Approval request
For coordination purposes, there are some keywords that give the coordination partner a rough idea of what is involved when the initial contact is made. One of these keywords is the "Approval Request". This can be used in the following cases.
Direct request (downstream)
For various reasons (pilot's request, efficiency, problem solving in the own sector) it is often helpful to deviate from the route given in the flight plan and to enable a direct flight to a waypoint. Within the own sector, this is of course possible without coordination. However, if a waypoint in the next sector is to be cleared, the permission of the following (downstream) sector must be obtained. This can be done either by the function integrated in Euroscope or verbally.
The verbal coordination is done according to the following scheme:
APPROVAL REQUEST <COP/position> <call sign>
DCT <WPT>
Example: Munich hands over Frankfurt arrivals via ASPAT
| EDMM |
APPROVAL REQUEST ASPAT DLH123 APPROVAL REQUEST 20 MILES EAST OF DKB DLH123 |
| EDGG |
Go ahead |
| EDMM |
DIRECT SPESA |
| EDGG |
APPROVED <initials> UNABLE <initials> |
| EDMM |
<initials> |
or loosely translated "may I clear DLH123 direct SPESA"
After the initial contact, wait for the "go ahead" of the called sector so that the sector can first look in the direction of the COP/reported position and view the aircraft on the radar and/or in the sector list. If he gives his "Go", the request is made and then accepted or rejected accordingly.
Descending/Climbing (Downstream)
Another principle used in air traffic control, unless other agreements (LoA) have been made, is that there must not be vertical movement at the sector border. This means that during lateral entry/exit, the aircraft must be "at level". This means that any vertical movement when crossing the sector boundary (plus half the minimum distance BEFORE the boundary) requires coordination. This explicitly does NOT concern the transfer of communication but only the sector crossing and thus in most cases the transfer of control. Such coordination is not possible via Euroscope and must therefore always be coordinated verbally.
APPROVAL REQUEST <COP/position> <call sign>
CLIMBING <level>
DESCENDING <level>
Example: According to the LoA, departures from EDDN must have reached FL260 at the waypoint GASKA and be transferred to Langen. For the example, we assume a flight that will not make this agreement on a hot summer day due to poor performance. Therefore, we need to coordinate.
Example:
After LoA, departures from EDDN must have reached FL260 at the waypoint GASKA and be transferred to Langen. For the example, we assume a flight that will not make this agreement on a hot summer day due to poor performance. Therefore, we need to coordinate.
| EDMM |
APPROVAL REQUEST GASKA RYR123 APPROVAL REQUEST 20 MILES NORTH OF NÜRNBERG AERODROME RYR123 |
| EDGG |
Go ahead |
| EDMM |
CLIMBING FL260 (OUT OF FL200) |
| EDGG |
APPROVED <initials> UNABLE <initials> |
| EDMM |
<initials> |
"May I send DLH123 climbing FL260?"
In brackets in the coordination it says "OUT OF FL200". This means that the flight is already at least in FL200 at the sector boundary (half the minimum separation value before the boundary). This helps the accepting sector enormously in its traffic planning and decision-making. Assuming only "CLIMBING FL260" is coordinated, the accepting sector must keep all levels from ground to FL260 clear in the corner of the entry - somewhere there RYR123 will enter in climb. If you coordinate OUT OF FL200, EDGG only has to keep the levels between 200 and 260 free.
If EDMM wants to coordinate initially without OUT OF, Langen can/should of course ask from which level the flight will come. This will then result in negotiation, which should produce a mutually satisfactory result. Example:
| EDMM |
APPROVAL REQUEST GASKA RYR123 APPROVAL REQUEST 20 MILES NORTH OF NÜRNBERG AERODROME RYR123 |
| EDGG |
Go ahead |
| EDMM |
CLIMBING FL260 |
| EDGG |
OUT OF WHICH LEVEL? |
| EDMM |
OUT OFL FL200 |
| EDGG |
I CAN ACCEPT HIM CLIMBING FL240 OUT OF F200 <initials> |
| EDMM |
CONSIDER <initials> WILCO <initials> |
The answers CONSIDER and WILCO have the same meaning: the result of the negotiations is implemented by the Upstream Sector.
