Appendix C C.2 Space Weather.
C.2.1 The effects of space weather on aviation have generated an increasing amount of interest in recent years. Space weather most commonly impacts radio communications between your aircraft and ground stations. Space weather may also impact navigation signals from space-based and ground-based transmitters as well as onboard avionics components.
Exposure to increased radiation levels during solar events has not been a noticeable issue, but it is a factor that you can plan for in order to protect your frequently flying crewmembers and passengers.
C.2.2 The magnetic field around the Earth converges at the North and South Poles, allowing charged particles to access lower levels of the Earth’s atmosphere. These lower levels are the same levels used to fly international flights around the world. The aviation community has shown increasing interest in this phenomenon at the poles as the expansion of polar routes has seen more and more flights susceptible to space weather.
C.2.3 The solar cycle is an approximately 11-year period that is characterized by solar activity that departs from the sun and has impacts on whatever celestial bodies are in the path of this space weather. The current cycle, Cycle 24, peaked in early 2014 and should bottom out around 2019–2020. The three effects of this weather are known as radio blackouts, geomagnetic storms, and solar radiation storms. These storms can have varying degrees of short- and long-term impact on ground-based navigation signals, aircraft and aircrew in flight, space-based transmitters, spacecraft, and space crew.
The Space Weather Prediction Center tracks these storms and issues space weather watches, warnings, and alerts to inform the public of potential impacts.
Figure C-2. Example of a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Scales Activity Report
C.2.4 Space weather alerts can be subscribed to through the Space Weather Prediction Center Product Subscription Service and the following link:
http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/communities/space-weather-enthusiasts.
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Appendix D APPENDIX D. SAMPLE OCEANIC CHECKLIST D.1 Sample Oceanic Checklist. This sample checklist is provided for your reference. If you do not have an oceanic checklist, we encourage you to use this sample and tailor it to your specific needs and approvals. This checklist focuses on an orderly flow and ways to reduce oceanic errors. You should also review the expanded checklist at paragraph D.2. You should use the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) Oceanic Errors Safety Bulletin (OESB) with this checklist. An oceanic checklist should be part of your Safety Management System (SMS). Other sample oceanic checklists are available through the ICAO North Atlantic (NAT) Ops Bulletins, found at www.icao.int.
D.1.1 Flight Planning.
D.1.1.1 Communications, navigation, and surveillance flight plan codes and planning documents.
D.1.1.2 Oceanic documents.
D.1.1.3 Plotting/orientation chart—plot route coast out to coast in.
D.1.1.4 Equal time points (ETP)—plot.
D.1.1.5 Track message (current copy available for all crossings).
Note: Note nearest tracks on plotting/orientation chart.
D.1.1.6 Weather analysis—note en route temperature and turbulence forecasts as well as ETP airport weather.
D.1.1.7 Review suitable navigation aids (NAVAID) for accuracy check prior to coast out.
D.1.2 Preflight.
D.1.2.1 Master clock for all estimated times of arrival (ETA)/actual times of arrival (ATA).
D.1.2.2 Maintenance log—check for any communications, navigation, and surveillance or Reduced Vertical Separation Minimum (RVSM) issues.
D.1.2.3 RVSM.
D.1.2.4 Altimeter checks (tolerance).
D.1.2.5 Wind shear or turbulence forecast.
D.1.2.6 Flight plan (check routing, fuel load, times, groundspeeds).
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Appendix D D.1.2.7 Dual long-range navigation system (LRNS) for oceanic and remote continental airspace operations.
D.1.2.8 High frequency (HF) check (including Selective Calling (SELCAL)).
D.1.2.9 Confirm present position coordinates (best source).
D.1.2.10 Master document symbols (, , \, X).
D.1.2.11 LRNS programming:
1. Check navigation database currency and software version.
2. Independently verify flight management system (FMS) programming.
3. Check expanded coordinates of oceanic waypoints.
4. Check course and distance (± 2° and ±2 nautical miles (NM)).
5. Upload winds, if applicable.
D.1.2.12 Groundspeed check.
D.1.3 Taxi and Prior to Takeoff.
D.1.3.1 Groundspeed check.
D.1.3.2 Present position check.
D.1.4 Climb Out.
D.1.4.1 Transition altitude—set altimeters to 29.92 inches (1013.2 hectopascals).
D.1.4.2 Manually compute ETAs as duties permit.
D.1.5 Prior to Oceanic Entry.
D.1.5.1 Navigation accuracy check—record results on master document.
D.1.5.2 HF check, if not done during preflight.
