Introduction
RocketRoute now provides all business and airline members with the capability to automatically insert crossing points every 5 or 10 degrees of longitude.
A flight plan containing long directs (DCT) can be set to insert waypoints every 5 or 10 degrees.
RocketRoute will automatically insert crossing points for DCTs greater than 499NM when the 5 degree option is active. This would typically be the choice for smaller piston and turbo-prop aircraft.
The 10 degree option will activate on DCT sections that are greater than 999 NM. This would be relevant for faster, higher flying business and airline jets.
Inserted waypoints are displayed on the route map and added to the flight log in the briefing pack.
A typcial scenario would be a random track Atlantic crossing, north or south of the published Nat Tracks. The flight would comprise a Great Circle route with inserted waypoint fixes every 5 or 10 full degrees of longitude, for example, 20 West, 30 West and so on.
How to Activate
Log into your RocketRoute account. Go to the 'Account' menu tab.
Scroll down until 'Auto Insert Crossing Points' and select to expand. Options available are: Off (disabled), 10 Degrees, 5 Degrees. Press the 'Save' button to update the change to your account settings.
Reasons to Activate
Reason one: useful reporting guide when flying long directs. Upon reaching each inserted waypoint (at 5 or 10 degree full longitude) the pilot can check in with ATC and report progress, a useful reminder for the pilot.
Reason two: Another benefit is for fuel calculation. It assists the pilot with fuel check calculations while flying long direct segments. It is not advisable to fly thousands of miles before assessing engine fuel performance. Here is an example of a flight log without inserted points, where fuel is calculated for a single long segment:
And the same again, this time with inserted points every 10 degrees of longitude. Fuel is calculated for smaller legs, which are automatically created and inserted:
Breaking a long direct DCT into smaller segments provides the opportunity to check engine fuel burn and to note the actual values compared to pre-flight calculations. If an actual fuel burn is subsequently not enough to make destination, the pilot can divert to a closer airport. This is particularly important while flying over large bodies of water.
Regular waypoint calculations for checking flight time, ground speed, winds and fuel burn are effective checks to compare real versus expected values and assist the pilot with decision making. ICAO rules also state that pilots should adopt the use of injected waypoints when flying long directs.
10 Degrees of Longitude
What does 10 degrees of longitude look like? Now you know.
RocketRoute Featured in Pilot und Flugzeug
Pilot and Flugzeug recently flew across the Atlantic and put RocketRoute's automatic crossing point insertion to the test. Note this test was done when 10 Degree injection was the only option available.
Further Reading
General Aviation Flying in Europe by Bob Webster
Flight Planning - Waypoints: Canada-Greenland-Iceland-UK
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International Civil Aviation Organization's (ICAO) guidelines
Preflight and planning guide for use by U.S. nonscheduled operators, business, and private aviators flying outside of the United States.
Section 7. Flight Planning Notes
1-7-1. OCEANIC POSITION REPORTING
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IVAO Gander / Shanwick Oceanic
10. Flight Planning Procedures
A brief example flight to aid with the comprehension of Oceanic procedures from the pilot's seat.
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North Atlantic Organized Track System (NAT OTS)
General Notes
HANKE-Aviation GmbH - Flight Crew Training
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