Departing Traffic
We ask all pilots to also read the General section with information relevant to all pilots.
Preparation
A thorough preparation is important for any flight. We ask you to conduct a thorough briefing to avoid delays and keep it fun for everyone.
Route planning
You can find valid routes for many destinations in the AeroNav Global Route Database.
When planning a route via SimBrief, please use routes with the Eurocontrol icon, as those will generally be valid.
When filing an invalid flight plan, you will usually have to file a completely new flight plan before ATC can issue your enroute clearance.
SID assignment
If there is no SID leading to the first waypoint of your flight plan, please check which AIRAC you are using - if your AIRAC cycle is too outdated, it might take some time until the controllers can coordinate a solution for you. There are no restrictions on the usability of the different SIDs.
Enroute Clearance
Clearance requests in Germany are very short. Please avoid unnecessarily long clearance requests to reduce frequency congestion.
Pilot: Dortmund Ground, Wizz Air 436, stand 4, request enroute clearance, information D.
Datalink Clearance (DCL)
Dortmund also offers electronic datalink clearances (also known as PDC or Pre-Departure Clearance) on VATSIM using the Hoppie ACARS system. The station code is EDLW. If your aircraft does not have a direct integration of the Hoppie system, you can also use easyCPDLC.
Requesting clearance electronically is preferred over voice clearances as it reduces frequency congestion thus avoiding delays. Because of this, we ask all pilots able to use the Hoppie ACARS system to do so.
Startup
Startup approval is the "go" from the controller's side to start your engines. It is also an assurance that you will be cleared to start moving within the next 20 minutes. It can be requested and approved together with pushback.
Pushback
Only request pushback if you are actually ready to start pushing back. If you take longer than 1 - 2 minutes to start moving, ATC might have to cancel your pushback clearance to avoid delays for other pilots.
Keep in mind that some positions on Dortmund's apron are taxi-out stands. If you are parked on one of these taxi-out stands, you won't need a pushback.
If you are unsure about your pushback instruction or unable to comply for any reason, hold position and inform ATC immediately.
On stands 5 thru 12, let ATC know whether you are parked nose-in or nose-out when requesting pushback or taxi.
Taxi
While Dortmund's layout is relatively simple, it is still important to conduct a thorough briefing of expected taxi routes as well as correct taxiing. To avoid delays for yourself and other users, start taxiing as soon as possible after receiving your taxi clearance and request taxi in a timely manner after your pushback.
If you are unsure about your taxi instructions, hold position and inform ATC immediately.
Takeoff
Dortmund has only one runway which needs to be used for both departures and arrivals. While there is usually not too much other traffic, it is still important to begin your takeoff roll as soon as you receive your clearance and be prepared for immediate takeoff clearances. If you take too long, ATC might have to cancel your takeoff clearance and issue a go around for an arriving aircraft.
Auto-handoff
Dortmund utilizes an auto-handoff procedure for IFR departures where Tower will not hand off outbounds to the approach controller. The current airborne frequency will always be noted in the ATIS.
Contact the airborne frequency immediately when airborne unless explicitly told to remain on Tower frequency.