ATS Surveillance (APP & Area Control)
This page details procedures for providing air traffic control service using ATS surveillance (secondary radar, MLAT, or ADS-B.) This includes Approach (APP) and Area Control positions.
Transition Altitude & Level
The Transition Altitudes in the Reykjavik CTA are:
- Iceland: 7000ft
- Faroe Islands (EKVG): 7500ft
- Greenland: Varies by aerodrome, see table below for reference.
|
Airport |
TA |
|
Ilulissat (BGJN) |
6000ft |
|
Kulusuk (BGKK) |
7000ft |
|
Maniitsoq (BGMQ) |
9000ft |
|
Narsarsuaq (BGBW) |
9000ft |
|
Constable Pynt (BGCO) |
6000ft |
|
Nuuk (BGGH) |
7000ft |
|
Paamiut (BGPT) |
6000ft |
|
Qaanaaq (BGQQ) |
6500ft |
|
Sisimiut (BGSS) |
8000ft |
|
Upernavik (BGUK) |
6000ft |
|
Uummannaq Qaarsut (BGUQ) |
10,000ft |
|
Aasiaat (BGAA) |
6000ft |
NOTE: The TAs listed above may become out of date over time. Please always refer to the AIP for the correct TA of a given airport or region.
The Transition Level is determined by adding a certain number of feet to the Transition Altitude, depending on the current local QNH. The following table is used:
|
QNH |
<929 |
930-946 |
947-963 |
964-979 |
980-996 |
997-1012 |
>1013 |
|
TL |
+3000ft from TA |
+2500ft |
+2000ft |
+1500ft |
+1000ft |
+500ft |
+0ft |
Horizontal Separation Under ATS Surveillance
In practice, the minimum horizontal separation under ATS surveillance in the Reykjavik CTA/OCA is:
- 3 NM within 30 NM radius of KFV VOR (to be used only by Keflavik & Reykjavik Approach)
- 5 NM east of 30W*
- 10 NM west of 30W*
*Strictly speaking, as per Icelandic regulations, this is subject to the use of ADS-B surveillance. Because enroute ADS-B surveillance is now available throughout the entire Reykjavik CTA/OCA, in practice, the dividing line between 5 & 10 NM separation is the 30W meridian (the boundary between the West & South sector) irrespective of level.
Vertical Separation
The minimum vertical separation in the Reykjavik CTA is as follows:
- Below FL290: 1000ft for all aircraft
- FL290-FL410: 1000ft* or 2000ft between a formation flight and any other aircraft
- Above FL410: 2000ft for all aircraft
- At or above FL450: 4000ft between supersonic aircraft, and between supersonic aircraft and any other aircraft
*Technically, this is subject to aircraft being RVSM-equipped. However, on VATSIM, we assume that any aircraft that has filed an RFL above FL290 is RVSM-equipped.
Wake Turbulence Separation
Following ICAO standards, the following minimum distances must be applied whenever:
- An aircraft directly follows another at the same altitude or less than 1,000 ft below it
- If both aircraft are using the same runway or parallel runways separated by less than 760m
- An aircraft is crossing behind another aircraft, at the same altitude or less than 300m (1000 ft) below
|
MINIMUM WAKE TURBULENCE SEPARATION (Nautical Miles) |
|||||
|
|
First (Preceding) Aircraft |
||||
|
Light (L) |
Medium (M) |
Heavy (H) |
Super (J) |
||
|
Second (Trailing) Aircraft |
Light (L) |
— |
5 NM |
6 NM |
8 NM |
|
Medium (M) |
— |
— |
5 NM |
7 NM |
|
|
Heavy (H) |
— |
— |
4 NM |
6 NM |
|
|
Super (J) |
— |
— |
— |
— |
|
A VFR trailing an IFR aircraft, as well as IFR aircraft on a visual approach, may reduce to separation below these minima. However, ATC must inform the pilot “caution wake turbulence” before the separation drops below these minima. Moreover, ATC may not instruct an aircraft to reduce below these minima – the pilot must do so on their own initiative.
