Airwork

Area of Operations

Pilots of aircraft receiving an identification service OCTA or operating in CTA, must inform ATC prior to conducting airwork.

It is generally easiest to nominate an area of operations with both a lateral and vertical limit. An ops normal time should be nominated to allow ATC to plan for the duration of your intended airwork.

Format

"Callsign will be conducting airwork within a Distance radius of Position, Altitude Block, ops normal Time"

Example

CYF: "CYF will be conducting airwork within a 20nm radius of YBTH, SFC to A070, ops normal 45"
GUN: "CYF, copy ops normal 45, no reported IFR traffic"

In CTA, a clearance must be obtained prior to conducting airwork.

Example

OIT: "OIT request airwork within a 5nm radius of PEGSU between A080 and A100 for the next 15 minutes"
SAS: "OIT, cleared to operate within a 5nm radius of PEGSU, A080 to A100"
OIT: "Cleared to operate within a 5nm radius of PEGSU, A080 to A100, OIT"

Important

Certain types of airwork, including search and rescue, firefighting, and other emergency operations are restricted under the VATSIM Code of Conduct.

Practice Instrument Approaches

The area of operations definition above is generally sufficient for conducting practice instrument approaches OCTA. In CTA, it is generally easier for ATC if you can provide more detail about the intended approach.

Example

UNF: "UNF request the YSRI ILS approach runway 28 to the minima"
SAS: "UNF, turn right heading 360, expect ILS approach runway 28"
UNF: "Turn right heading 360, UNF"

SAS: "UNF, turn left heading 310 to intercept the localiser, cleared ILS approach runway 28, report in the missed approach"
UNF: "Turn left heading 310 to intercept the localiser, cleared ILS approach runway 28, UNF"

Onwards Clearances

When discontinuing an instrument approach, you must follow the published missed approach. If alternate tracking would be more desirable when conducting the missed approach, this should be communicated to ATS prior to commencing the approach.

Example

UNF: "UNF, from the minima, request a visual left turn to YSBK at A015"
SAS: "UNF, I will advise"

SAS: "UNF, onwards clearance, from the minima, make left turn direct to YSBK, climb to A015 visual"
UNF: "From the minima, make left turn direct to YSBK, climb to A015 visual, UNF"

Flight Plan Remarks

See Flight Plan Submission for details on how to notify ATC of any intent to conduct airwork through your flight plan remarks.