Flight Service Bureau: Many Changes to NAT Ops in 2017

International business aircraft operators should take note of several “important changes” on the North Atlantic Tracks that have taken effect in the first six weeks of this year, according to Flight Service Bureau. Available in the latest edition of NAT Doc 007, the changes range from mandated avionics upgrades to operational issues.

The flight planner said this includes TCAS 7.1 throughout the entire NAT region as of January 1; eliminating the need to file an ICAO standard cruising level in NAT airspace; gross navigational errors being narrowed to greater than 10 nm, compared with 25 nm previously; a new turn-back procedure that requires turn backs to parallel the previous track by 15 nm; and an exemption for the Dec. 7, 2017 datalink mandate on Tango Routes, in airspace north of 80 degrees North and in New York oceanic airspace.

Further, the company has also released a new "NAT Ops Guide" that covers what aircraft operators need for North Atlantic crossings, as well as guidance, sample flights, flight planning codes, ATC contact numbers, diversion airports guide, Blue Spruce routes, VHF coverage and non-standard overflight permits. The guide costs $15.