Wife is taking DAL from JFK to FCO (Rome, Italy) tonight. Under normal circumstances, would the North Atlantic track be used or a random route?

Thanks in advance.

 

well that depends on what time her flight crosses 30 degrees longitude. Eastbound flights who depart at a time that allows them to cross 30W between the hours of 0100-0800Z are usually assigned a track. During other times they are then not going with the flow of traffic per say, and are assigned a random track. Again, like with everything else in aviation, there can be exceptions, as I have been on a track going to europe outside the above parameters, but it usually depends on the day, and situation.

hope this helps.

 

I am guilty of not explaining myself well enough. I've flown the track system for many years before retirement. Mostly to London from NY. I've never flown to Rome, and it being south made me wonder if perhaps flights there crossed south of the normal track system.

Actually, tonight's track routes are:

091300 CZQXZQZX
(NAT-1/2 TRACKS FLS 310/400 INCLUSIVE
JUN 10/0100Z TO JUN 10/0800Z

PART ONE OF TWO PARTS-

T RODBO MIBNO 61/60 63/50 63/40 63/30 61/20 BALIX NINEX
EAST LVLS 320 330 340 350 360 370 380 390 400
WEST LVLS NIL
EUR RTS EAST NIL
NAR NIL-

U LOPVI PEPKI 60/60 62/50 62/40 62/30 60/20 ERAKA ETSOM
EAST LVLS 320 330 340 350 360 370 380 390 400
WEST LVLS NIL
EUR RTS EAST NIL
NAR NIL-

V CYMON DENDU 51/50 51/40 52/30 52/20 MALOT BURAK
EAST LVLS 320 330 340 350 360 370 380 390 400
WEST LVLS NIL
EUR RTS EAST NIL
NAR N95B N97B N99A-

W YQX KOBEV 50/50 50/40 51/30 51/20 LIMRI DOLIP
EAST LVLS 320 330 340 350 360 370 380 390 400
WEST LVLS NIL
EUR RTS EAST NIL
NAR N79B N83B N85A-

X VIXUN LOGSU 49/50 49/40 50/30 50/20 DINIM GIPER
EAST LVLS 320 330 340 350 360 370 380 390 400
WEST LVLS NIL
EUR RTS EAST NIL
NAR N63B N67B-

END OF PART ONE OF TWO PARTS)


091301 CZQXZQZX
(NAT-2/2 TRACKS FLS 310/400 INCLUSIVE
JUN 10/0100Z TO JUN 10/0800Z

PART TWO OF TWO PARTS-

Y YYT NOVEP 48/50 48/40 49/30 49/20 SOMAX KENUK
EAST LVLS 320 330 340 350 360 370 380 390 400
WEST LVLS NIL
EUR RTS EAST NIL
NAR N53B N59A-

Z BALOO 35/60 39/50 44/40 46/30 47/20 BEDRA GUNSO
EAST LVLS 310 320 340 350 360 380 390 400
WEST LVLS NIL
EUR RTS EAST NIL
NAR NIL-

REMARKS:
1.TRACK MESSAGE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER IS 161 AND OPERATORS ARE
REMINDED TO INCLUDE THE TMI NUMBER AS PART OF THE OCEANIC
CLEARANCE READ BACK.

 

Delta's Website shows two flights (that they operate) tonight from KJFK - LIRF (FCO - Fiumicino, Italy), Flt 148 departing at 1650 EDT, and Flt 160 Departing at 1855 EDT.

FlightAware shows the flight plans filed yesterday -- they might give you a hint to the answer you're looking for.

DAL Flt 148 Jun 08 2007

Route filed:

BETTE3 BETTE ACK TUSKY N77B YQX NATX DOLIP UN521 RATKA UN512 BERAD UN490 TERPO UM616 LERGA UM728 BTA UL146 MOULE UL146 ELKAP


DAL Flt 160 Jun 08 2007

Route filed:

HAPIE3 HAPIE YAHOO BRADD N61B VIXUN NATY DINIM NATY GIPER UN511 TAKAS UN490 TERPO UM616 LERGA UM728 BTA UL146 ELKAP



I highlighted the part that seems to answer your question. It's likely she'll be on a North American Track (NAT).



You can use FlightAware later today to confirm that.





.

 

Tony C, good find! However as you and I know, what you file and what you actually get are 2 different things. I dont know if flightaware will actually print out the actual route of flight, but there are many times for myriad reasons, that I have been cleared via something other than what I filed across the pond.

Sometimes a random routing may actually be very similar to a NAT track and only offset by one or two points....usually your coast out/in.

 

Sure, and that's why I carefully chose the words that I used. First, it was yesterday's filed route. Second, it was a filed route. That amounts to little more than a hint of today's route.



Case in point: If you look at the current (as of this typing) track for DAL 148, you'll see that he's filed as follows:

DAL Flt 148 (This link will only be useful for the duration of this flight.)

MERIT3 MERIT HFD PUT BRADD N39A BANCS URTAK 4600N 05000W 4600N 04000W 4500N 03000W 4500N 02000W 4500N 01500W SIVIR UN460 RIVAK UN460 DESAB UN460 FOUCO UT187 LERGA UM728 BTA UL146 MOULE UL146 ELKAP

It looks like the random route is better suited today.



FlightAware does keep a history of LAT/LONG, Altitude, and Airspeed for domestic flights, a "table" in addition to the "picture" plot -- no help on the pond crossings. They post this note: At least part of this flight occurs outside of FlightAware's service area. Information on this page may be unreliable.



[EDIT]

Disregard the above. The Flight Track Log (Track Log for DAL 148) gives time, position, groundspeed, and altitude -- not airspeed.

[/EDIT]




.

 

DAL from JFK to almost all of Europe is generally going to be flight planned on the tracks. The exception is Madrid which mostly sees random routings......

 

It looks like Leonardo da Vinci (Rome) is the exception today, too.

Today's DAL Flt 160 is also using a random route (a little further south than DAL 148):

BETTE3 BETTE ACK WHALE N29B RAFIN VODOR 4500N 05000W 4500N 04000W 4400N 03000W 4300N 02000W BANAL DIRMA UM191 DIPOL UN870 PONEN UN870 BCN UM601 ALG UL5 LUNAK






.

 

Glad I always give myself a loophole!!!

 

Thanks. She made it just fine.