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Operating in the Atlântico FIR

What you need to do to cross the Atlântico FIR while working with the service provided by the SBAO_FSS position.

What changes

In the Atlântico FIR there is no radar surveillance1. The controller cannot see your aircraft: they know where you are because you told them. Three consequences:

  1. You are the source of information. A late report is a gap in the controller's situational awareness.
  2. Separations are much larger, measured in minutes and tens of miles.
  3. Nothing is immediate. A level request depends on calculations based on estimates, not on a picture on a screen.

Before the flight

  • Plan along the ATS routes of the EUR/SAM corridor, or between the AORRA gates.
  • Check your level in the applicable table, in Structure and sectorization.
  • Plan your speed as a Mach number, in item 15, in the format M plus three digits, for example M0822. Mach is the basis of separation in this FIR.

In the flight plan

Declare only what your aircraft actually does. Declaring something you are not going to use is worse than not declaring it.

Where What Why
Item 10 W if RVSM approved Allows 1,000 ft between FL 290 and FL 410
Item 10 R if PBN approved, with PBN/ in item 18 Basis of the 50 NM lateral separation
Item 10 J5, J6 or J7 if you have satellite CPDLC Enables the datalink
Item 10b D1 if you have ADS-C Enables automatic position reporting
Item 18 SEL/ and the SELCAL code Allows selective calling
Item 18 EET/SBAO and the time to the FIR Helps calculate your entry estimate

Without RVSM, insert STS/NONRVSM. Without RNP 10, RMK/NONRNP10. In both cases the separation applied to you will be larger.

In the simulation

Nothing on the network verifies certification, so the controller will confirm with you on first contact. Answer honestly. If your add-on has no CPDLC, say so: the controller will simply apply another minimum, and nobody is worse off.

If you have CPDLC, log on to SBAO between 10 and 25 minutes before entering the FIR3. Use exactly the same callsign and registration as in the flight plan, or the logon is rejected4. Coming from a FIR with datalink, the connection usually transfers on its own; check it when crossing the boundary.

Initial contact

Call on the frequency listed in Structure and sectorization. The unit is ATLANTICO CENTER, or CENTRO ATLÂNTICO.

ATLANTICO CENTER, CALLSIGN, POSITION at TIME, LEVEL, MACH

Even under ADS-C, send a CPDLC position message on entering the FIR5. When using CPDLC, do not perform a SELCAL check on first contact unless the controller asks for it6.

Position reports

CALLSIGN, POSITION at TIME, LEVEL, MACH,
estimating NEXT POSITION at ESTIMATE, next ENSUING POSITION

Example

"Atlantico Center, EXEMPLO 123, position NIMAX at 1412, flight level 370, Mach decimal 82, estimating KOSAX at 1448, next TEBRO."

When to report: at compulsory reporting points, when crossing the FIR boundaries, whenever the controller asks, and in the AORRA every 10° of longitude7. With ADS-C working, a voice report is not required unless requested8.

Estimates: advise whenever one changes by more than 2 minutes9, due to wind, speed or a deviation.

CALLSIGN, revised estimate NEXT POSITION at ESTIMATE

If the controller has assigned a Mach number, include it in the report and also in the first call after any frequency change10.

Level and Mach

  • Request well in advance: the controller recalculates separation with everyone on your route.
  • With an assigned Mach, request approval before changing it. If it is unavoidable, due to turbulence, advise as soon as you do it11.
  • If you cannot maintain the Mach during a climb or descent, say so when requesting12.
  • In RVSM airspace, report reaching the cleared level13.

SLOP

Standard practice in this FIR14: offset to the right only, from the centerline, 1 NM or 2 NM, never more than 2 NM nor to the left. No clearance or notification to the controller is required. Reports continue to be based on the current clearance, not on the offset.

Deviations and failures

If you cannot comply with the clearance, or maintain the required navigation accuracy, advise immediately15. When requesting a weather deviation, state in one go the side, the distance and the expected time off route. When returning, report rejoining with a revised estimate.

Failed What to do
CPDLC Revert to voice starting with CPDLC FAILURE
Logon Check callsign and registration, correct them, try again; if it persists, advise by voice4
Voice Use CPDLC until it is restored
Everything Apply the communication failure procedures of the Rules of the Air, keep a listening watch on the sector frequency and on 123.45 MHz, and transmit position and intentions16

Turbulence preventing you from maintaining level: CALLSIGN, UNABLE RVSM DUE TURBULENCE. Once recovered: CALLSIGN, READY TO RESUME RVSM.

Transfer

  • CONTACT UNIT on FREQ: change frequency and make the initial call.
  • MONITOR UNIT on FREQ: change frequency without an initial call17.
  • If the controller advises that there is no unit ahead, maintain the last cleared level and speed and proceed as per the flight plan.

Summary

  1. Plan with a Mach number and check your level.
  2. Declare only the capabilities you will actually use.
  3. Log on to SBAO 10 to 25 minutes before entering, if you have CPDLC.
  4. Report with time, level, Mach, next point with estimate and the ensuing point.
  5. Advise any change in estimate greater than 2 minutes.

  1. AIP-Brasil, ENR 1.6. ↩

  2. MCA 100-11, item 2.2.6.1. ↩

  3. AIP-Brasil, ENR 3.5, items 9.2.1 and 9.2.2. ↩

  4. AIP-Brasil, ENR 3.5, items 9.2.4 and 9.2.5. ↩↩

  5. AIP-Brasil, ENR 3.5, item 9.5.2.1. ↩

  6. AIP-Brasil, ENR 3.5, item 9.5.1.2. ↩

  7. ICA 100-37, Art. 173, and AIP-Brasil, ENR 3.5, item 8.8.2. ↩

  8. ICA 100-37, Art. 179, and AIP-Brasil, ENR 3.5, item 9.5.2.2. ↩

  9. AIP-Brasil, ENR 3.5, item 9.5.2.5. ↩

  10. ICA 100-37, Art. 180. ↩

  11. ICA 100-37, Art. 375. ↩

  12. ICA 100-37, Art. 376. ↩

  13. AIP-Brasil, ENR 3.5, item 7.5.1. ↩

  14. AIP-Brasil, ENR 3.5, item 7.9. ↩

  15. AIP-Brasil, ENR 3.5, item 8.8.1. ↩

  16. AIP-Brasil, ENR 1.1, item 4.1.1, and ENR 1.8, item 2.4.1. ↩

  17. AIP-Brasil, ENR 3.5, items 9.4.1.5 and 9.4.1.6. ↩