Featuring Doug Stewart -
view profile
Press
play to listen to this tip
(Note: certain settings
in your browser may prevent the audio button from displaying on your screen)
Doug:
"There are some other things
about the route as well - not only the minimum enroute altitudes and all
those kinds of things, but are there any preferred routes? Sometimes we
might file a route that looks great to us on paper, but ATC is going to say
"You can't get there from here, because that's reserved for jets going
into Newark" - and they're the only ones who get that airway.
So how do we find out about those preferred routes? There are a lot of sources for them. In your TERPS,
in the Jepps, or - and sometimes these aren't published - calling your
local TRACON and asking them. And there's nothing wrong with that because
quite often, some of these preferred routes are not published, but they're
the only one you're going to get.
An example, if I might, just
locally - at Pittsfield, Massachusetts, the air space up to 5,000 feet is
controlled by Albany; the air space from 6,000 to 10,000 is controlled by
Bradley; and the air space above 10,000 is controlled by Boston Center.
However the air space that Albany controls at 5,000 and below only extends
about five miles east of Pittsfield.
So if you're in Pittsfield and
heading to Boston, you might think that you want to go direct east, but
Albany isn't going to let you do that because they've got to see you and
identify you before they can pass you off to Bradley, and the only way they
can do that - especially if you have a very high performance plane - is to
fly westbound first. Now, the only way you're going to find that out is by
either calling the TRACON, or by calling someone local at the airport that
is familiar with IFR procedures out of that airport. So this goes into part
of our prior planning."
Next week's tip: hazardous
weather - radiation fog
Click here to visit BrightLine Bags
"Flight Bag of the Year" by Aviation Consumer
Not Subscribed Yet? Complete This Form and Get Your Free Tips
Feel free to
share this page with your pilot friends, students,
instructor or club.
