HANKE-Aviation GmbH - Flight Crew Training

CHAPTER 3 - OTHER ROUTES WITHIN NAT MNPS AIRSPACE

GENERAL

The Organized Track System and the Polar Track Structure are the most significant route structures within NAT MNPS Airspace. Other route structures within and adjacent to MNPS Airspace are detailed below.
 

OTHER ROUTES WITHIN NAT MNPS AIRSPACE

Other routes within NAT MNPS Airspace (illustrated in Fig 4) are as follows:

                (1) M201, M202 and M203 in the western part of the New York OCA;

(2)* ‘Blue Spruce’ Routes, established as special routes for aircraft equipped with only one serviceable LRNS.  State approval for MNPS operations is required in order to fly along these routes.  

(3) routes between Northern Europe and Spain/Canaries/Lisbon FIR. (T9*, T14 and T16);

(4)* routings between the Azores and the Portuguese mainland and between the Azores and the Madeira Archipelago;

(5) special routes of short stage lengths where aircraft equipped with normal short-range navigation equipment can meet the MNPS track-keeping criteria (G3 and G11). State approval for MNPS operations is required in order to fly along these routes.

* Note: routes identified with an asterisk in sub paragraphs (2), (3) and (4) above may be flight planned and flown by approved aircraft equipped with normal short-range navigation equipment (VOR, DME, ADF) and at least one approved fully operational LRNS.
 

ROUTE STRUCTURES ADJACENT TO NAT MNPS AIRSPACE

Irish/UK Domestic Route Structures

The UK AIP and AIP Ireland both specify the domestic routes to be used for westbound and eastbound NAT traffic, based upon entry points into and exit points from oceanic airspace.


Figure 5:  Other routes and structures within, below and above NAT MNPS airspace.

Shannon Oceanic Transition Area (SOTA)

Part of the Shanwick OCA is designated as the Shannon Oceanic Transition Area (SOTA). MNPS Airspace requirements are still applicable from FL285 to FL420. SOTA has the same vertical extent as the Shanwick OCA, and is bounded by lines joining successively the following points:

N5100 W01500 – N5100 W00800 – N4830 W00800 – N4900 W01500 – N5100 W01500

Air Traffic Service is provided by Shannon ACC using the call sign SHANNON CONTROL. Full details of the service provided and the procedures used are contained in AIP Ireland.
 

Brest Oceanic Transition Area (BOTA)

Part of the Shanwick OCA is designated as the Brest Oceanic Transition Area (BOTA). MNPS Airspace requirements are still applicable from FL285 to FL420. BOTA has the same vertical extent as the Shanwick OCA, and is bounded by lines joining successively the following points:

N4834 W00845 – N4830 W00800 – N4500 W00800 – N4500 W00845 – N4834 W00845

Air Traffic service is provided by the Brest ACC, callsign BREST CONTROL.

(C) HANKE-Aviation GmbH 2014