D.1.5.3 Confirm satellite communication (SATCOM) data link is operational, if equipped.
D.1.5.4 Log on to Controller-Pilot Data Link Communication (CPDLC) and Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Contract (ADS-C) 10 to 25 minutes prior, if equipped.
D.1.5.5 Verify your Required Navigation Performance (RNP) value.
D.1.5.6 Obtain oceanic clearance from appropriate clearance delivery and verify/cross-check air traffic control (ATC) route clearance is properly programmed into the LRNS.
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Appendix D
1. Confirm assigned oceanic flight level (FL) and request climb or descent to be at your assigned FL prior to oceanic airspace boundary.
2. Confirm FL, Mach, and route for crossing.
3. Advise ATC when able higher.
D.1.5.7 Reclearance—update LRNS, master document, and plotting/orientation chart.
Note: Check course and distance for new route.
D.1.5.8 Check altimeters—record readings on master document.
D.1.5.9 Compass heading check (inertial navigation system (INS))—record.
D.1.6 After Oceanic Entry.
D.1.6.1 Squawk 2000—30 minutes after entry, if applicable.
D.1.6.2 Maintain assigned Mach.
D.1.6.3 Maintain assigned FL.
D.1.6.4 Very high frequency (VHF) radios—set to air-to-air and guard frequency.
D.1.6.5 Strategic Lateral Offset Procedure (SLOP)—Depending on standard operating procedures (SOP), fly cleared route or up to 2 NM to the right of ATC-cleared track. Confirm procedures in the State Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP).
D.1.6.6 Altimeter checks—hourly.
D.1.7 Approaching Waypoints.
D.1.7.1 Confirm coordinates of subsequent waypoints.
Note: Verify that the active FMS waypoint, as well as the next and subsequent (“next plus 1”) waypoints, match your currently effective route clearance. Confirm that the expanded (i.e., full latitude and longitude coordinates) of the next and subsequent waypoints, as well as the course/heading and distance to the waypoints, agree with your currently effective route clearance.
D.1.7.2 Confirm lateral navigation (LNAV)/navigation (NAV) is engaged.
D.1.8 Overhead Waypoints.
D.1.8.1 Confirm aircraft transitions to next waypoint.
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Appendix D Note: Check magnetic heading and distance against master document.
D.1.8.2 Confirm time to next waypoint.
Note: ETA changes in excess of 2 minutes require ATC notification.
D.1.8.3 Make position report.
Note: Record fuel remaining and current time on your master document.
D.1.9 Ten Minutes after Waypoint Passage. Cross-check navigational performance and course compliance via one of the following methods:
D.1.9.1 Plotting method (see paragraph D.2.9).
D.1.9.2 Navigation display method (see paragraph D.2.9).
D.1.9.3 Alternative method accepted by the FAA (see paragraph 6.4.8).
D.1.10 Midway Between Waypoints.
D.1.10.1 Cross-check winds between master document, LRNS, and winds aloft charts.
D.1.10.2 Confirm time to next waypoint.
D.1.11 Coast In.
D.1.11.1 Remove strategic lateral offset prior to oceanic exit point.
D.1.11.2 Confirm routing beyond oceanic airspace.
D.1.11.3 Compare LRNS to ground-based NAVAID.
D.1.12 Descent. Transition level—set altimeters to barometric pressure for local altimeter setting (QNH).
D.1.13 Destination/Block-In.
D.1.13.1 Navigation accuracy check.
D.1.13.2 RVSM write-ups.
D.2 Sample Expanded Oceanic Checklist. This sample expanded checklist is provided for your reference. If you do not have an expanded oceanic checklist, we encourage you to use this sample and tailor it to your specific needs and approvals. This checklist focuses on an orderly flow and ways to reduce oceanic errors. You should use the ICAO OESB together with this checklist. An oceanic checklist should be part of your Safety Management System (SMS).
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Appendix D D.2.1 Flight Planning.
D.2.1.1 Communications, Navigation, and Surveillance Flight Plan Codes and Planning Documents.
1. Review your ATC flight plan with emphasis on items 10A, 10B, and 18. Ensure that you properly filed the appropriate communications, navigation, and surveillance and Performancebased Navigation (PBN) descriptors in items 10 and 18 of your flight plan.
2. You should review each aircraft’s minimum equipment list (MEL) for system deferrals that may affect the communications, navigation, and surveillance capabilities of your aircraft.
The “remarks and exceptions” column should provide the specific guidance for flight plan filing.
3. You should ensure your operator’s flight manual includes procedures to require flight plan amendments (or cancellations as appropriate) when your communications, navigation, and surveillance capabilities are changed during the preflight planning phase prior to departure.
