This series of quick tricks regarding ATC and/or IFR rules, will shed some light on small details that one generally does not pay attention to and therefore one ignores most of the time.
US Registration
Did you know that in the US, only the following N-formats are allowed?:
From 1 to 5 numbers (e.g. N12345)
From 1 to 4 numbers followed by 1 letter (e.g. N1234A)
From 1 to 3 numbers followed by 2 letters (e.g. N123AB)
When you check-in for the first time with ATC, the full callsign is always given:
Full registration including November - "Los Angeles Tower, good morning, November 123 Alpha Bravo..."
Aircraft maker without November followed by the rest of the registration - "John Wayne ground, good day, Cessna 123 Alpha Bravo"
Aircraft model without November followed by the rest of the registration - "Palm Springs clearance delivery, good afternoon, Skyhawk 123 Alpha Bravo"
After the first contact, the registration can be shortened but keeping the same rules as above - "San Francisco Tower, Skyhawk 3 Alpha Bravo"
What you should not do:
"San Luis tower, good morning, Cessna November 3 Alpha Bravo". This is the first contact with ATC so full registration must be given and one cannot use in the callsign Aircraft maker or model + November. It is one or the other but not the two at the same time.
It is also a good practice to use common sense when dropping the November for the plane maker. Therefore if you fly a Cessna Citation, avoid Cessna 123 Alpha Bravo but prefer Citation 123 Alpha Bravo to facilitate the ATC situational awareness (a Citation flies a bit faster than a 152!).
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"fly-by" vs "fly-over" RNAV waypoints
For folks flying RNAV capable aircrafts under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR), this enables the possibility to fly either RNAV SID (Standard Instrument Departure) or RNAV STAR (Standard Terminal Arrival Route) procedures.
Did you know that there are two different ways to depict the waypoints that can be found on a SID or STAR RNAV chart?
The "fly-by" wayponts are depicted by a star without a circle. It means that you can turn prior to reaching the fix so that you will remain as close as possible from the intented route to be flown.
The "fly-over" waypoints are depicted by a star with a circle. Your plane MUST overfly the fix prior to turning towards the next waypoint.
Flying "To" or "From" a VOR station?
Did you know that on IFR enroute charts, there are VOR Change Over Points (COPs)?
This symbol indicates the moment at which you will need to change the frequency on your NAV radio from one VOR station to another. This is required in general due to signal reception concern or conflicting frequencies in the area.
For instance, on the IFR enroute chart above, you fly on the V66 airway from Imperial to Mission Bay VOR:
You should navigate using the Imperial VOR flying "From" IPL on the R-258 until the DME indicates 48 NM then switch to Mission Bay VOR and fly "To" MZB on the R-076 for the remaning distance.
COPs could also be depicted at an intersection and could indicatein this case a course change.
If there is no COP on your flight segment, then the frequency needs to be changed midway between the two VORs.
MCA consideration during an Obstacle Departure Procedure (ODP)
MCA stands for Minimum Crossing Altitude.
Did you know that MCAs may exist particularly in high elevation terrain regions?
MCAs are depicted under a radio navigation station for instance as shown in the chart below at Thermal VORTAC. MCAs exist to provide safety clearance between the plane and terrain in the vicinity. Sometimes, an ODP requires to have a specific minimum climb gradient in order to fly the departure under IFR. If not indicated, then the minimum standard climb gradient of 200 ft/NM is required so check the climb performance of your plane before executing an ODP especially during IMC (Instrument Meteorological Conditions)!
In this example, under TRM VORTAC is indicated "MCA V64 7700W V432 4500NE".
This means that before being able to join the airway as per your flight plan, you need to climb in the holding pattern above TRM (according to the ODP) until a minimum of (see below) before proceeding on course:
7,700 ft MSL if you intend to join the V64 airway flying Westerly
4,500 ft MSL if you want to join the V432 flying to the North East
Once you have reached the MCA, it is not mandatory to let the ATC know that you are leaving the holding pattern. At the MCA, leave the holding pattern and proceed on course to join your route of flight.
Climb via SID & Descend via STAR ATC instructions
Did you know that when checking-in with an ATC controller, you need to indicate "climbing via SID" or "descending via STAR" in your communication if you were issued to do so in your clearance?
Let's assume that you have been given by the San Francisco Clearance delivery the following departure procedure:
"Skyhawk 123 Alpha Bravo, climb via the AFIVA one departure, GRTFL transition".
Upon your initial ckeck-in with San Francisco departure, you should report: "San Francisco departure, good day, Skyhawk 123 Alpha Bravo, passing one thousand, climbing via AFIVA one departure".
This also means that you need to take into account the top published altitude of the SID which is in this case 10,000 ft MSL but in all cases, you need to comply with all the altitude restrictions in between if any as per indicated on the SID or STAR chart.
Now let's assume that you have been issued the following departure instructions:
"Skyhawk 123 Alpha Bravo, climb via the AFIVA one departure, GRTFL transition except maintain 6,000".
Upon your initial ckeck-in with San Francisco departure, you should communicate: "San Francisco departure, good day, Skyhawk 123 Alpha Bravo, passing one thousand, climbing six thousand via AFIVA one departure". You will still have to be compliant with any altitude restrictions as published on the chart but you will have to stop at 6,000 ft MSL.
Now if you were issued:
"Skyhawk 123 Alpha Bravo, climb via the AFIVA one departure, GRTFL transition except maintain 6,000" but the ATC instructs you following your initial check-in "Skyhawk 123 Alpha Bravo, radar contact, climb via SID". Then the 6,000 ft amended altitude initially assigned no longer exists and you need to refer to the published top altitude of the procedure which is in this case 10,000 ft MSL.
Another possibility after your initial check-in with departure is an answer like:
"Skyhawk 123 Alpha Bravo, radar contact, climb and maintain 9,000". in this case, any altitude restriction as per published on the chart, are cancelled and so is for the published top altitude. You just need to climb regardless of the altitude restrictions if any to 9,000 ft MSL.
This is the kind of ATC instructions that are regularly issued when flying on PilotEdge and therefore, all pilots should use the correct phraseology when checking-in with ATC. These examples above are inspired by one of the PilotEdge Facebook page publication. PilotEdge also linked in their post, the following website nbaa.org as a complementary source of information.
TIPAH
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