Brazil Transition Level
 

Hi,

I've flown into Brazil several times now and have a question about their transition level.

All my charts (jepp) say transition level will be "assigned by ATC" yet the ATIS at the airports I've operated into have always neglected to mention it during their broadcasts and the controllers have acted very confused when I've queried "sao paulo approach, say transition level", etc. They usually just repeat my altitude clearance. Apparently it's not something that is in their vocabulary, or perhaps I've missed something obvious.

I've been advised by my colleagues not to "press the issue" over the radio so I haven't, we just wait for an altitude clearance to come in "feet" instead of flight level and switch to QNH 1000 feet before leveling off at that cleared altitude. However, for some reason it bothers me not to be able to know the transition level.

Any advice is appreciated.

Hi airman. Well, its commom the lack of the TL on ATIS in Brazil. You can check the brazilian ATC procedures at a document called ICA 100-12 and check a transition level table. For pratical purposes : if the QNH is above 1013,25,add 500 ft to the TA, if equal or bellow, add 1000 ft.

During climb you must set QNE crossing TA, during descent as soon as youre cleared an altitude you may already set. Note that ATC also must confirm the QNH when yore altitude cleared ...