1 Procedures for the submission of a flight plan
A flight plan shall be filed with the AIM Service Centre, who shall be responsible for transmitting the flight plan to all air traffic services units concerned with the flight.
A flight plan shall be filed in respect of -
a) all flights to be conducted in controlled or advisory airspace: Provided that this requirements shall not apply in respect of local flight, a flight crossing an airway or advisory route at right angles or a VFR flight entering or departing from an aerodrome traffic zone or control zone from or to an unmanned aerodrome, and where no other controlled or advisory airspace will be entered during the flight.
b) an international flight;
c) all flights in the public transport operation or public transport of cargo operation categories; and
d) a flight for which alerting action is required.
An air traffic control unit may instruct a flight for which a flight plan is prescribed and for which a flight plan has not been filed, to clear or to remain clear of controlled airspace and not to cross the border of the Republic or to enter its airspace until such time as the required flight plan has been filed.
1.1 TIME OF SUBMISSION
Unless otherwise authorised, a flight plan for a flight to be conducted in controlled or advisory airspace shall be filed not less than 30 minutes before departure. It is, however, encouraged that flight plans are filed as far in advance as possible, up to 6 days. Flight-plans filed during flight, whilst outside controlled or advisory airspace, shall be filed with the responsible air traffic service unit at least 10 minutes before the aircraft is estimated to reach the intended point of entry into the controlled or advisory airspace.
If a flight plan has been filed prior to departure and is not activated with an air traffic services unit within one hour of the original estimated time of departure or amended estimated time of departure, such flight plan shall be cancelled.
1.2 PLACE OF SUBMISSION
1.2.1 METHODS OF FILING OF FLIGHT PLANS
Flight plans shall be filed by one of the following methods with the Aeronautical Information Management Service Centre:
Internet self briefing service: https://file2fly.atns.co.za
Telephone national call share number:0860 359 669 (FLY NOW) International calls:+27 11 928 6518
AFTN:FAORZPZX
SITA:JNBXTYF
Facsimile:+27 11 928 6514
a) Black ink is used when completing the flight-plan form for transmission as other colours do not always transmit successfully.
b) Legible uppercase letters are used throughout the flight-plan
c) Where ZZZZ is used in the text of the flight-plan the plain language explanation is given in filed 18 of the flight-plan
d) Flight-plans are to reach the AIM Service Centre not less than 1 hour before the intended EOBT.
e) To ensure an effective flight planning service using this method of filing, pilots are required to telephonically confirm the successful FAX transmission of the flight plan.
f) Should the follow up telephone call be omitted and the FAX transmission be faulty or unsuccessfully transmitted, processing of the flight plan will not be possible thus resulting in a delay.
g) A reference number will be issued by the briefing office for all correctly filed flightplans.
1.2.2 OPERATOR
The name and telephone number of the operator must be included in field 18 of the FPL for ATNS and Airports Company billing purposes. It is therefore necessary that the name and telephone number be that of the person or party responsible for paying the accounts according to tariffs published in the latest Government Gazette in this regard.
All foreign airlines OPR in terms of Class I and Class IV foreign operators permit or under a No Objection clearance number are required to quote the clearance number in field 18 of the flight plan.
1.3 FORM OF AN AIR TRAFFIC SERVICE FLIGHT PLAN
1.3.1 An Air Traffic Service Flight Plan filed prior to departure must contain the following items:
a) Aircraft identification and transponder data.
b) Flight rules and type of flight
c) Number and type (s) of aircraft and wake turbulence category.
d) Radio communication, navigation and approach aid equipment.
e) Aerodrome of departure and time.
f) Cruising speed and flight level.
g) Route to be followed.
h) Destination aerodrome and total estimated elapsed time.
i) Alternate aerodrome(s).
j) Flight information region boundaries and estimated times.
k) Alerting action required.
l) Fuel endurance.
m) Total number of persons on board.
n) Emergency and survival equipment and colour of aircraft.
o) Other pertinent information.
p) Name, postal address, telephone and telefax number of the owner or operator of the aircraft.
1.3.2 An air traffic service flight plan filed in flight to comply with CAR 91.03.4 (6) must contain the following items:
a) Aircraft registration
b) Flight rules
c) Type of aircraft.
d) Aerodromes of departure.
e) Cruising speed and flight level.
f) Route to be followed and estimated as applicable.
g) Aerodrome of destination and estimated time of arrival.
h) Alternate aerodrome for IFR flights.
i) Alerting action required.
j) Fuel endurance if alerting action required.
k) Total number of persons on board.
l) Name, postal address, telephone and telefax number of the owner or operator of the aircraft.
1.4 ADHERENCE TO FLIGHT PLAN.
1.4.1 Except as prescribed in the following paragraph, the pilot-in-command shall ensure that the aircraft adheres to the current air traffic service flight plan filed for a controlled flight, unless a request for change has been made and accepted by the air-traffic control unit responsible for the controlled airspace in which the aircraft is operating, or unless an emergency situation arises which necessitates immediate action, in which event the responsible air traffic control unit shall, as soon as circumstances permit, be notified of the action taken and that his action was taken under emergency authority.
