General Briefing
Introduction
Illustration by Isavia.
The Reykjavik Control Area (BIRD CTA) covers over 5.4 million square kilometres of oceanic airspace between North America and Europe, stretching all the way to the North Pole. Under this airspace lie three territories: Iceland, Greenland and the Faroe Islands, each with unique geography, airports, and airspace. Together, they offer the VATSIM pilot limitless opportunities for flying.
Our closest territorial neighbors are Norway, Canada, and Scotland. Neighboring FIRs and oceanic areas include Murmansk (ULMM), Bodo Oceanic (ENOB), Polaris (ENOR, specifically Stavanger/ENSV AoR), Scottish (EGPX/SCO), Shanwick (EGGX), Gander (domestic & oceanic; CZQX/CZQO), and Edmonton (CZEG.)
Reykjavik CTA Sectors & Positions
For the purposes of providing ATC, the BIRD CTA is split into four sectors: North, South, East, and West.
If in doubt about who to contact, check vatglasses.uk, ask the controller via private message (if they are not busy), or wait for a .contactme from the correct controller. The following text is provided for reference, in case pilots want to plan ahead who they may be speaking to.
(Note: VATGlasses, while accurate on an everyday basis, may not be fully accurate during big events like CTP, because the "standard" sectorization system of BIRD may be changed for the event. In such situation, just contact whoever your previous ATC position told you to contact — that controller will have the most up-to-date information.)
The most commonly staffed BIRD_x_CTR position is BIRD_S1_CTR (frequency 119.700.) This position is almost always the first BIRD position to be opened, and when online by itself, will cover the West, South, and East sectors and provide top-down coverage for all of Iceland, the Faroe Islands, and Kangerlussuaq (BGSF) in central Greenland. The vast majority of the time on VATSIM, you will be speaking to this position for everything BIRD-related.
There are, of course, various other BIRD positions available to be opened. Every BIRD position will follow a standard callsign convention: BIRD_xy_CTR
- BIRD — The airspace identifier for the BIRD CTA.
- "x" will be a letter (S, E, or W), indicating which sector the controller is covering (South, East, or West respectively.)
- All BIRD_Sx_CTR (South sector) positions will also cover the East & West sectors when no East/West sectors are online.
- "y" will be a number from 1-3.*
- Pilots do not need to worry about what the numbers mean — they are used for internal purposes by ATC.
- Pilots do not need to worry about what the numbers mean — they are used for internal purposes by ATC.
- CTR is the normal VATSIM suffix for an enroute ATC position.
E.g., BIRD_S1_CTR, BIRD_S3_CTR, BIRD_W1_CTR, BIRD_E2_CTR...
*For the exceptionally nosy, or those well-versed in ATC: We use these numbers to indicate the appropriate level split, if a sector is being split vertically between multiple controllers. E.g., when BIRD_E1 and BIRD_E2_CTR are both online, they will split the East sector vertically at FL345 — BIRD_E1 takes everything below FL345, and BIRD_E3 takes everything above. This is just one example of many possible "dynamic" vertical splits on BIRD.
You may have noticed that it is not possible to have a BIRD North sector position. This is because the North sector is controlled exclusively by Iceland Radio (BICC_x_FSS.) Iceland Radio is a unique position on VATSIM, that for our purposes provides the following services:
- ATC in the North sector.
- Oceanic clearances for airborne aircraft entering the entire BIRD OCA.
- Oceanic/IFR clearances for departures on the ground at Greenlandic uncontrolled airports (usually relayed by local AFIS, but if no local AFIS is online, then pilots may contact BICC directly.)
- (If all BIRD positions, especially BIRD_S1_CTR and any West sectors, are offline and workload permits) ATC service in the West sector.
- (If BGGL_FSS/Nuuk Information is offline and workload permits) Flight information service in Nuuk FIR below FL195.
- (If BGSF_TWR/APP are offline and workload permits) Top-down ATC at BGSF (Kangerlussuaq)
Oceanic Airspace & Clearance
Much of the BIRD CTA — with the exception of some low-level airspace over Iceland and Greenland — is oceanic airspace, forming part of the North Altantic (NAT) oceanic area together with Gander/CZQO, Shanwick/EGGX, New York/KZNY, and Santa Maria/LPPO.
