{"id":19617,"date":"2022-08-25T10:11:59","date_gmt":"2022-08-25T14:11:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/?p=19617"},"modified":"2022-09-08T03:11:50","modified_gmt":"2022-09-08T07:11:50","slug":"nat-basics-an-unofficial-checklist-for-pilots","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/nat-basics-an-unofficial-checklist-for-pilots\/","title":{"rendered":"NAT Basics: An Unofficial Checklist For Pilots"},"content":{"rendered":"

We have a handy \u2018My First North Atlantic Flight is tomorrow\u2019<\/strong> briefing guide which is for everyone – the planners, the operators, the pilots. Everyone involved in getting airplanes across the NAT. If you want it, head to the shop<\/a> (or member’s dashboard<\/a>) and grab it.<\/p>\n

This post is just a mini slice of that – just for the pilots. Not because you don’t already know how to ‘do the NAT’,\u00a0<\/em>and not because your operator doesn’t already have a procedure in place, but just because we thought it might be a handy little guide on the basic stuff to do\u00a0<\/em>if you’re a pilot heading into the NAT HLA…<\/p>\n

On the Ground<\/span><\/h4>\n

We\u2019ll start when you\u2019re sat in the plane getting ready to go. There are three things you probably want to do at this point:<\/p>\n

1. Check the Techlog.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Make sure you have the equipment you need. That means none of it is broken.\u00a0The vast proportion of the NAT HLA requires Datalink<\/strong> now, so make sure you\u2019re CPDLC and ADS-C are functioning (because you need both of them to be able to do the Datalink). Also check bits like HF, altimeters and all the usual stuff you\u2019d need for general RVSM-ing while you\u2019re at it as well.<\/p>\n

2. Check what you\u2019re loading in the FMS.<\/strong><\/p>\n

If all your waypoints are five letter named ones<\/strong> then this is less annoying to do, but getting the other pilot to independently check there are no discontinuities or rogue vowels that might send you off in the wrong direction is still a good idea.<\/p>\n

If you have the dreaded LAT\/LONG points<\/strong> on your flight plan then you are going want to check more thoroughly.<\/p>\n