A few words about "CONSIDER", which at first glance seems a bit confusing. In German, people like to say "CONSIDER" instead of WILCO. This does not mean that one thinks about it, but stands for "CONSIDER IT DONE".
Deviation from coordinated level
If I want to hand off a plane in a different level than agreed in the LoA, this must be coordinated. This can be done either via the Euroscope functions or verbally.
APPROVAL REQUEST <COP/position> <call sign>
AT <level>
Example: Munich Radar transfers approaches to Frankfurt with an RFL of 240 or higher at FL240. If Munich wishes to deviate from this, they must coordinate with Langen.
| EDMM |
APPROVAL REQUEST ASPAT CFG123 APPROVAL REQUEST 20 MILES EAST OF DKB CFG123 |
| EDGG |
Go ahead |
| EDMM |
AT FL230 |
| EDUU |
APPROVED <initials> UNABLE <initials> |
| EDMM |
<initials> |
Clearing through third party sectors
If you want to clear an aicraft through a sector that was not involved before, you must of course ask. Here, no COP is applicable, as the flight would not fly through this sector in the normal flight profile. Therefore, the sector concerned has "no details" of the flight, i.e. no information in Eurocope lists and the tag is not classified as concerned. Consequently, there is no standard coordination between the two sectors and no COP exists.
APPROVAL REQUEST FOR AIRSPACE CROSSING <call sign> <position>
CLIMB UP TO FLxxx (routing)
DESCEND DOWN TO FLxxx (routing)
Example: Langen hands over departures from Frankfurt at waypoint SULUS at FL230 to Munich ACC, released for climb to FL240. Munich can initially only allow flights to climb to FL240 and would then have to wait until they are 2.5NM in their own sector. If Munich wants to allow the flight to climb before then, it must be coordinated with Rhein. The whole situation is illustrated again with the sector structure:
To make the green flight path possible, the following must be coordinated:
| EDMM |
APPROVAL REQUEST FOR AIRSPACE CROSSING CSA123 10 MILES WEST SULUS |
| EDUU |
Go ahead |
| EDMM |
CLIMBING THROUGH YOUR SECTOR (on course to OKG) CLIMBING (UP TO FL 270) (on course to OKG) |
| EDUU |
APPROVED (restrictions) <initials> |
| EDMM |
<initials> |
or "may the CSA123 fly through your sector, climbing to FL270 to OKG?
The described case of an airspace crossing is often confused with a release. However, this is clearly an approval request. The release is discussed in one of the following subchapters.
In the event that the previously uninvolved sector could take over an aircraft completely or, in the case of successful coordination, the original downstream sector would be replaced by the third sector, a further addition can be used.
APPROVAL REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL TRAFFIC AIRBORNE KÖLN <call sign>
DCT KRH FL250
or "will you take over DLH123A to KRH FL250?"
This also implies that the further coordination downstream lies with the accepting sector.
Less spacing than agreed upon
In the LoAs within Germany, a spacing of 10 miles at the same speed is almost without exception required for a silent transfer of control, as can be seen from the following extract of the LoA between EDGG and EDMM.
The following values for silent transfer of control strictly apply for aircraft on same flight level. If possible, they should also be met between aircraft on different flight levels, but with same destination:
- If preceding aircraft is on same speed or faster: 10nm
- If succeeding aircraft is faster by 20kts/M0.05 or less: 20nm
- If succeeding aircraft is faster by 40kts/M0.10 or less: 30nm
For example, if I want to hand over two aircraft at 15 miles, with the following aircraft 30 knots faster, none of the three conditions in the quote are met. I must therefore either apply speed control and hand over the two aircraft at the same speed or coordinate.
APPROVAL REQUEST <COP/position> <callsign>
<distance> <speed difference>
Example:
| EDMM |
APPROVAL REQUEST ASPAT UAE123 AND ETD123 |
| EDGG |
Go ahead |
| EDMM |
15 MILES SPACING, ETD123 30 KNOTS FASTER |
| EDUU |
APPROVED (restrictions) <initials> UNABLE <initials> |
| EDMM |
<initials> |