Note: Items 10 and 18 of the flight plan require more detail to indicate your communications, navigation, and surveillance capabilities and authorizations. These additional codes are necessary to meet performance-based requirements and are noted in ICAO Document 4444 Procedures for Air Navigation Services— Air Traffic Management (PANS-ATM) and in the U.S. Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM).
D.2.1.2 Oceanic Documents. Operators are encouraged to develop a flight planning checklist to ensure they have the necessary documents before departure.
The checklist should include, as a minimum, the following:
1. Master document.
2. Notices to Airmen (NOTAM) for departure, destination, alternate(s); Extended Operations (ETOPS) alternates (as applicable); and oceanic Flight Information Regions (FIR).
3. Weather for departure, destination, alternate airports along the route of flight, and ETOPS alternates (as applicable).
4. Track message(s).
5. Significant weather (SIGWX) chart.
6. ETP(s), wind tables, or winds aloft charts for FLs or altitudes.
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Appendix D
7. Global Positioning System (GPS) NOTAMs (as applicable); any applicable space weather watches, warnings, and alerts (Appendix C).
8. Volcanic ash information.
9. Pilot Weather Reports (PIREP).
10. Plotting charts.
D.2.1.3 Plotting/Orientation Chart.
D.2.1.3.1 You should use an oceanic plotting/orientation chart of appropriate scale that depicts published oceanic tracks.
D.2.1.3.2 ICAO groups that review oceanic errors have determined that the routine use of a chart is an excellent way to reduce lateral errors. A chart can also help in the event of partial or total navigation system failure.
D.2.1.3.3 You should read from the plotting/orientation chart back to the master document when verifying data. Reading from the master document to the chart can introduce “expectation bias,” where errors are missed because we see what we expect to see.
D.2.1.3.4 Plot your currently effective route clearance from coast out to coast in. Make sure you update this (as applicable) whenever your route clearance changes.
D.2.1.3.5 Note nearest oceanic tracks on your chart.
D.2.1.4 ETPs.
D.2.1.4.1 You should compute ETPs for contingencies such as medical divert, engine loss, or rapid depressurization. You should also consider a simultaneous engine loss and rapid depressurization.
D.2.1.4.2 Verify that planned ETP airports are adequate during time of flight operations.
D.2.1.4.3 You should annotate the ETPs and associated alternates on your plotting/orientation chart. When crossing ETPs, you should review with other crewmembers the appropriate diversion airport(s).
D.2.1.4.4 Your pilot procedures should also include a manual method for computing ETPs. You should not enter ETPs in the active route of the LRNS because additional waypoints, even if along the route, can produce nuisance out-of-conformance alerts on ground-based monitoring systems. Also, crew misunderstanding about these additional waypoints has occasionally led to pilot deviations from the cleared route.
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Appendix D D.2.1.5 Track Message.
D.2.1.5.1 You must have a current track message even if you have filed for a random route or you filed above North Atlantic High Level Airspace (NAT HLA).
Reviewing the date, effective time, and track message identifier ensures having a current track message on board. The track message identifier is linked to the Julian date.
D.2.1.5.2 You should also ensure that your flight planning and operational control process requires notification of crewmembers of any amendments to the daily track message in a timely manner.
D.2.1.5.3 When flying a random route, plotting adjacent tracks and/or crossing tracks can help your situational awareness in case you need to execute a contingency procedure.
D.2.1.6 Weather Analysis. You should note en route temperature and turbulence forecasts, as well as ETP airport weather, diversion/emergency airport weather, volcanic activity, magnetic storms, and solar flares affecting your route of flight.
D.2.1.7 NAVAIDs. Review suitable NAVAIDs for accuracy check prior to coast out.
D.2.1.7.1 You should determine in advance a primary and secondary ground-based NAVAID that you will use to verify the accuracy of your LRNS.
D.2.1.7.2 This planning may help you identify intended NAVAIDs that are limited or NOTAM’d unusable and will help you when you depart airports close to oceanic airspace.
D.2.1.7.3 A latitude/longitude radar fix from ATC also meets the requirements for an accuracy check.
D.2.2 Preflight.
D.2.2.1 Master Clock. You must have an identified master clock on board synchronized to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) (generally via GPS).
You must use this single time source, typically the FMS, for all ETAs and ATAs.
D.2.2.2 Maintenance Log. You should focus, in particular, on any write-ups that affect communication, navigation, surveillance equipment, or RVSM requirements.
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Appendix D D.2.2.3 RVSM.
