Flight levels and headings

[EHM-2155 Mariano]

Hello chaps

wondering if you could help me out with this little doubt that is plaguing my brain lately. I know the info is somewhere around the site but i downloaded manuals and procedures and I cant find it

I know i should use even and odd FL numbers depending on where im heading, east or west, but how does it work? can anyone give me a little chart that shows all levels from, say, FL180 to FL410? Cos after some height the FL separation is 2000', am I right?

[EHM-1749 Hector]

Mariano,
in the Americas and some parts in Europe the FLs between 000° and 179° are ODD + 500 vor VFR and ODD for IFR up to and including FL290. When the heading is between 180° and 359° FLs are EVEN+500 for VFR and EVEN for IFR up to FL280.
Above FL290 up to FL410 there is a regulation called RVSM (Reduced Vertical Separation Minima)
Reduced Vertical Separation Minima or Minimum (RVSM) is an aviation term used to describe the reduction of the standard vertical separation required between aircraft flying at levels between FL290 (29,000 ft.) and FL410 (41,000 ft.) from 2,000 feet to 1,000 feet. This therefore increases number of aircraft that can safely fly in a particular volume of airspace.

Historically, standard vertical separation was 1,000 feet from the surface to FL290, 2,000 feet from FL290 to FL410 and 4,000 feet above this. This was because the accuracy of the pressure altimeter used in aircraft to determine level decreases with height. However over time altimeters have become more accurate and autopilots more adept at maintaining a set level, therefore it became apparent that for many modern aircraft, the 2,000 foot separation was too cautious. It was therefore proposed by ICAO that this be reduced to 1,000 feet.

Between 2002 and 2004 RVSM was implemented in much of Europe, North Africa, Southeast Asia and North America, and over the North Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

Only aircraft with specially certified altimeters and autopilots may fly in RVSM airspace, otherwise the aircraft must fly lower or higher than the airspace, or seek special exemption from the requirements. (Excerpt from Wikipedia)

In some countries in Europe like Portugal, Spain, France and Italy the partition is not East/West but North/South so the FL will depend whether you fly between 270° and 089° or 090° and 269° but at this time I don´t remember which one is EVEN.
I prepared an Excel table for my use when flying in Europe which I will be glad to share with you after I get home tonight.
I see that you are in Argentina so we are close because I am in Mendoza.

Saludos,
Hector

[EHM-2155 Mariano]

Allright I see, very cool info. The reason i'm asking is cos I was flying online the other day for EHM, from Lisbon to Madrid, so it was eastwards, and mantaining FL 210, and was asked to change to 220...

If you could share that table, itd be great.

Thanks in advance

[EHM-1001 Robert]

Unfortunately in some regions they simply break the rule...or simply use different levels bvecause of heavy north-south traffic.

The bad thing is you should aware of it...the good point is the ATC will say all the arriving planes to change altitude if they are on wrong vertical separation, so chance for a collission is low

[EHM-2155 Mariano]

Any word on that table Hector? ^^
you can email it to me if you want, or even add me in messenger (goes for anyone) mariano_de_ascen@hot...

[EHM-1465 Dominic]

Mariano,

Don't know if this is quite what you're after but if you check out this page courtesy of our friends at IVAO, it seems to provide a pretty comprehensive guide to different rules in different countries

[EHM-1749 Hector]

Excellent link Dominic. /Thanks.
Mariano, I already sent the table via e-mail.
Hector

[EHM-2155 Mariano]

Thanks Dominic, thats some useful info there for some countries. Unluckily, for Spain and Portugal where I was flying at the time, there is no info But i got what i needed from that chart Hector sent, so thanks Hector very much ^^
Well, now my flights can be a little safer for other airplanes xD

[EHM-2178 C.Sousa]

Can you please email me that table, Hector?

carlos.a.sousa.35@gmail.com

[EHM-1749 Hector]

No problem Carlos. Give me a couple of hours.
Hector

[EHM-2178 C.Sousa]

Thank you, Hector.

[EHM-0654 Murray]

@Carlos,

Welcome to the forum (and the VA going by your callsign )

You've put the VA signature code in your signature I see, but you've left all the extra spaces in it (which stops it working). Just delete them all and your automatic signature image will start working (like mine below).

@Hector,

Feel like sharing this Excel lovliness with the whole VA? Mail it to me (murray@fly-euroharmony.com) and I'll see that it gets uploaded onto the server for all our pilots to benefit. (And would you mind terribly if I turn it into a PDF of some kind at the same juncture?)

UPDATE: Carlos, just remembered that with my [strike]Secret Ninja[/strike] Administrator powers I can make that change for you... Enjoy.

[EHM-2101 Tarik]

I like Murrays idea, cause I would like to see the table too.

[EHM-2178 C.Sousa]

Thanks for the welcoming, for the tip, and for changing it, Murray.
I noticed that there was something wrong with it but I did not know what it was.

About the table...it´s very useful and adds some knowledge about Fight Levels and altitude restrictions in several country.
I think it would be good if you could share it with the whole VA.
Thanks again, Hector.

[EHM-0471 Peter]

Hector, please e-mail me that table. It's very good and very brief information.

Peter

peter.hribar@siol.net

[EHM-1749 Hector]

Ok gentlemen, as per Murray's advice, I am sending the table to him so he can make it available for the whole VA. Will copy Peter too.
Please note that the second sheet is just an aid to calculate the separation between meridians when flying far for the equator.
Regards,
Hector