Even though the BIRD OCA is oceanic airspace, thanks to technological advancements, the entirety of the BIRD CTA/OCA now has either radar or ADS-B coverage at the enroute level. Therefore, position reports are not required, and pilots can expect that they will receive instructions (e.g., vectoring, directs, etc.) and be controlled similarly to a typical "domestic" ATC position.
The parts of BIRD CTA which are oceanic airspace are referred to as the Reykjavik Oceanic Area (BIRD OCA.) (Since most but not all of the BIRD CTA is oceanic airspace, "BIRD CTA" and "BIRD OCA" are not entirely synonymous, even though in many contexts they don't have a significant difference in meaning.)
It is required to obtain an oceanic clearance (OCL) whenever you fly within the BIRD OCA (at least, up until March 2024, when OCLs are planned to be abolished for the entire North Atlantic.) OCL may be obtained through two methods:
- Via natTrak (nattrak.vatsim.net), if you are already airborne.
- Via voice.
- If you are departing an Icelandic (BIxx) or Greenlandic (BGxx) airport, or EKVG in the Faroe Islands, you may not use natTrak. You will receive oceanic clearance on the ground via voice, together with your IFR clearance, from local ATC/AFIS.
If you are already airborne, you will receive OCL from Iceland Radio (BICC_x_FSS) or Reykjavik Control (BIRD_x_CTR.) (Technically, Iceland Radio is the "primary" position for issuing OCL in the BIRD CTA. However, as it is rarely staffed, usually you will receive OCL from Reykjavik Control/BIRD_x_CTR.)
When requesting OCL, you should have the following information ready (yellow indicates information you will very likely be asked for; other information may not be asked for, but you should have it ready nonetheless.)
- Your requested Mach number (aka Mach speed) in oceanic airspace.
- If you don't know what this is, see HERE.
- Your requested flight level in oceanic airspace.
- This is not required when requesting OCL on the ground from BIxx/BGxx/EKVG. (ATC will assume that the level you filed in your flight plan is your requested oceanic level.)
- If you don't specify this, BIRD will assume that you are requesting to enter oceanic airspace at your current flight level.
- This is not required when requesting OCL on the ground from BIxx/BGxx/EKVG. (ATC will assume that the level you filed in your flight plan is your requested oceanic level.)
- Your maximum flight level.
- Your ETA to your oceanic entry point (OEP), i.e., the waypoint at which you enter oceanic airspace. (Almost always your first waypoint in the BIRD CTA.)
Requesting OCL via natTrak
natTrak (nattrak.vatsim.net) is a web tool developed by Gander & Shanwick on VATSIM, allowing pilots to request oceanic clearance — and for ATC to deliver it — in a similar way to the real-life datalink clearances used by North Atlantic ATC. We have also adopted this tool for the BIRD CTA/OCA.
To learn how to use natTrak as a pilot, see the Gander Oceanic tutorial here: https://knowledgebase.ganderoceanic.ca/1.0/nattrak/requesting-oceanic-clearance/
NOTE: Not all BIRD/BICC controllers may be using natTrak (it is at the controller's discretion to use it.) If a controller is not using natTrak, or if you have waited >15mins without a response to your clearance request, revert to voice.
Requesting OCL via Voice
If natTrak is not working, the controller is not using natTrak, or if >15mins has passed and your oceanic clearance request has not been answered (...or if you just prefer to do things the old-fashioned way), then use voice to request OCL.
Example 1: Departing an airport underlying the BIRD CTA
When departing an airport underlying the BIRD CTA, local ATC will issue you oceanic clearance together with your IFR clearance. Call for clearance with your requested oceanic Mach number (as well as the usual things you would include in a clearance request, e.g., the ATIS.)
The combined IFR/oceanic clearance will include the following 6 elements:
- Your IFR clearance limit (generally your destination airport)
- Your departure instructions (SID, radar vectors/departure runway, etc.)
- Since all SIDs for airports underlying the Reykjavik CTA are only applicable to one runway, if you are assigned a SID, the departure runway will not be specified (since it is implied by the SID.)