D.2.2.3.1 Required equipment to operate in RVSM airspace includes two primary independent altimetry sources, one altitude alert system, and one automatic altitude control system.
D.2.2.3.2 In most cases, you are also required to have a functioning transponder that can be linked to the primary altimetry source.
D.2.2.3.3 You should note any maintenance issues that could affect accurate altimetry.
D.2.2.4 Altimeter Checks.
D.2.2.4.1 Before taxi, you should set your altimeters to the airport QNH. Both primary altimeters must read within ± 75 feet of field elevation.
D.2.2.4.2 The two primary altimeters must also agree with each other within the limits noted in the aircraft operating manual.
D.2.2.5 Wind Shear or Turbulence Forecast.
D.2.2.5.1 You should review the master document with the projected wind shear or the turbulence forecast documents for flights in RVSM airspace.
D.2.2.5.2 Forecast severe turbulence could lead ATC to stop using certain FLs.
D.2.2.5.3 Forecast severe turbulence may be incompatible with flight manual or company limitations.
D.2.2.6 Flight Plan.
1. Ensure the flight plan designated as the master document includes the date, type aircraft, fuel load, and performance requirements.
2. Cross-check the routing and forecast groundspeeds.
3. Carefully check the master document against your filed flight plan to ensure both documents show the same routing.
4. Check the en route time on the master document against the distance to your destination to ensure it is based on a reasonable groundspeed.
5. Compare the en route time against the total distance to ensure you have planned a reasonable fuel load.
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Appendix D D.2.2.7 LRNS.
1. You are typically required to have two independent operational LRNSs for oceanic and remote continental airspace operations.
Operations Specification (OpSpec)/Management Specification (MSpec)/Letter of Authorization (LOA) B054/MB054, Oceanic and Remote Airspace Navigation Using a Single Long-Range Navigation System, identifies the oceanic and remote continental areas authorized for operations with a single LRNS.
2. A single FMS receiving inputs from two navigation sensors does not qualify as two LRNSs.
D.2.2.8 HF Check.
1. You should conduct an HF check on the primary and secondary HF radios in areas where dual HF radios are required.
(Two long-range communications systems are typically required for oceanic and remote continental airspace operations.)
2. If possible, you should accomplish the HF checks on the ground or before entering oceanic airspace.
3. Even if you are data link equipped, you should accomplish a SELCAL check at each oceanic control area boundary.
D.2.2.9 Confirm Present Position Coordinates.
1. Both pilots should independently verify the present position coordinates using either published ramp coordinates or by determining your position from the airfield diagram.
2. You should not rely on the present position resident in your FMS from the previous flight.
D.2.2.10 Master Document Symbols. You should use consistent symbology on your master document.
1. A circled number () may indicate the second crewmember has independently verified the coordinates entered or cross-checked by the first crewmember.
2. A checkmark () may indicate that the track and distances have been confirmed.
3. A diagonal line (\) may indicate that the crew has confirmed the coordinates of the approaching and next waypoint.
4. A second diagonal line creating an X symbol (X) may indicate waypoint passage.
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Appendix D D.2.2.11 LRNS Programming.
D.2.2.11.1 Check navigation database currency and software version.
1. You should not fly with an expired database.
2. Your MEL may allow relief to fly with an expired database but require you to manually cross-check all data.
3. You should also confirm the software version of the database, to ensure the correct version is loaded.
D.2.2.11.2 Independently verify FMS programming.
1. Two pilots should independently coordinate the loading and verification of flight plan entries.
2. Prior to loading the route, carefully cross-check the waypoint routing on your master document against your filed ICAO flight to verify they are consistent.
3. One pilot should load the route with all waypoints using the master document. That same pilot should verify the route has been loaded correctly. Use a means independent of the data you loaded, such as checking the course/distance between waypoints against the master document.
4. A second pilot should independently check the entries by recalling and confirming the waypoint data against source information. This cross-check should include comparing the waypoints loaded in the FMS against both your filed flight plan and the master document.
Cross-checking course and distance against the master document will further confirm the waypoints were loaded correctly.
5. The pilot accomplishing the cross-check should read from the FMS screen back to the master document when verifying data.
Note: Reading from the master document to the FMS can introduce “expectation bias” where errors are missed because we see what we expect to see.
D.2.2.11.3 Check waypoint expanded coordinates (degrees and minutes).
1. Most FMSs allow entering abbreviated oceanic coordinates. There have been cases when there was an error in the minutes, but crews only checked the 7-character display label, or the 5 alphanumeric-character waypoint name, neither of which displays minutes.
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