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NATS why are they there


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Morning

I know I've been harping on about this, but here is a RW Virgin Atlantic route from Yesterday (EGLL > KJFK)

BAGLE266023 DCT DANOL DCT ENE DCT ASPEN DCT PVD DCT TRAIT DCT PARCH PARCH1

NATS5_zpsb4213cc3.jpg

Not even on any track! So, the easiest option is just to go to flightware copy the route you want, past it into PFPX and then export it to whatever addon you want. I can do that in FSBuild!

now, IF you wanted to do a NATS track, someone else said had to manually 'add' each WP of a track, why?

OK, it's easy when you know how 'auto NATX auto' Where NAT'X' is the track you want eg NATC

CPT3F CPT UL9 GAVGO UL18 DIKAS UL180 LESLU DCT ATSUR DCT SOMAX NATC JAROM DCT YAHOO DCT ACK V58 SEY ROBER1

NATS7_zps90d7ce17.jpg

Case closed

Clive

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Hi Clive,

The NAT manual of World Air OPS mentiones some important information on page 25.

As a result of passenger demand, time zone differences and airport noise restrictions, much of the North Atlantic (NAT) air traffic contributes to two major alternating flows: a westbound flow departing Europe in the morning, and an eastbound flow departing North America in the evening. The effect of these flows is to concentrate most of the traffic unidirectionally, with peak westbound traffic crossing the 30W longitude between 1130 UTC and 1900 UTC and peak eastbound traffic crossing the 30W longitude between 0100 UTC and 0800 UTC.

The hours of validity of the two Organised Track Systems (OTS) are normally as follows:
Day-time OTS 1130 UTC to 1900 UTC at 30°W
Night-time OTS 0100 UTC to 0800 UTC at 30°W

It should be appreciated, however, that use of OTS tracks is not mandatory. Currently about half of NAT flights utilise the OTS. Aircraft may fly on random routes which remain clear of the OTS or may fly on any route that joins or leaves an outer track of the OTS. There is also nothing to prevent an operator from planning a route which crosses the OTS. However, in this case, operators must be aware that whilst ATC will make every effort to clear random traffic across the OTS at published levels, re-routes or significant changes in flight level from those planned are very likely to be necessary during most of the OTS traffic periods.


Looking at your example flight, VIR3, it departs Heathrow at 8:30 UTC so it will probably cross 30W before 11:30 UTC (the time at which the daytime OTS validity period starts). As you can read above, even during OTS hours, an aircraft operator is free to utilise free routing, however it is likely that crews have to anticipat changes en-route. To prevent additional workload and confusion on the flight deck, I believe most operators use NAT's anyway during OTS hours.

I hope this answers your question.

Mark Jansen

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Hey Clive,

As one poster said, that route is not accurate. Assuming again that you pulled it from flightaware. Unless you have special access, it is quite rare (although possible) to get a full route of a flight that originates in Europe.

There have been a few times I have been able to pull full routes like EHAM-KSFO or EGCC-KMCO. But most times I would have to build the route myself.

Rob

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With Flightaware, if you want to see the full route of a flight from Europe to the U.S., you have to select the flight before it actually departs from the European airport.

Once the flight is actually airborne, Flightaware typically drops all of the transoceanic part of the routing from the flight plan, and shows only the waypoints that the route will follow once it enters U.S. airspace.

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You could have checked the route with current charts if the first waypoint if one of the SID points out of your departure airport. But as the other said before it is not the whole route ;)

Mit freundlichem Gruss / Best Regards

Samy

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