Domestic ICAO flight plan filing

TMetzinger

TMetzinger

Final Approach
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Tim
Starting June 29th, if you want to get RNAV arrival/departure routes (RNAV SID/STARS), you need to start filing your IFR flight plans in ICAO format.

Details are at the AOPA website, and there's an FAA letter to airmen out about it. Also try http://faa.gov/ato?k=fpl

I'm still sorting it out, but I think that for my G1000 airplanes I file the equipment codes of SGZ/C (standard, GPS, Z "other" identifier for FAA / Mode C transponder - I know the G1000 is a mode S but I'm not sure what mode S info it's transmitting)

Then in the Other section (block 18) I put in NAV/RNVD1E2A1 to say I can do 1 NM precision in departures and arrivals and 2 NM precision enroute.

Other wrinkles include making sure that the airport identifiers are four digits.

I may try filing one via DUAT today just to see if it goes through correctly.

EDIT - DUAT (www.duat.com) makes it pretty straightforward. I'll have to remember to put the appropriate comments in when filing with FliteStar though.
 
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The key part of this is
"Those who file VFR flight plans, IFR flight plans without RNAV SIDs or STARs, or RNAV routes to fly direct can still use the FAA flight plan form."

So people like me leaving form an airport that has not stars or sids need not change anything.

What is not clear is if I leave from an airport that has a star do I HAVE to file in the new format or can I file in the old format and not fly the star or hav eto be actually given the details of the star in my clearance?
 
smigaldi said:
The key part of this is
"Those who file VFR flight plans, IFR flight plans without RNAV SIDs or STARs, or RNAV routes to fly direct can still use the FAA flight plan form."

So people like me leaving form an airport that has not stars or sids need not change anything.

What is not clear is if I leave from an airport that has a star do I HAVE to file in the new format or can I file in the old format and not fly the star or hav eto be actually given the details of the star in my clearance?
Click to expand...

If you don't file in ICAO, you won't be given an RNAV STAR (or SID either). You may still be given a "conventional" SID/STAR.

I believe the whole need for the ICAO format is that it gives ATC much more detail about what sort of navigation performance they can expect from you, and that will allow them to assign you procedures and routes that match your equipment.
 
TMetzinger said:
If you don't file in ICAO, you won't be given an RNAV STAR (or SID either). You may still be given a "conventional" SID/STAR.
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Sorry that is what I was meaning in my post, but thanks for pointing out this is only for RNAV stuff.

TMetzinger said:
I believe the whole need for the ICAO format is that it gives ATC much more detail about what sort of navigation performance they can expect from you, and that will allow them to assign you procedures and routes that match your equipment.
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got it
 
The other wrinkle is figuring out if the GPS in your airplane is approved to do RNAV SIDS and STARS. Just because the waypoints are in the database doesn't mean it is approved.
 
Correct. But as I read the AC (90-100A), most of the IFR GPS have met the cert standards. RAIM matters if you don't have WAAS. I called Garmin and was told that G1000/430/530 IFR installs were good for RNAV departure and arrivals.

You also need to check your sensitivity settings in the enroute phase, as your lateral deflection scale may be +/- 5.0NM when it needs to be 1.0 or 2.0 NM, and be ready to follow LNAV steering beginning at 500' agl on departure.

Most GA operators will just not use these capabilities, but I expect professional operators will if it enhances safety or efficiency.
 
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According to the guidance I saw, the ICAO format is required only for RNAV SID/STAR procedures (darn few of those for nonturbojets or at any but the biggest jet terminal airports), or if you're filing RNAV point-to-point at/above FL 180. Further, if you call in your flight plan to FSS, it's totally transparent -- the FSS specialist is the one who has to figure out how to fill in the different format. Thus, it shouldn't make much difference to many of us here.
 
TMetzinger said:
Correct. But as I read the AC (90-100A), most of the IFR GPS have met the cert standards.
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I know some of our airplanes have antique GPSs, but there are a number of them that don't meet the criteria. Theres the KLN90, Trimble 2101 I/O, and GNS/XLS (FMS) to name a few that I know of.
 
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Everskyward said:
I know some of our airplanes have antique GPSs, but there are a number of them that don't meet the criteria. Theres the KLN90, Trimble 2101 I/O, and GNS/XLS (FMS) to name a few that I know of.
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Last I heard, my GNS480 doesn't meet the cut due to a lack of filed paperwork. Anyone know if that's changed yet? I suspect Garmin is planning to hold of until they certify the next SW revision (and antenna upgrade) which restores sole source nav to all 480s.
 
I noticed today that fltplan.com had automatically switched over to the ICAO format. I had previously entered the information for the various airplanes that I fly so I didn't have to do anything different. The airplane I flew this morning was previously a LJ35/L, now it is a LJ35 SDGWZ/S. :dunno:
 
smigaldi said:
The key part of this is
"Those who file VFR flight plans, IFR flight plans without RNAV SIDs or STARs, or RNAV routes to fly direct can still use the FAA flight plan form."

So people like me leaving form an airport that has not stars or sids need not change anything.

What is not clear is if I leave from an airport that has a star do I HAVE to file in the new format or can I file in the old format and not fly the star or hav eto be actually given the details of the star in my clearance?
Click to expand...

The key phrase in the Letter to Airmen is "who are qualified and desire RNAV....." I don't know what they mean by "qualfied," but if you do not desire to use an RNAV SID/STAR it is business as usual.

Bob Gardner
 
Everskyward said:
I noticed today that fltplan.com had automatically switched over to the ICAO format. I had previously entered the information for the various airplanes that I fly so I didn't have to do anything different. The airplane I flew this morning was previously a LJ35/L, now it is a LJ35 SDGWZ/S. :dunno:
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Just curious. What did you have in the plane to rate the "Z"? I've been doing the ICAO flight plans for our trips to Panama. We've got a 530W installation, and I guess I need to figure out if this meets the Z requirements. also :dunno:
 
lancefisher said:
Last I heard, my GNS480 doesn't meet the cut due to a lack of filed paperwork. Anyone know if that's changed yet? I suspect Garmin is planning to hold of until they certify the next SW revision (and antenna upgrade) which restores sole source nav to all 480s.
Click to expand...

The 480 group discussed this a couple of weeks ago - that's still the plan. GarminAT is saying the new software will be out later this summer.
 
Lance F said:
Just curious. What did you have in the plane to rate the "Z"? I've been doing the ICAO flight plans for our trips to Panama. We've got a 530W installation, and I guess I need to figure out if this meets the Z requirements. also :dunno:
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As I understand it, "Z" means that you specify in block 18 the other equipment carried. In block 18 for this airplane it says " NAV/RNVE99 RMK/PTP" which as I understand it means we can navigate point to point but not do RNAV SIDS and STARS. We have an old Trimble GPS in this airplane which does not qualify.

I looked at one of the other airplanes I fly which is a C680 SDGHWZ/S. In block 18 for that airplane it says " NAV/RNVD1A1E2". That airplane is able to do RNAV SIDS and STARS.

Truthfully, I just checked off the appropriate boxes on fltplan.com and it came up with the letters.
 
I never file SIDs. I get 'em anyway in my clearance, but rarely. As I recall the only places in the East where that has occurred were Millville and Boston Logan. Out west last week I think I got a SID (without filing it) at almost every drome, but that's probably as much for terrain clearance as anything else. Reno, Boise, Yakima, Eugene, Santa Rosa, Arcata, Oakland, those I can remember, maybe a few more.
 
Why not just convert all the flightplans to ICAO format ?
 
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