Canadian Domestic Routes

Reference AIM RAC 12.6

Use of Preferred Routes

• provides planning guidance, minimizes route changes, more efficient
• strongly encouraged, but not mandatory
• published in CFS

RNAV Routes

• Q-routes: high-level
• T-routes: low-level controlled 
• upward from 2200 AGL
• 10 NM each side of centre with MOCA protection 6 NM each side of centre
• L-routes: low-level uncontrolled
• MOCA protection 6 NM each side of centre
• Magnetic Reference Bearing published in SDA (reference only; RNAV systems will fly true course)

Position Reporting on Random Routes in NCA

• north-south: every 5 degrees of latitude with whole/half degree of longitude
• east-west (south of 75N): whole/half degrees of latitude with each 10 degrees of longitude
• east west (north of 75 N): whole/half degrees of latitude with each 20 degrees of longitude
• and of course, as requested by ATS

CMNPS = Canadian Minimum Navigation Performance Specifications (Reference AIM RAC 12.5)

• Laterally this includes the ACA, NCA, and a small portion of the SCA
• Vertical dimensions are FL330 to FL410

Polar Routes (Reference AIM RAC 12.6.7)

• aircraft need CMNPS certification
• must file designated polar fixes on the Achorage/Russian border but are otherwise random in Canadian airspace
• routing should be filed with a fix every 5 degrees of latitude

Transoceanic Flights

GOTA, RVSM, CMNPS, SLOP... it looks like we're having Alphabet soup for lunch!

CAR 602.39 Transoceanic Flights
If you want to fly a single engine aircraft or multi-engine that cannot maintain flight in the event of an engine failure over the high seas:

• pilot needs an instrument rating
• aircraft equipped as per CAR 605.18 + HF radio + hypothermia protection for each person on board
• sufficient fuel as per CAR 602.88 + additional 10%

Reference AIM RAC 11.0 North Atlantic Operations and ICAO NAT Doc 007

NAT MNPS = North Atlantic Minimum Navigation Performance Specifications

• compliance with NAT MNPS airspace is required by all aircraft operating between 
• FL285 and FL420 AND
• between 27 N and the North Pole AND
• Oceanic Control Areas: Reykjavik, Gander, New York, Shanwick, Santa Maria
• aircraft must be equipped with two fully functioning long range navigation systems (LRNS).  A LRNS may be one of the following:
• one Inertial Navigation System (INS)
• one Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)
• one navigation system using the inputs from one or more Inertial Reference System (IRS) or any other sensor system complying with the MNPS requirement.
• for eastbound and westbound traffic
• south of 70 N, the planned tracks shall be defined at each half or whole degree of latitude and each 10 degrees of longitude
• north of 70 N, the planned tracks shall be defined at latitudes expressed in degrees/minutes and each 20 degrees of longitude
• for northbound and southbound traffic
• the planned tracks shall be defined at latitudes spaced at 5 degrees and whole degrees of longitude

Inertial Navigation Systems (INS)

Basic Principle: measures acceleration against time to determine speed and direction

How: uses accelerometers, in a gimbal assembly, to sense all vertical and horizontal accelerations to provide position and steering information.

Information Provided:

• steering information to autopilot
• aircraft attitude information for flight instruments
• antenna stabilization for airborne weather radar
• horizontal navigation data

GPS Approaches

Recall the basic operation of GPS: it triangulates your position by measuring distances from satellites by precise timing of radio signals.  4 satellites are required to obtain a 3D position fix. 

Reference AIM COM 3.14

GPS approaches are generally more efficient because they allow pilots to bypass procedure turns and proceed directly to the FAF.   GPS approaches must be retrieved from a current avionics database.  Pilot-generated waypoints are not approved for approach procedures.  There are two types of GPS approaches: stand-alone and overlay.

Stand-Alone

• approach design is usually based on a 'T' pattern 
• charted as "RNAV (GPS) RWY XX"

Overlay

• the underlying navaids do not have to be monitored
• you can use the GPS when the traditional navaid is out of service

There is always the requirement for a RAIM check (for +/- 15 minutes of the ETA) Without it, you have no assurance of the accuracy of the GPS position!

If you want to take credit for a GPS approach at an alternate aerodrome (AIM COM 3.14.12):

• there must be a usable approach at the planned destination which is served by a functioning traditional aid
• the published LNAV minima are the lowest landing limits for which credit may be taken when determining alternate weather minima requirements (not LNAV/VNAV or LPV)
• approach-level RAIM must be available at the ETA for the alternate
• periodically during the flight, and at least once before the mid-point of the flight to the destination, verify that approach-level RAIM is expected to be available at the planned alternate at the ETA

Note: There are GPS and WAAS NOTAM files which can advise of outages / failures

Instrument Landing System (ILS)

Reference AIM COM 3.12

Localizer

• valid and reliable signal coverage 35 degrees on either side of front course centre line up to 10 NM from transmitter
• 10 degrees up to 18 NM from transmitter for front and back courses
• 3-letter identifier
• starts with 'I' if aligned within 3 degrees of runway heading
• starts with 'X' if more than 3 degrees
• CDI needle deflection is 2.5 degrees from centre to full-scale

Glideslope

• beam depth is 1.4 degrees (0.7 above and below)
• standard glidepath is 3 degrees

Backcourse - Localizer only

• beware of reverse sensing!
• with an HSI, the track bar must be selected to the outbound course on localizer back course approaches in order to obtain positive track bar sensing

VHF Omnidirectional Range (VOR)

How does it work?

• it depends upon a phase difference between two signals transmitted simultaneously from a ground station
• position sensitive, NOT azimuth (i.e. no matter what direction you are facing, your instruments will give you the same VOR information about your position)
• line of sight: reception distance = 1.23 x sqrt(altitude above station)

Components:

• Omni Bearing Selector (OBS) >> select radials "FROM top, TO bottom"
• Course Deviation Indicator (CDI needle) >> centre to full scale is 10 degrees
• TO / FROM indicator >> directional ambiguity when crossing a radial 90 degrees from what is set on OBS

Tolerances:

• airway radials maintained by TC within +/- 3 degrees
• VOR checkpoint +/- 4 degrees
• dual VOR check +/- 4 degrees on ground or in air
• visual check over landmark +/- 6 degrees

To calculate distance (NM) from station:

• (groundspeed x time in minutes) / degrees of bearing change