Position Reports

[SAW]

The airline I am currently working for is under gong rapid expansion into the charter market. This flying on occasion requires postion reports to be made. My question is what is the proper way to do this. Flt#, position, time, flight level, eta next manditory waypoint,and name followed the next waypoint or is it the next man. waypoint?

Cheers

[EFP058]

Are you talking transatlantic ops? In that case:

Pilots should report to ATC at least when:

· Passing a waypoint (lat/long) e.g. 50/42

· Changing altitude

· Performing a large change in heading

· 45 minutes have passed since last contact

· Reaching Oceanic Airspace


A Position Report should go something like this:

PILOT: GANDER (CALLSIGN) POSITION REPORT

GANDER: (CALLSIGN) GANDER, GO AHEAD

PILOT: GANDER (CALLSIGN) REPORTING 53N50 AT 2208Z, FL350, ESTIMATING 55N40 AT 2410Z 56N30 NEXT.

GANDER READS BACK THE POSITION REPORT

[OE-LBA]

hopefully he doesn't read back 2410Z

[EFP058]

umm.... ooops...

[Intruder]

followed the next waypoint or is it the next man. waypoint?

Technically, the next waypoint, mandatory or not. However, in some places (especially intl borders in south Asia and transitions to Oceanic controllers other than on NAT tracks), the controller will ask for different info. Commonly, there are specific waypoints on specific routes for which the controller wants your ETA.

Until you get used to the specific areas and their individual requirements, just follow the guidelines on the various charts.

[P-T-Gamekeeper]

Try doing it the way you were taught for your R/T exam when you did your ATPL!!!

[SAW]

Thanks guys for your input. Its all Carribean work out of Canada so its mainly just off shore. Intruder the way you menioned was the way I was taught. I was with a skipper who argued until he turned blue that you only mentioned the mandatory waypoints in any position report. In a previous life in the arctic we always did it the way you mentioned. He had me thinking things had changed.
PT thanks you are a great help, not too many questions on RT when I did my ATPL, but that was 10 years ago, perhaps it has changed. And maybe just maybe the TC exams are slightly different than the CAA exams.

Cheers

[NZLeardriver]

Caribbean is a bit different with position reports. Usually when changing FIRs they request that you make the position report 5 miles before the point, so that they can change you over to the next frequency.
Usually went something like this:
You ........ centre, position
Them ........ go ahead
You....... is 5 miles to the Sth (etc) of ....... this time, level at 350, next is ........ eta at 0015

They often readback or just change you to the next frequency. When it is quiet and in the same FIR they often tell you to report when 5 miles short of leaving that countries airspace.

The Jamaican controllers will always want a dme and radial from the airfield when you are within about 120 miles.
Each place has its own idiosyncrasies that you will get used to. Half the fun is trying to understand them some of the time!!

nz