1.4.2 In event that a controlled flight inadvertently deviates from its current flight plan, the following action shall be taken:
a) If the aircraft is off track, action shall be taken forthwith to adjust the heading of the aircraft to regain track as soon as practicable;
b) If the average true airspeed at cruising level between reporting points varies, or is expected to vary from that given in the air traffic service flight plan by approximately five per cent or more of the true air speed, the responsible air traffic services unit shall be so informed.
c) If the estimated time at the next applicable reporting point, flight information region boundary, or aerodrome of intended landing, whichever comes first, is found to be in error in excess of 3 minutes from that notified to the responsible air traffic services unit, a revised estimate time shall be notified to such air traffic services unit as soon as possible.
d) If the aircraft deviates from its altitude, action shall be taken forthwith to correct the altitude of the aircraft.
Flight plans may be filed for any other flight not mentioned in the Regulation.
1.5 AUTHORIZATION FOR SPECIAL FLIGHTS.
1.5.1 Pilots filing non-schedule flight plans from the RSA to Angola are to present the plans to both the Customs and Immigration offices for approval prior to submission to ATC.
1.5.2 Pilots filing non-scheduled (N) flight plans from the RSA to any over-border destination are to quote the CAA number of the applicable RSA Air Services License number on the flight plan prior to submission to ATC.
2 FOREIGN AIRLINES
2.1 All foreign airlines operating in terms of Class I and Class IV foreign operators permits or under a No Objection clearance number are required to quote the clearance number in field 18 of the flight plan.
3 MITIGATION AGAINST IMPROPER OR POOR ATS CO-ORDINATION AND NON RECEIPT OF FLIGHT PLANS
3.1 INTRODUCTION
a) In order for an automated Air Traffic Control system to function at optimum efficiency, the system needs to be updated with relevant and timely data in the form of a flight plan, which once activated, is presented to the Controller via the surveillance display providing information relating the flight call sign, flight level and speed, together with other relevant data. Should this data not be available to it, the system is unable to identify the particular flight, or recognize the flight as being relevant to the Air Traffic Controller (ATC). As such the ATC system workload is also increased, as once the flight reports on frequency, the ATC must instruct the system to track the flight, by means of creating a flight plan for the flight.
b) In the same manner, should improper or poor co-ordination between adjacent Flight Information Regions (FIR) occur, the quality of the information passed or not communicated at all, for example an incorrect flight level, can affect the safety of that particular flight as well as that of other flights which may be opposing the flight as opposite direction traffic and requiring to climb through the incorrectly reported level. The implication being that while the flight requiring a level higher than that of the opposite direction incorrectly co-ordinated level, together with the ATC concerned, may believe that separation has been achieved but in the mean time the confliction in the climb through may not have been resolved.
3.2 IMPLEMENTATION
a) In order to mitigate against the above mentioned hazards with a view of avoiding at best a reduction in separation between opposing flights, the Johannesburg Flight Information Region (FAJA) requires all flights operating above FL245, other than those originating within the confines of the Cape Town or Johannesburg FIRs, including flights in the Johannesburg Oceanic area of responsibility not utilizing ADS/CPDLC to report on the appropriate Johannesburg R/T frequency at least ten minutes before arriving at the FIR boundary, providing; Call sign, Point of Departure, Destination, Flight level and Estimate for the FIR boundary together with any active transponder code, should one have been issued by the adjacent FIR through which the flight is transiting.
b) Should a transponder code not have been issued by the FIR through which the flight is transiting en route to the Johannesburg FIR, a transponder code will be issued to the flight along with the appropriate joining clearance into the Johannesburg FIR.
c) Operators/Flight Crew are to note that any joining clearance issued prior to the flight crossing into the Johannesburg FIR or control of the flight being transferred to Johannesburg from the adjacent FIR, will only be valid once the flight has entered the Johannesburg FIR. This is also valid for those flights operating in the Johannesburg Oceanic FIR.
4 ROUTE MATRIX
4.1 PREFERRED ROUTINGS TO BE USED FOR FLIGHT PLANNING PURPOSES
WITHIN JOHANNESBURG (FAJA) and CAPE TOWN (FACA) FIRs
4.1.1 Introduction
The Route Matrix which was initially introduced in 2005 contains a list of preferred routings to be used in South African airspace by the flying community for Flight planning purposes. These routes are listed as preferred routings based on frequency that a specific route is assigned by Air Traffic Control (ATC) to an operator between specific city pairs.
4.1.2 Purpose
The purpose of the route matrix is to streamline the flight planning process to ensure a safe, systematic and efficient flow of air traffic between specified city pairs and en-route airspace leading towards predictability, orderliness and efficiency of the overall Air Traffic Management (ATM) System.
The route matrix is updated in-line with published changes to routes, Navaids, waypoints Standard Instrument Departures (SID) and Standard Terminal Arrival Route (STAR) amendments.
The route matrix detailed above can be found on the ATNS website by following the URL:
URL:https://www.atns.com/aim.php
4.1.3 Contacts
Any questions and assistance should be directed to:
Mr. Colin Bryant
+27 11 607 1261
ColinB@atns.co.za
Mr. Raoul Bester
+27 11 607 1248
RaoulB@atns.co.za