VFR Traffic

We ask all pilots to also read the General section with information relevant to all pilots.

Dortmund’s airspace and general traffic levels make the airport very friendly to VFR traffic in the real world. As this is similar on VATSIM, controllers will usually be able to accommodate VFR requests. However, the limited amount of space at Dortmund can result in situations where some VFR requests might be denied during periods of high traffic. Pilots should also keep the airport's vicinity to the Köln/Düsseldorf TMA, Germany's most complex airspace, in mind.

Airspace Structure

CTR

The Dortmund CTR has a top altitude of 2500 ft MSL, about 2000 ft AGL. Please pay close attention to setting the correct QNH and your altitude to avoid inadvertently entering airspace D above.

The following mandatory reporting points exist around the airport:

Reporting point	Use	Location
E	Entry from the S 24 operations Exit to the S 06 operations	Ruhr bridge at Ardey and Dellwig
N	Entry from the N 24 operations Exit to the N 06 operations	highway A2 ramp Kamen
S	Entry from the S 06 operations Exit to the S 24 operations	Ruhr bridge at Geisecke
W	Entry from the N 06 operations Exit to the N 24 operations	lake Lanstroper See / garbage dump Welge

Keep in mind that ATC might instruct you to use a different reporting point than the one you requested, if necessary.

Airspace D

The Dortmund TMA is partly class D, directly above the CTR, reaching up to 4500ft. All aircraft intending to enter this part of the TMA require a clearance from the responsible controller.

TMZ

The Dortmund TMA is partly class E with a partial transponder mandatory zone reaching up to FL65. All VFR aircraft inside the TMZ have to squawk 6102 and monitor 125.225.

Even when no dedicated controller is covering 125.225, you still have to set the squawk and monitor the frequency. During top down service at Dortmund, most controllers will use 125.225 as a secondary frequency and even if they don't, they can quickly activate it if they need to speak to you.