Simviation Forums

What is the North Atlantic Track System  I've heard of it but i don't know what it is

Basically it is a method for aircraft to keep separation whilst crossing the Atlantic. There is no ATC coverage or navaids so this system keeps the planes apart.


there are some special routes used for planning flights which e.g. are used
over the North Atlantic in the so-called North Atlantic Track System. This
system is a flexible route system that is redrawn every day according to the
expected winds over the North Atlantic. These routes are published by
NOTAM and are called TRACK. In a flight plan it is only necessary to advise
the entry point into the system, the track with identifier and the exit point. A
route with a track could look as follows: BURAK TRACKC YAY. This would
mean that Track C goes from BURAK to YAY as defined.
Other airways are located e.g. over the North Polar Region but are fixed.
These would belong to the PTS, the Polar Track System. There the specialty
would be that form a certain point on you need to change to TRUE TRACK
HEADINGS form the usually used magnetic heading, due to the closeness of
the magnetic pole.

There is indeed ATC coverage, on the HF band (SELCAL) where you need to report your position every 45mins or so, but they don't have radar on you, and the VHF band is useless  :)

I posted in a bit of a hurry and got it a bit mixed up  :-[

So relaxed way out there... Pilots get into conversation a lot out there. With lack of anything better to do.

Some pilots, thought are trained in Radio's so they could talk with other pilots or other people with hand radio's on the ground, not sure about range with them though, I imagine you have to be close, also I think the person taking in your position will radio it back to some airport GANDER or Shannon, or they might be where ATC is takin your position report

They report your position to the closest NATS station near your destination. i.e. going from NYC-London, they report it to London, return flight they report it to NYC. You can still communicate with other pilots out there without any problems. If I am correct, this is what I was told by other American pilots, when flights were ordered to divert from the US on 9/11, the planes contacted one another and told them faster than ATC could tell them all. Most pilots tune what would sort of be the CTAF out there. 122.0 is the standard frequency. They tune it on COM 2 or COM 1, use the other for other communications, and then they can speak with each other.

[quote]There is indeed ATC coverage, on the HF band (SELCAL) where you need to report your position every 45mins or so, but they don't have radar on you, and the VHF band is useless

or this.....http://www.faa.gov/ats/aat/IFIM/NAOTOC.htm