787 Training

Screaming_Emu said:
Nowadays, not a whole lot of difference. Shanwick used to be pretty particular about what they wanted to hear, but got pretty relaxed during the Rona and seemed to have stayed that way.

Only differences I can think of are the oceanic clearance that separate from your regular ATC clearance, they want your max altitude included in the free text, track message number if not on a random route, and when you call gander the first time they want to know what FIR you’ll be talking to next.

Anybody else have anything to add? I only get to do the Atlantic a couple times a year.
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I saw that they are even thinking about getting rid of the Oceanic clearance part sometime next year.

That is pretty much the differences though. A few more HF freqs than a HI crossing.

HI crossings are very simple, but man that is a lot of water.
 
Kinda off topic, but how do the long pacific clearances/crossings go? Is it pretty much just like HI flights, but longer, and you eventually check in with a different FIR?
 
///AMG said:
Kinda off topic, but how do the long pacific clearances/crossings go? Is it pretty much just like HI flights, but longer, and you eventually check in with a different FIR?
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Depending on where you are going you could end up talking to two or three or four (or even five) different FIRs. The nice thing is that CPDLC normally handles the hand off mostly (I'm looking at you Nandi), and you just have to do a SELCAL check on whatever new freqs you get. Once you get west and south of Hawaii you can get pretty much everywhere with ETOPS 120 (although it's a bit longer of a flight than using 180) so the fuel planning gets a bit easier. Oh also everybody after KZAK tends to take away any block you had, and want you back on route from a weather deviation right away.
 
Screaming_Emu said:
Nowadays, not a whole lot of difference. Shanwick used to be pretty particular about what they wanted to hear, but got pretty relaxed during the Rona and seemed to have stayed that way.

Only differences I can think of are the oceanic clearance that separate from your regular ATC clearance, they want your max altitude included in the free text, track message number if not on a random route, and when you call gander the first time they want to know what FIR you’ll be talking to next.

Anybody else have anything to add? I only get to do the Atlantic a couple times a year.
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More or less covered it, though I've not had to include the TMI in the free-text and only when something is going via voice (itself makes sense as it's hard to do a readback-hearback error, though, I'm sure someone somewhere will manage, with an ACARS message).

I seem to remember that "officially" if you don't specify a maximum flight level, your requested is going to be considered your maximum flight level anyway (on this thing it often is). Gander is still semi-particular about phraseology. Shanwick just tends to launch right into "primary 11347 secondary 8846 go there now byeeee."

@Ian_J I don't remember exactly what it's called where you work (ORCA Card?) but here at SJI, staying close to our rather step-by-step Airway Manual Route Guide greatly reduces the risk of a gross navigational error. I seem to remember your shop has something quite similar, I just don't remember what they're called.
 
Autothrust Blue said:
More or less covered it, though I've not had to include the TMI in the free-text and only when something is going via voice (itself makes sense as it's hard to do a readback-hearback error, though, I'm sure someone somewhere will manage, with an ACARS message).

I seem to remember that "officially" if you don't specify a maximum flight level, your requested is going to be considered your maximum flight level anyway (on this thing it often is). Gander is still semi-particular about phraseology. Shanwick just tends to launch right into "primary 11347 secondary 8846 go there now byeeee."

@Ian_J I don't remember exactly what it's called where you work (ORCA Card?) but here at SJI, staying close to our rather step-by-step Airway Manual Route Guide greatly reduces the risk of a gross navigational error. I seem to remember your shop has something quite similar, I just don't remember what they're called.
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The bit about the max flight level is in the TMI.
 
OE complete! Did a Munich trip followed by an Athens trip and it was great. The plane flies wonderfully. I can sleep in the bunk fine. Thanks to advice here on JC, I mostly had an okay layover sleep strategy. And when they say the international side is a completely different airline than the domestic side, they’re right. It’s a calm, enjoyable difference from the hectic narrowbody schedule that I think will be easy to get used to.
 
Ian_J said:
OE complete! Did a Munich trip followed by an Athens trip and it was great. The plane flies wonderfully. I can sleep in the bunk fine. Thanks to advice here on JC, I mostly had an okay layover sleep strategy. And when they say the international side is a completely different airline than the domestic side, they’re right. It’s a calm, enjoyable difference from the hectic narrowbody schedule that I think will be easy to get used to.
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The only stressful bit for me is getting to the airplane (commuting) and even that doesn’t suck as bad as expected as described elsewhere.

Very civilized.
 
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