Sorry, it was ICAO Doc4444 (Air Traffic Management) of course. Appendix 2, chapter 2.2. but no worries, this is also reproduced identically in most countries’ AIPs. Remember ICAO doesn’t make regulations – it only becomes regulation once the single states copy the ICAO recommendations into their national air laws. SERA has the same wording.
achimha wrote:
DCT is not defined in a VFR segment and should not be used because it would point to a waypoint named “DCT”.
Huh? Of course it is! There is no difference in format for VFR and IFR route descriptions. At least not according to ICAO SARPS.
not easy to disagree with someone who is usually right but SERA (is 923/2012 what we are speaking about?) has similar wording as ICAO Annex 2. I briefly check also Czech revision of 4444, Appendix 2, 2.2 and there is also nothing about geographic names…
and about “reproduced identically” – be carefull, I guess most of states put a lot of notes “not applicable in..” “applicable in …” etc. Should go away with SERA but we are not there yet….
Airborne_Again wrote:
DCT is not defined in a VFR
I was told the same – don´t use DCT for VFR route, it´s DCT by nature (it´s not as we all know but that´s different story). But can´t find any reference to that…
There is no difference in format for VFR and IFR route descriptions. At least not according to ICAO SARPS
I agree, but since VFR flights plans are almost never even looked at, let alone subject to any sort of validation or an examination of the route, people have got used to putting all kinds of stuff in them e.g. names of little villages.
In a kind of symbiotic relationship, the agencies processing VFR flight plans used to like this because it protected their jobs. When the UK closed its flight plan handling units (Heathrow and Manchester) and replaced them with that awful tool called AFPEX, various ex employees of the units started popping up on UK chat sites, saying how armageddon is going to arrive because the computers won’t know what to do with “Upper Warlingham”. A few countries still run the units where a person manually transcribes the flight plan, does the addressing and types it into the AFTN. I believe Germany still does it, and the French Olivia system is just a web front end for a human-staffed office.
Peter wrote:
A few countries still run the units where a person manually transcribes the flight plan
include CZ into the list, all VFR only flight planes are processed manually, human decides where to send it. And you are right, it doesn´t matter what you actually put into your flight plan, you still get questions from Vienna Info “What is your further routing?” every 20 minutes. And answer “as filled” is not enough for them….)
From ICAO Doc 4444 Amendment 1 2012, Field 15 which includes the route:
(c) Route (including changes of speed, level and/or flight rules)
Flights along designated ATS routes
INSERT, if the departure aerodrome is located on or connected to the ATS route, the designator of the first ATS route, OR, if the departure aerodrome is not on or connected to the ATS route, the letters DCT followed by the point of joining the first ATS route, followed by the designator of the ATS route.
THEN INSERT each point at which either a change of speed and/or level is planned to commence, or a change of ATS route, and/or a change of flight rules is planned,
Note.— When a transition is planned between a lower and upper ATS route and the routes are oriented in the same direction, the point of transition need not be inserted.
FOLLOWED IN EACH CASE by the designator of the next ATS route segment, even if the same as the previous one, OR by DCT, if the flight to the next point will be outside a designated route, unless both points are defined by geographical coordinates.
Flights outside designated ATS routes
INSERT points normally not more than 30 minutes flying time or 370 km (200 NM) apart, including each point at which a change of speed or level, a change of track, or a change of flight rules is planned.
OR, when required by appropriate ATS authority(ies),
DEFINE the track of flights operating predominantly in an east-west direction between 70°N and 70°S by reference to significant points formed by the intersections of half or whole degrees of latitude with meridians spaced at intervals of 10 degrees of longitude. For flights operating in areas outside those latitudes the tracks shall be defined by significant points formed by the intersection of parallels of latitude with meridians normally spaced at 20 degrees of longitude. The distance between significant points shall, as far as possible, not exceed one hour’s flight time. Additional significant points shall be established as deemed necessary. For flights operating predominantly in a north-south direction, define tracks by reference to significant points formed by the intersection of whole degrees of longitude with specified parallels of latitude which are spaced
at 5 degrees.
INSERT DCT between successive points unless both points are defined by geographical coordinates or by bearing and distance.
USE ONLY the conventions in (1) to (5) below and SEPARATE each sub-item by a space.
(1) ATS route (2 to 7 characters)
The coded designator assigned to the route or route segment including, where appropriate, the coded designator assigned
to the standard departure or arrival route (e.g. BCN1, Bl, R14, UB10, KODAP2A).
Note.— Provisions for the application of route designators are contained in Annex 11, Appendix 1.
(2) Significant point (2 to 11 characters)
The coded designator (2 to 5 characters) assigned to the point (e.g. LN, MAY, HADDY), or, if no coded designator has been assigned, one of the following ways:
— Degrees only (7 characters): 2 figures describing latitude in degrees, followed by “N” (North) or “S” (South), followed by 3 figures describing longitude in degrees, followed by “E” (East) or “W” (West). Make up the correct number of figures, where necessary, by insertion of zeros, e.g. 46N078W.
— Degrees and minutes (11 characters): 4 figures describing latitude in degrees and tens and units of minutes followed by “N” (North) or “S” (South), followed by 5 figures describing longitude in degrees and tens and units of minutes, followed by “E” (East) or “W” (West). Make up the correct number of figures, where necessary, by insertion of zeros, e.g. 4620N07805W.
— Bearing and distance from a reference point: The identification of the reference point, followed by the bearing from the point in the form of 3 figures giving degrees magnetic, followed by the distance from the point in the form of 3 figures expressing nautical miles. In areas of high latitude where it is determined by the appropriate authority that reference to degrees magnetic is impractical, degrees true may be used. Make up the correct number of figures, where necessary, by insertion of
zeros — e.g. a point 180° magnetic at a distance of 40 nautical miles from VOR “DUB” should be expressed as DUB180040.
My understanding is that IFR flightplans are routed to the appropriate FIR facility and that VFR flightplans are routed to the appropriate Flight Service facility. The latter are not generally available to air traffic control and are primarily used to initiate SAR for overdue flights. In the US, ATC will have no clue of a VFR flightplan, not their job. The FSS holds most of these flightplans and uses them only if the aircraft is overdue as an input to search and rescue (SAR) activities.
VFR flightplams were already discussed on this forum a while ago:
http://www.euroga.org/forums/hangar-talk/3003-vfr-flight-planning?page=2#post_47742
DCT should be a reserved identifier and not used for a waypoint, facility, or airport.