- If you receive other departure instructions, like radar vectors, you will be told the departure runway in your clearance.
- Your oceanic routing after the SID/departure instructions (i.e., the extent of your flight plan route that lies within the NAT oceanic airspace.)
- If your entire routing lies within the NAT oceanic airspace (e.g., for flights from Iceland to Greenland, or the Faroe Islands), then this is equivalent to your whole flight plan routing.
- Your initial climb.
- "Climb via SID to XXX" means "climb, following the speed and vertical restrictions of the SID, to [level]"
- "Climb via SID to XXX" means "climb, following the speed and vertical restrictions of the SID, to [level]"
- Your cleared Mach number.
- This may be different from your original requested Mach number, if necessary due to traffic.
- Your squawk code.
See the example below:
🧑✈️ Keflavik Delivery, BAW80KA, request clearance to London Heathrow, with information M, Mach .78.
🎧 BAW80KA, Keflavik Delivery, information M is correct, oceanic clearance to London Heathrow via the OSKUM3A departure, RATSU, BARKU, climb via SID FL290, Mach .78, squawk 2143.
🧑✈️ BAW80KA is cleared to London Heathrow, OSKUM3A departure, RATSU, BARKU, climb via SID FL290, Mach .78, squawk 2143.
🎧 BAW80KA, readback correct, report ready for push and start.
Example 2: Passing through BIRD CTA enroute on a random route (non-NAT track)
Most oceanic flights passing through the BIRD CTA/OCA do not use the NAT OTS ("NAT tracks") which are commonly used in Gander/Shanwick. In other words, they are "random route" flights.
When approaching the BIRD CTA/OCA (assuming you have not requested clearance via natTrak) on a random route, contact Iceland Radio (BICC_x_FSS) or Reykjavik Control (BIRD_x_CTR) for oceanic clearance. Include your requested Mach number and flight level.
See the example below:
🧑✈️ Reykjavik Control, BAW84, request oceanic clearance to London Heathrow, Mach .85, FL370.
🎧 BAW84, Reykjavik Control, oceanic clearance to London Heathrow via KAGLY, EMBOK, 63 North 50 West, 63 North 40 West, 62 North 30 West, 61 North 20 West, BALIX, from KAGLY maintain FL370, Mach .85
🧑✈️ BAW84 is cleared to London Heathrow via KAGLY, EMBOK, 63 North 50 West, 63 North 40 West, 62 North 30 West, 61 North 20 West, BALIX, from KAGLY maintain FL370, Mach .85.
🎧 BAW84, readback correct.
Example 3: Passing through BIRD CTA enroute on a NAT track
Very rarely, the NAT tracks do enter the BIRD CTA/OCA. Hence, one may occasionally need to request oceanic clearance via a NAT track from Reykjavik Control or Iceland Radio.
When requesting clearance, include the NAT track you intend to fly, as well as your requested Mach number and flight level. You should also have ready the current TMI number for the day's tracks.
If you don't know what a TMI number is, or if you want to learn more about the NAT track system, the Gander Oceanic team on VATSIM has published a great guide: https://knowledgebase.ganderoceanic.ca/1.0/basics/nats/
Unlike in Gander/Shanwick, when issuing an OCL via a NAT track, BIRD/BICC will not include the TMI number in the clearance itself, but the pilot is expected to include it in the readback.
See the example below (note the pilot adding the TMI to the readback, as they should, in bold):
🧑✈️Iceland Radio, SAS907, request oceanic clearance to Newark via track A, Mach .79, FL330.
🎧SAS907, Iceland Radio, Reykjavik Control clears you to Newark via track A, from RATSU maintain FL360, Mach .79.
🧑✈️SAS907 is cleared to Newark via track A, TMI 272, from RATSU maintain FL360, Mach .79.
🎧SAS907, readback correct.
You may note that in the above example, Iceland Radio issues the clearance, but relays it using the phraseology "Reykjavik Control clears you to..."
This is because, to put it simply, the controller issuing instructions via Iceland Radio is part of Reykjavik ACC, so its clearances are given under the authority of "Reykjavik Control."
Whether a clearance is issued using the phraseology "oceanic clearance to..." or "Reykjavik Control clears you to...", it is equally valid.