Radar

ETARof inboundsthis shallairspace. alwaysVarious beEDDR coordinated individually, but usually a DCT to RMS (either direction), XIDOD (26/27 operations), or MAPIG (08/09 operations) at 5000ft with a full release is the best solution.

While Ramstein GCA is active, the VOR 21 approach intoand EDRZ willprocedures infringe on this airspaceseparation, thus requiring individual coordination of each affected movement. Additionally, unless otherwise coordinated, IFR departures from ETAR will only have been cleared to the final waypoint of the SID and their clearance limit thus requireshas to be changed to the destination.

For more detailed information on Ramstein GCA, please refer to the ETAR SOP.

Airspace

With the exception of the two D-CTRs EDDR and ETAR, the RMZ EDRZ, and a releasesmall section of the TMZ EDFH as well as the TMZ EDDR in delegated French airspace, the entire airspace of sector PFA is class E below FL100 and class C above FL100.

Airports

There are multiple airports of direct relevance to sector PFA, though they all usually see only low traffic levels.

EDDR & EDRZ & ETAR

EDDR, EDRZ, and ETAR are the three IFR-capable airports within sector PFA.

EDDR is a controlled airport with usually very limited IFR and VFR traffic.
EDRZ is an uncontrolled AFIS field with IFR procedures that usually sees similarly low IFR and VFR traffic levels.
ETAR is one of the largest and busiest military airports in Germany and the headquarters for airspace crossing by Ramstein GCA. PFA should additionally closely monitor the climbUS rateAir ofForce anyin Europe and Africa as well as NATO's Allied Air Command, but on VATSIM it usually sees very low traffic levels.

Procedures for these airports, especially EDDR and EDRZ can conflict with each other. If necessary, controllers covering sector PFA should ask underlying Tower controllers to hold departures for release until the risk of conflict is gone.

EDFH

EDFH is a controlled airport located in neighboring sector EIF; some of its in- and outbound traffic passes through sector PFA.

EDFM & EDRY

EDFM is a controlled airport and EDRY is an uncontrolled AFIS field with IFR approach procedures; both airports are located in neighboring sector NKRL and some of their in- and outbound traffic passes through sector PFA.

ELLX

ELLX is a controlled airport located in neighboring Luxembourg; some of its inbound traffic passes through sector PFA.

Restricted airspace

Langen ACC EBG 5 is one of Germany's main areas of military air traffic activity, which can have a significant impact on usual operations.

VATGER currently doesn't require controllers to respect real world area activations - thus, controllers who wish to simulate real world area activations must coordinate this with neighboring sectors where necessary.
Similarly, controllers are allowed to reject area reservations by a VSOA by informing them via TOMPIthe toarea ensurebooking theythread.

Areas 6000ftcurrently earlyactive enoughin tothe remainreal clearworld will automatically be displayed with 15 minutes advance notice through the TopSky plugin TSA function, including actual lateral and vertical limits.
Similarly, areas reserved by a VSOA can be manually activated through the TopSky plugin TSA menu.

NLFS

ED-R150, also known as the NLFS, is a series of corridors used for low altitude MIL jet night operations. A small part of it is located within sector PFA, as depicted on the left.
Only certain segments of the sector.NLFS will be active at any given time, depending on the exact mission to be flown by the pilots and all traffic within the NLFS will operate under MVFR.

IfDue to the significant impact on operations at the airports within sector PFA, VSOAs are currently restricted from using segment GE1-JE1 and it is highly recommended that controllers don't approve its use as well.

As with any positionother area reservation by a VSOA, controllers may reject reservations of NLFS segments within their airspace by informing the VSOA via the area booking thread.

The NLFS, including waypoint labels and segment levels, can be displayed via the TopSky plugin map function: Military -> NLFS

VFR airspace

A number of PJEs (parachuting drop zones) and glider sectors are located at ETARleast ispartially staffed,within theythe willPFA issuesector.

Full radar separation (i.e. 3 NM laterally and 1000ft vertically) has to be maintained to PJEs from approval to drop until 5 minutes after the last pointjumper jumped; 1 NM lateral and 500ft vertical separation has to be maintained to glider sectors while they are active.

These VFR airspaces are currently not implemented in the FIR Langen package, but included in this SOP as the related pilot procedures are publicly available to pilots.

PJEs

Glider sectors