RVSM/ETOPS

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INDEX
Introduction ... .Pag 4
RVSM Airspace..... .Pag 4
EUR RVSM Airspace ... .Pag 5

North Atlantic Tracks (NAT).. ..Pag 5

RVSM in NAT Region ... Pag 6
Jet Streams.......Pag 7
ETOPS ...... Pag 8
Equal Time Point (ETP) .....Pag 9

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INTRODUCTION

As we know, about 70% of the planet Earth surface is covered

by water. Now this is clearly reflected in large expanses of water
with little or no pieces of land to allow the installation of radars for air
surveillance at relatively low cost. As such, specific procedures were
created for the oceanic flights to ensure the safety of all aircraft.
The main differences between flights over the ocean and other
flights are the lack of radar coverage over most part of the flight and
the use of HF (High Frequency) instead of VHF (Very High
Frequency).

RVSM AIRSPACE
The goal of RVSM (Reduced Vertical Separation Minimum) is
to reduce the vertical separation above flight level (FL) 290 from the
previous 2000ft minimum to current 1000ft minimum. This will allow
aircraft to safely fly more optimum profiles, gain fuel savings and
increase airspace capacity.
The process of safely changing this separation standard
requires a study to assess the actual performance of airspace users
under the previous separation (2000ft) and potential performance
under the new standard (1000ft).

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EUR RVSM AIRSPACE

NORTH ATLANTIC TRACKS (NAT)

North Atlantic Tracks are trans-Atlantic routes that stretch
from the northeast of North America to western Europe across the
Atlantic Ocean. They ensure aircraft are separated over the ocean,
where there is little radar coverage.
Lower limit of NAT Region is FL055 with no upper limit.

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These heavily-traveled routes are used by aircraft traveling

between North America and Europe, flying between the altitudes of
29,000 and 41,000 feet, inclusive.
Entrance and movement along these tracks is controlled by
special Oceanic Center air traffic controllers to maintain separation
between airplanes.
The primary purpose of these routes is to provide a Minimum
Time Route (MTR). They are aligned in such a way as to minimize
any head winds and maximize tail winds impact on the aircraft. This
results in much more efficiency by reducing fuel burn and flight time.
To make such efficiencies possible, the routes are created
daily to take account of the shifting of the winds aloft.

RVSM IN NAT REGION

The entire North Atlantic requires RVSM from FL290-FL410
inclusive. All aircraft that have not been approved for RVSM
operations are excluded from this airspace.
Note: MNPS Airspace is FL285 to FL420 and does not include the
West Atlantic Route System Airspace.
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Under the North Atlantic RVSM implementation program, the

following benefits are accruing:

Improved operations/efficiency
Greater availability of the more fuel-efficient altitudes
Greater availability of the most fuel-efficient tracks or routes
Increased probability that an operator will be cleared onto
the desired track or altitude
Enhanced controller flexibility to manage traffic through an
increased number of available altitudes

JET STREAMS
Jet streams are fast flowing, narrow air currents found in the
atmospheres of some planets. The main jet streams are located
near the tropopause, the transition between the troposphere (where
temperature decreases with height) and the stratosphere (where
temperature increases with height).

The major jet streams on earth are westerly winds (flowing

west to east). Their paths typically have a meandering shape; jet
streams may start, stop, split into two or more parts, combine into
one stream, or flow in various directions including the opposite
direction of most of the jet.
The strongest jet streams are the polar jets, at around 7
12 km (23,00039,000 ft) above sea level, and the higher and
somewhat weaker subtropical jets at around 1016 km (33,000
52,000 ft).
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ETOPS
ETOPS is an acronym for Extended-range Twin-engine
Operational Performance Standards, an International Civil
Aviation Organization (ICAO) Standard and Recommended Practice
(SARP) permitting twin-engined commercial air transporters to fly
routes that, at some points, are farther than a distance of
60/90/120/180 (depending on ETOPS certification for each aircraft
type) minutes flying time from an emergency or diversion airport with
one engine inoperative.
An aircraft with ETOPS-120 certification should be able to fly
with full load and just one engine for 2 hours. This mean there
should be always a suitable diversion airport within 2 hours flying
time range from the aircraft position along the entire route.

This rule allows twin-engined airliners such as the Airbus

A300, A310, A320, A330 and A350 families, and Boeing 737, 757,
767, 777 and 787 and Tupolev Tu-204, to fly long-distance routes
that were previously off-limits to twin-engined aircraft.

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ETOPS operation has no direct correlation to water nor

distance over water. It refers to single-engine flight times between
diversion airfields, regardless as to whether such fields are
separated by water or land.

EQUAL TIME POINT

An ETP (Equal Time Point) is basically the point at which it'll
take a shorter time to continue to the next suitable diversion airfield
than to turn back to the last one in case such decision has to take
place.

There are many ways of calculating the ETP besides using the
FMC, some complex and accurate, others simpler but not quite so
accurate.

NOTE: FOR OCEANIC PHRASEOLOGY, PROCEDURES AND

EXAMPLES PLEASE REFER TO OCEANIC TUTORIAL AND
CROSS ATLANTIC FLIGHTS IN FOS DOCUMENTS SECTION.