Procedures

Separation

Pacific Oceanic Units operate almost exclusively as Non-Surveillance Procedural Sectors.

Refer to Procedural Separation Standards for more information.

Transition Altitudes

Name	Transition Altitude	Transition Level
KZAK - Oakland Oceanic	18,000ft	FL180
YBBB - Brisbane Oceanic	10,000ft	FL110
AGGG - Honiara FIR	11,000ft	FL120
ANAU - Nauru FIR	11,000ft	FL120
YMMM - Melbourne Oceanic	10,000ft	FL110
NZZO - Auckland Oceanic	13,000ft	FL150
NZCM - McMurdo Oceanic	19,500ft	FL200
NFFF - Nadi Oceanic	11,000ft	FL130
NTTT - Tahiti Oceanic	9,000ft	By ATC

Note

Standard Altimeter setting (29.92 inHg/1013 hPa) should be used when more than 100 nm from McMurdo.

Note

Auckland Oceanic airspace does not have a transition layer, except within the Rarotonga, Samoa and Norfolk Island QNH zones.

Aircraft within Auckland Oceanic airspace should use the standard altimeter setting of 1013 hPa unless within the aforementioned QNH zones.

Tip

Remember that some cruising levels above the transition level are unavailable when the Area QNH is below 1013. Refer to AIP ENR 1.7 for more information.

HF Radio

Simulated HF radio is used as the primary long-range radio communications medium. The nature of HF radio makes it highly vulnerable to atmospheric distortion and noise, and so radiotelephony (R/T) procedures on HF tend to be more formal in order to maximise clarity.

Example

UAL873: "San Francisco Radio, San Francisco Radio, UAL873 on 122.5"
ZAK_FSS: "UAL873, San Francisco Radio, go-ahead"
UAL873: "San Francisco Radio, UAL873 request climb FL390"

SELCAL

Given the background noise level experienced on HF radio frequencies, flight crews usually prefer to turn down the audio level of their HF receiver. SELCAL uses a unique 4-letter code for each aircraft (eg. QR-AC) transmitted over the communications frequency to sound an alert for the flight crew.

Controllers must check each aircraft’s flight plan for a discrete SELCAL code. If aircraft have nominated a discrete code (for example QR-AC), then a SELCAL Check shall be completed.

Example

TSN: "ANZ254, standby SELCAL check."
The aircraft awaits the SELCAL check before replying.
ANZ254: "SELCAL check OK, ANZ254."
TSN: "ANZ254, report estimate BOTGU."

After the SELCAL check has been completed, controllers must preface all communications to that aircraft with a SELCAL prompt.

Position Reports

A Position Report will contain the following elements:
- Callsign
- Position & Time
- Flight level
- Next position and time over
- Ensuing significant point
- Specified Speed (if assigned)

Note

If after making a position report an estimate has changed by more than 2 minutes, the new estimate shall be passed to ATC.

If an aircraft fails to report its position within 3 minutes of its estimated time, controllers must attempt to establish contact with that aircraft and obtain a position report.

ATC shall acknowledge a position report by using the aircraft's callsign. A readback of the report is not required.

Example

UAL873: "San Francisco Radio, San Francisco Radio, UAL873 Position"
ZAK_FSS: "UAL873, San Francisco Radio"
UAL873: "UAL873 position LHI time 1853, FL360, estimate PANDA at 1953, SANDO next. Maintaining Mach 0.84”
ZAK_FSS: "UAL873, San Francisco Radio, Copied Position"

Simulator Time Compression

Due to the length of most oceanic crossings, some pilots may elect to use time compression to speed up their cruise segment. Controllers should accommodate this request where possible.

Note

Time compression is not available within 20 minutes of a domestic sector.

Aircraft using time compression must be assigned the following levels for separation with other traffic:

Sim Rate	Eastbound	Westbound
2x	FL390	FL380
4x	FL410	FL400

Important

Aircraft at normal speed always have priority over aircraft using Time Compression.

Coordination

Between Pacific Oceanic Units

As per Standard coordination procedures, Voiceless, no changes to route or CFL within 15 mins to boundary.

To Other Units

As per Standard coordination procedures, Heads-up Coordination required for all aircraft prior to 30 mins from boundary.

Example

IND -> FAJO FSS: "Estimate, SAA281, XEKOT time 44, F360"
FAJO FSS -> IND: "SAA281, F360"