Simple departure tutorial

This page describes how a departure should be handled.

Switch from Tower ATC to Approach ATC

When an airplane arrives at a holding point and is ready to departure, Tower ATC will ask Approach ATC for a permission to switch. You will get a message like

0221 (RYR 18B) to you [LKPR_TWR]

To confirm the switch, you have to answer to the Tower ATC:

-0221

You are saying to the Tower ("-"(minus) prefix symbol) that you are confirming an airplane with code 0221.

When an airplane is confirmed to be switched to the Approach, then it, when able, will get takeoff clearance. Note that the takeoff clearance is submitted by the Tower ATC when able, so it may take seconds to minutes according to landing planes, holding point queue or runway state.

Once the airplane get the departure clearance, it will start to roll the runway, airborne, and then it will call you

Hello, RYR 18B with you passing 2034 ft.

You have to confirm the radar contact to the airplane, otherwise, it will refuse to follow your commands. To confirm, simply say

RYR18B RC

You can also use shortened callsign "18B". Note that when you are writing the full callsign, there is no space between company and flight number.

Flying departure

The departed airplane has typically assigned departure route - SID. You can find this information in flight strip. If there is something, like VOZ1A, DONAD3S ending with digit and character, it is a departure route. If there is only fix name, like VOZ, DONAD, without a digit, it is a fix and the airplane does not have a departure route specified and needs to get to this departure fix.

With a departure route specified, the airplane continues its own lateral navigation to the final route point. From you, it needs to get permission to climb to higher altitude using "CM" (climb & maintain) command:

18B CM 130

This orders the plane to climb to flight level 130.

If the airplane has no specific departure route, but only the target fix, it needs also lateral navigation. You can either specify the heading using "FH" (fly heading), "TL/TR" (turn left/right) followed by a heading value:

18B FH 210

That means, RYR 18B, fly heading 210. Or, you can specify a fix and an airplane will fly directly to it using "PD" command followed by a fix name:

18B PD DONAD

This tells the airplane to fly direct to the DONAD fix.

Only when an airplane is on the SID route, or is heading to the departure fix, moreover with the appropriate altitude, can be switched to the Center ATC.

Hang off to the Center ATC

The airplane is accepted by the Center ATC only when it has appropriate altitude and is heading to the final fix.

To ask a Center ATC to switch the plane, use

+0221

This asks the Center ATC ("+"(plus) prefix) to switch the airplane with the code 0221.

If the Center ATC rejects the switch, you will need to

• climb the airplane to the appropriate altitude (eg. above FL70, but it depends on the airport)
• let the airplane is heading to the its departure fix (eg. using PD <fix_name> command). If departure fix is specified, then the departure fix is this point, if departure route is specified, then departure route name prefix is the name of the departure fix point (eg. for DONAD2A the fix is DONAD).

If the Center ATC confirms the switch, you can tell the airplane to change the frequency using CC (contact center) command:

18B CC

The airplane will confirm the command and switches to the Center ATC. Then it is driven by a Center ATC which allows the higher climb if necessary and orders the continuation after the departure fix.

The airplane is removed from the simulation after the sufficient distance from the departure airport is achieved.