Allocation of Cruising Levels
In BIRD CTA, cruising levels are allocated following these general rules:
IFR:
- Below FL410: Levels are separated by 1000ft, and allocated following the East/West semi-circular rule (i.e., Eastbound flights fly at odd thousands of feet, and Westbound flights fly at even thousands of feet)
- Above FL410: Levels are separated by 2000ft (thus, all valid levels are odd).
VFR:
- 3000ft – FL195: Levels are separated by 1000ft, and allocated following the East/West semi-circular rule + 500ft (i.e., Eastbound flights fly at odd thousands of ft + 500ft, and Westbound flights fly at even thousands of ft + 500ft).
No VFR levels are allocated above FL195, as all airspace in BIRD CTA above FL195 is Class A, and thus VFR is not permitted.
The following table of valid levels, based on Icelandic AIP ENR 1.7.5, may be used as reference:
|
WESTBOUND ← Track 180-359° ← |
EASTBOUND → Track 000-179° → |
||
|
IFR |
VFR |
IFR |
VFR |
|
2000ft |
2500ft |
3000ft |
3500ft |
|
4000ft |
4500ft |
5000ft |
5500ft |
|
6000ft |
6500ft |
7000ft |
7500ft (FL75) |
|
8,000ft (FL80) |
8500ft (FL85) |
9000ft (FL90) |
9500ft (FL95) |
|
10,000ft (FL100) |
10,500ft (FL105) |
11,000ft (FL110) |
11,500ft (FL115) |
|
12,000ft (FL120) |
12,500ft (FL125) |
13,000ft (FL130) |
13,500ft (FL135) |
|
14,000ft (FL140) |
14,500ft (FL145) |
15,000ft (FL150) |
15,500ft (FL155) |
|
16,000ft (FL160) |
16,500ft (FL165) |
17,000ft (FL170) |
17,500ft (FL175) |
|
18,000ft (FL180) |
18,500ft (FL185) |
19,000ft (FL190) |
19,500ft (FL195) |
|
20,000ft (FL200) |
|
21,000ft (FL210) |
|
|
22,000ft (FL220) |
|
23,000ft (FL230) |
|
|
24,000ft (FL240) |
|
25,000ft (FL250) |
|
|
28,000ft (FL280) |
|
27,000ft (FL270) |
|
|
30,000 ft (FL300) |
|
29,000ft (FL290) |
|
|
32,000ft (FL320) |
|
31,000ft (FL310) |
|
|
34,000ft (FL340) |
|
33,000ft (FL330) |
|
|
36,000ft (FL360) |
|
35,000ft (FL350) |
|
|
38,000ft (FL380) |
|
37,000ft (FL370) |
|
|
40,000ft (FL400) |
|
39,000ft (FL390) |
|
|
43,000ft (FL430) |
|
41,000ft (FL410) |
|
|
47,000ft (FL470) |
|
45,000ft (FL450) |
|
|
51,000ft (FL510) |
|
49,000ft (FL490) |
|
|
etc. |
|
etc. |
|
Minimum Vectoring Altitude
The Minimum Vectoring Altitude (MVA) is the minimum altitude at which ATC may clear aircraft to during vectoring/direct routing, except if otherwise authorized for radar approaches, departures, and missed approaches.
MVA areas may be specifically defined/established in certain airspaces (e.g., the Faxi TMA.) If there is no minimum vectoring altitude explicitly established for a given area, then the MVA is either the area minimum altitude (AMA) or minimum sector altitude (MSA).
Iceland's AMAs may be found in Iceland AIP, ENR 6.1-3. In Greenland or the Faroe Islands, all AMAs and MSAs are below controlled airspace, so they are irrelevant for MVA purposes.
Descent Below Controlled Airspace
Over Iceland
IFR aircraft may be cleared to descend below controlled airspace if a descent procedure (a STAR or instrument approach procedure) has been published for their arrival aerodrome. At such aerodromes, two options are possible:
- Aircraft may be cleared for a specific descent procedure first, then cleared to descend below controlled airspace.
