoolnamesarego
5th Aug 2014, 01:26
For a while now I have been meaning to ask a few questions regarding ATC ops at Hong Kong.
I can’t find any documentation explaining the answers to my questions, so I hope some of you can point me in the right direction.
1. During push back, ATC instruct a pushback “Colour Red” “Colour Green” or “Colour Blue”. What does this mean and any idea where I could find a reference to it?
2. On departure, the Jeppesen Ocean 2A RNAV states in an information box “Initial climb clearance 5000’. EXPECT further climb when instructed by ATC”.
No where else on the chart is there a ref to 5000’ being a limiting altitude. The FMGEC on our aircraft has 5000’ as a pre loaded constraint. When airborne, ATC often instruct “climb to (lets say 7000’) unrestricted.”
Why do ATC use the term “unrestricted’ when clearing the aircraft to a higher (above 5000’) altitude? There are no constraints on the chart, and clearing you from one altitude (in this case the initial 5000’ clearance) to a different altitude that is not subject to any SID constraints, seems confusing. What is the restriction they are asking us to ignore?
3. The Jeppesen ILS or LOC Rwy 25R chart, shows a note at TD, stating “Leave at or above 8000’ or by ATC”
When the BETTY2B STAR is loaded, the FMGEC in our aircraft puts an 8000’ constraint at TD. I was cleared to (I think 5000’) and queried the constraint at TD (8000’). I was told by ATC that the “leave TD at or above 8000’” is only when the aircraft is holding at TD, not when tracking for the ILS via TD.
It seems that the note does refer to the holding pattern, however, a number of crew read that note differently.
Does anyone have a reference to whether the 8000’ constraint is a holding constraint, or a crossing constraint?
4. The final question for now..
During descent, ATC often say (the exact wording eludes me now) “make speed 230kts on transition“ Given that this speed is asked during descent from cruise to an altitude above transition level, I have always understood it to mean the MACH/IAS transition, i.e., slow to 230kts when leaving the Mach crossover.
Some confusion arose the other day with a new pilot, took it to mean slow to 230kts when passing transition level (despite the next cleared altitude being way ABOVE transition level).
Again, I was hoping for a definitive answer and if possible a reference for it.
Thanks for your help.
Coolnames
I can’t find any documentation explaining the answers to my questions, so I hope some of you can point me in the right direction.
1. During push back, ATC instruct a pushback “Colour Red” “Colour Green” or “Colour Blue”. What does this mean and any idea where I could find a reference to it?
2. On departure, the Jeppesen Ocean 2A RNAV states in an information box “Initial climb clearance 5000’. EXPECT further climb when instructed by ATC”.
No where else on the chart is there a ref to 5000’ being a limiting altitude. The FMGEC on our aircraft has 5000’ as a pre loaded constraint. When airborne, ATC often instruct “climb to (lets say 7000’) unrestricted.”
Why do ATC use the term “unrestricted’ when clearing the aircraft to a higher (above 5000’) altitude? There are no constraints on the chart, and clearing you from one altitude (in this case the initial 5000’ clearance) to a different altitude that is not subject to any SID constraints, seems confusing. What is the restriction they are asking us to ignore?
3. The Jeppesen ILS or LOC Rwy 25R chart, shows a note at TD, stating “Leave at or above 8000’ or by ATC”
When the BETTY2B STAR is loaded, the FMGEC in our aircraft puts an 8000’ constraint at TD. I was cleared to (I think 5000’) and queried the constraint at TD (8000’). I was told by ATC that the “leave TD at or above 8000’” is only when the aircraft is holding at TD, not when tracking for the ILS via TD.
It seems that the note does refer to the holding pattern, however, a number of crew read that note differently.
Does anyone have a reference to whether the 8000’ constraint is a holding constraint, or a crossing constraint?
4. The final question for now..
During descent, ATC often say (the exact wording eludes me now) “make speed 230kts on transition“ Given that this speed is asked during descent from cruise to an altitude above transition level, I have always understood it to mean the MACH/IAS transition, i.e., slow to 230kts when leaving the Mach crossover.
Some confusion arose the other day with a new pilot, took it to mean slow to 230kts when passing transition level (despite the next cleared altitude being way ABOVE transition level).
Again, I was hoping for a definitive answer and if possible a reference for it.
Thanks for your help.
Coolnames