About Crossing the Ocean in Flight Simulator for Online Flying.
To do a virtual airline flight IFR in the Oceanic airspace you will need to have a panel or equipment that allows you to track your distance to waypoints (intersections) along your route in your flight simulator. This could be a full Flight Management System (FMS), such as the one included in Squawkbox or with third party panels such as PIC767, a "plug-in" navigation tool such as FSNav, or the default GPS system in most Fight Simulator2002, Flight Simulator 2004 and Flight Simulator X aircraft. You will also need a gauge in your flight simulator that displays mach number and a gauge that displays groundspeed. The reason for this requirement is the lack of radar surveillance available, and Air Traffic Controllers rely completely on virtual airline pilot's position reports. Therefore accurate position reports for virtual airline flights crossing the ocean are a must. Synchronize your watches ! Since the Oceanic FSS works by using position reports given with accurate time, All virtual airline flights in the FIR must have their simulator clocks set accurately in their flight simulators. To use "Time Compression" during flight simulation or 2x, 4x, etc, special procedures have been developed, and you must request it from the controller of which airspace you are in.
More Information about Crossing the Ocean in Flight Simulator for Online Virtual Airline Flights.
"Random" routes for IFR virtual airline flights, such as "GPS Direct" routes are highly discouraged as the virtual airline flights will not cross any compulsory reporting points, and therefore can not easily report position. This makes it impractical to separate this virtual airline traffic laterally. Therefore air traffic control on random virtual airline routes will be separated vertically, and will be assigned an altitude from FL220 or lower. You will probably not be able to obtain clearance to fly higher on your virtual airline flight on a random route. You are encouraged to file for a proper oceanic route as listed on the flight planner page of the area you are going to. Certain Pacific oceanic routes are authorized for Reduced Vertical Separation Minimums (RVSM). This system reduces the traditional 2000' vertical spacing between flyable Flight Levels above FL290. If you intend to fly below FL290, then use the standard IFR altitudes (eastbound flight use odd levels, westbound use even levels). If you plan to fly at or above FL290 consult the available "1x" altitudes on our route page. Be sure to use a "/W" equipment indicator in your flight plan. Virtual Airline Pilots should file an initial standard IFR altitude in the flight plan, and the oceanic altitude in the flight plan comments. Example: "R464 FL340". CTR will initially clear you to the standard IFR altitude, then will issue a climb to the Oceanic Altitude prior to handoff the Flight Service Station (or FSS).
The clearance process for an oceanic virtual airline flight is similar to a domestic virtual airline flight with one exception which may arise during exceptionally busy periods (such as a fly-in event involving the oceanic space). The Air Traffic Control facility handling your departure must obtain an "oceanic clearance" from the Oceanic Flight Service Station to insure the route your are flying has a "slot" for you. This will be based on an estimated time that your flight will reach the first waypoint on the oceanic route. If there is no slot due to forecasted congestion, the Clearance Delivery controller will give you an "oceanic departure time" as the earliest pushback time for your virtual airline's flight. When you approach the border between the land-based ARTCC/FIR, the Area Air Traffic Controller will hand you off to the Oceanic Flight Service Station. You will be told that radar service is terminated for your virtual airline's flight. You are now out of range of land-based radar. You will be told to squawk 2000, the generic code assigned for virtual airline flights in the oceanic space. Finally, you will be instructed to change to the Flight Service Station frequency. Remember that Air Traffc Control is not observing your virtual airline flight on radar. They can not issue "radar vectors" (they may issues heading assignments, but these will be solely based on position reports and your estimates and reported speeds). To separate virtual airline traffic on the oceanic routes, Air Traffic Controllers has several methods for insuring separation betwen virtual airline flights. The two most likely that will be used, are to separate you vertically by assigning or changing your cruise altitude in your flight simulator, or adjusting your airspeed by specifying a mach number.