- Aircraft may also be simply cleared to descend below controlled airspace, without specifying a procedure. However:
- Their cleared routing must include a waypoint/beacon where at least one of the published descent procedures at that aerodrome would originate from.
- They must report to ATC the procedure they intend to follow.
If an IFR aircraft wishes to descend below controlled airspace at an airport with no published descent procedures, then they may be descended no lower than the area minimum altitude (see Iceland AIP, ENR 6.1-3), and must cancel IFR for further descent.
If an aircraft wishes to fly a different procedure than previously cleared, the pilot must contact the ACC unit or local AFIS unit and request a reroute to the beacon/waypoint where their requested procedure begins from. Alternatively, the pilot may cancel IFR and continue VFR.
Over Greenland, the Faroe Islands, or the Atlantic Ocean
Where the minimum altitude of a region is below the Reykjavik CTA, such as over Greenland, the Faroe Islands, or the Atlantic Ocean, aircraft may receive clearance to descend below controlled airspace without canceling IFR, even if there is no published descent procedure.
Transfer of Control & Communications
The transfer of control between ATS units takes place at the airspace boundary, or at the transfer of control point if otherwise designated. The transferring unit should transfer communications with the aircraft to the receiving unit no less than 2 minutes or 30 NM (whichever is greater) before the transfer of control point.
For arriving traffic, communications should be transferred to Tower as early as practicable once the aircraft is established on final approach, and at no later than 6 NM final.
Silent Transfer of Control
Traffic on the same track, or crossing tracks, may be transferred silently (i.e., without prior verbal coordination) between two units if the longitudinal separation between them is at least:
- 10 NM constant or increasing when the receiving sector uses 5 NM or less separation minima (i.e., east of 30W)
- 15 NM constant or increasing when the receiving sector uses 10 NM separation minima (i.e., west of 30W)
LOAs with neighboring sectors may specify different requirements for transferring control to that sector.
If the separation between two aircraft does not meet the above requirements, they must be verbally coordinated with the next unit before transferring control. If speed control is being used to accomplish the required separation, aircraft should be instructed to report their speed to the next controller.
Releases
A release is an approval given for a receiving unit to climb, descend, and/or turn aircraft before the transfer of control point. Standard releases may be detailed in LOPs or LOAs with neighbouring sectors. They may also be coordinated verbally, or granted via the TopSky Release function.
Note:
- Releases for turns do not exceed 45° unless explicitly coordinated.
- The transferring unit remains responsible for separation within their own AoR, unless otherwise coordinated.
Hold Management
As of writing, the Reykjavik CTA currently has no published enroute holds. Published holds on STARs which are within a TMA shall be managed by the APP unit responsible for said TMA. E.g., the published holds on BIKF’s STARs, within the Faxi TMA, are managed by Keflavik Approach.
If the published holds in the TMA are full, then APP should coordinate with the overlying ACC unit to hold aircraft outside of the TMA. Such holds should be managed by the ACC unit.
Two aircraft in the same holding stack must be separated vertically by 1000ft, or greater if required by the minimum vertical separation rules. Controllers must not clear an aircraft to hold at a level lower than the Minimum Holding Altitude (MHA) for any published hold.
Published holds may be issued using the abbreviated phraseology: “Hold at [FIX] as published, [LEVEL].” For example:
🎧 ICE123, hold at MEBUN as published, FL160.
When issuing a non-published hold, or if a pilot requests the full details of the hold, the following information should be given at minimum:
- Holding fix
- Level
- Inbound track/course
The following may also be specified:
- Turn direction (left or right turns. If not specified, it is assumed that the holding shall use right turns.)
- Time/length of leg (in minutes or NM. If not specified, it is assumed that the holding shall use 1-minute legs.)
The following phraseology may be used: [CALLSIGN], hold at [FIX], [LEVEL], [INBOUND COURSE], [LEFT/RIGHT] turns, [LEG TIME/LENGTH]. For example:
🎧 ICE789, hold at MALAB, FL120, inbound course 097, left turns, 1 minute legs.