Overseas ATC

The Differences between US and Overseas Air Traffic Control

Combat King Air after an 8 hour flight from the Aleutian Islands to Misawa AB, Japan

In this week's blog I'll discuss some of the differences pilots can encounter between domestic United States flying and trips to other parts of the world, specifically based on my experience flying across the Pacific, in Mexico, Quebec, and the Middle East. While English is the international language of air traffic control, for many controllers outside the US it's a second language and likely to not be the only language heard. In Montreal for instance, it's common to hear a controller rapidly switching between French to one airplane and English to the next. I'll dive a bit deeper into what makes international flying a unique and interesting challenge. 

Puebla's Air Traffic Control Tower

In the United States we're very spoiled with GPS approaches and nearly constant radar coverage. Gone are the days of NDB navigation (at Envoy Air, we aren't even authorized to fly NDB approaches) and "Radar Service Terminated" in the majority of the country. This can be eye opening to new airline pilots, trained from private pilots in glass cockpits with GPS and ATC supervision. Both Envoy Air and American Airlines operate throughout the Caribbean and Mexico, where radar coverage is non-existent, and while GPS is becoming more available, NDB's are still commonplace. In Mexico, approaches are done with old fashioned VOR navigation (and yes, NDBs!) and old-school position reporting to separate traffic to places like Puebla, south of Mexico City and surrounded by high terrain (Gobierno de Mexico, n,d). Position Reporting is also commonplace flying across the Pacific. Over vast areas of ocean, radar coverage is seldom available, and vast distances require the use of HF radio for position reports. While higher altitudes offer organized "tracks" for jet traffic, these routes begin above 28,000 (FAA, n.d.), and so are not an option for the aircraft that don't go that high, such as ferrying a King Air 200. For our trek, we relied on position reports often relayed to Oceanic controllers through higher flying cargo flights.  

Nothing but blue in every direction for more than 200 miles, about an hour and a half into an 8 hour crossing

Even in areas with radar coverage, there are some unique distinctions flying in other countries, often based on local custom, obscure regulations, and sometimes seemingly random changes. For instance, in Europe there is Class F airspace, something we don't use in the United States due to the similarities to our version of Class E airspace (PHAK, 2016). Each country has its' own FIR, Flight Information Region, which is basically the domestic airspace "owned" by that country (Flight Courses, 2017). Each FIR is subject to unique methods of doing business and handling flight planning, overflights, and the like. In international flight planning we're required to estimate and report crossing FIR boundaries unless under radar coverage through a position report, and often these crossing points must be specific waypoints determined by each country. The Middle East in particular is very specific about routing, and you don't hear "Cleared Direct" nearly as often as in the US. Clearances are much more complicated in the Middle East because of the requirement for approval from each country's aviation body, and delays are common as a result.

Citation Ultra over Qatar

In international flying, you also find that the standards for navigational charts very greatly. Japan's nationally produced charts are extremely professional and similar to an FAA chart, whereas until very recently charts from Columbia or the Middle East often times looked like they were drawn by hand. In Vietnam, Russia, and others, altitudes on charts are depicted in meters, which is always fun to convert. Much of the world also uses millibars for altimeter settings instead of the inches of mercury familiar to United States pilots. However, despite the difficulties associated with flying overseas, I've come to embrace the differences. Good pilots should always be learning, and studying the differences associated can be very rewarding. Except Saudi Arabia. I don't recommend Saudi Arabia. 

FBO at Riyadh. Yes, that's a Breitling clock on the Control Tower

References

Federal Aviation Administration (2016) Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge. Retrieved from: https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/aviation/phak/media/17_phak_ch15.pdf

Federal Aviation Administration (n.d.) Pacific Organized Flight Planning Guidance. Retrieved from: https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ato/service_units/air_traffic_services/artcc/oakland/kzak/media/Pacific_Organized_Track_System_(PACOTS)_KZAK_Flight_Planning_Guidelines.pdf

Flight Courses (2017, October 15th) 1.01 Airlaw. Part 06 -Airspace Classification. Youtube. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNWBsRIZO60

Gobierno de Mexico (n.d.) Air Traffic Control Services. Retrieved from: https://www.gob.mx/seneam/acciones-y-programas/air-traffic-control-services

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