Pre-flight briefing and notification

Example of Domestic Flight Notification Form

Item 7 – Aircraft identification

Enter: aircraft registration/flight number. ZZZZ and TBA cannot be accepted.

Requirements

For VH-registered aircraft, enter the three letters after the prefix only, for example: VH-ZFR enter ZFR.

For flight numbers, and other approved callsigns, enter a mixture of figures and letters not exceeding seven characters, for example: QF 611.

One callsign per flight notification.

Item 8 (a) – Flight rules

Circle:

Requirements

If Y or Z is circled, an entry in Item 15 must specify where the change of flight rules will occur, for example: YBAF VFR.

Type of flight

Circle:

Item 9 – Number of aircraft

Enter:number of aircraft where there is more than one, otherwise leave blank.

Type

Enter: aircraft type. Where more than one aircraft type is included in a formation, enter the type of the lowest-performance aircraft. Additional details regarding the formation must be inserted at Item 18.

Requirements

Use the two or four-letter ICAO-approved aircraft type abbreviations.

For aircraft type abbreviations not approved by ICAO, enter ZZZZ and specify the type of aircraft in Item 18 (b) preceded by TYP/.

Wake turbulence category

Circle:

Item 10 – Nav/com equipment

Circle to indicate the presence of serviceable equipment that the pilot is qualified to use:

Enter ‘G’ (GNSS) and ‘R’ (PBN capability) in Item 10 for aircraft equipped with a GNSS enabled area navigation system with additional entries as appropriate. The correlation between Item 10 and Item 18 entries for common PBN approvals is summarised below:

For the majority of Australian IFR operations the appropriate field 10 navigation entries will be:

Circle:

N Nil, or

Aircraft with ADS-B capability:

Enter: up to two ADS-B codes: either ‘L’ or ‘E’ and ‘B1’ or ‘B2’.

Use the following table to determine the Field 10b entries for ADS-B transponder (use only one entry)

Mode S transponder with ADS-B

Aircraft without ADS-B capability

Enter one SSR code representing the highest level of non-ADS-B surveillance capability available (in order highest is H then S, I, P, X, C and A is lowest).

Mode S transponder without ADS-B

ADS-C

Enter up to two ADS-C codes: ‘D1’ and/or ‘G1’

Item 13 – Departure aerodrome

Item 16 – Destination aerodrome and total estimated elapsed time

– Alternate aerodrome

Enter: aerodrome abbreviation in four letters.

Requirements

Enter the four-letter authorised abbreviation then, without a space, the total estimated elapsed time as four figures in hours and minutes, for example 0340. Include any aerial work delay noted as DLE in Item 18.

For aerodromes without an authorised abbreviation, enter ZZZZ. In Item 18 enter DEP/ (or as applicable DEST/, ALTN/) followed by either the:

• latitude and longitude of the aerodrome
• bearing and distance from a location with an authorised abbreviation
• first point of the route, or
• marker radio beacon if the aircraft has not taken off from the aerodrome.

In item 18(a), enter the common name of the alternate location after RMK/.

Use of authorised aerodrome abbreviations for mobile locations may be suspended by NOTAM when not in the normal location. Pilots must enter ZZZZ and provide location details when the aerodrome abbreviation is suspended.

Total EET

Enter: total estimated elapsed time of the flight as four figures in hours and minutes, (for example 0340) and include any aerial work delay noted as DLE in Item 18.

AFIL

AFIL (flight notification filed in the air) can be used instead of the departure aerodrome abbreviations when ATS services are only required for entry to, or to cross, controlled airspace. (Time of departure becomes an estimate for the point where the ATS service is to commence).

Estimated off blocks time

Enter: estimated off blocks time (EOBT), or an estimate for the point where the ATS service is to commence (applicable for use with AFIL –as referred to above in the departure aerodrome section), in four-figure UTC.

Requirements

Enter an EOBT for every flight stage as hhmm. All flights must also include DOF/ followed by the date of flight as yymmdd at Item 18, even if the date of the flight is the current day. EOBT/DOF more than 120 hours (five days) in advanced of the time of notification cannot be accepted. A change of more than 30 minutes to a submitted EOBT should be advised to ATS or through NAIPS.

Time of departure

Enter: estimated time of departure (ETD) in four-figure UTC, or an estimate for the point where the ATS service is to commence (applicable for use with AFIL— as referred to above in the departure aerodrome section).

Requirements

Enter: ETDs of more than seven days from the time of notification cannot be accepted. A change of more than 30 minutes to a submitted ETD should be advised to ATS or through NAIPS.

Item 15 – Cruising speed

Enter: TAS in knots or mach number.

Requirements

Circle:

N   then enter zero and three figures for knots, for example 0180;

M  then enter zero and two figures for mach number to the nearest hundredth of a unit, for example 082.

Level

Enter: first planned cruising level.

Requirements

Enter: either:

A  followed by three figures to indicate altitude in hundreds of feet up to and
including 10,000 ft. For example, A085, or

F   followed by three figures to indicate flight levels above 10,000 ft. For example, FL350.

Item 15 – Route

Enter: details of the planned route, change of level, flight rules and cruise climb.

Requirements for locations/waypoints

For an aerodrome, use the authorised abbreviation, for example YMBL for Marble Bar. For a navaid identifier, use the published two or three-letter abbreviation, for example KSC for Kingscote NDB.

For a latitude and longitude identification, use degrees and minutes in an eleven- character group, for example: 2730S15327E.

For a waypoint use assigned designator, for example: CANTY.

For bearing and distance, enter the designator of the location followed by three figures in degrees magnetic followed by three figures in nautical miles. For example: BN270120 is a position 120 nm, 270 degrees from Brisbane.

Requirements for route

For the ATS route designator, enter the published chart designator, for example B456, H62.

Route details must start with DCT (direct) to indicate the flight is planned to track from the departure aerodrome (for example YSCB for Canberra), to the first en route point, then from the last en route point to the destination (for example YSSY for Sydney), for example: DCT CB SY DCT.

When planning to track direct from the departure aerodrome to the destination aerodrome,that is, without the use of navigational aids, enter DCT only.

When operating outside a designated ATS route, enter DCT followed  by a significant point, for example: DCT PH CKL BIU PH DCT or  DCT 1239S14325E 1300S14335E DCT.

When operating in a designated ATS route, enter the name of the location where the route is joined followed by the route designator, for example, on a flight departing Ceduna for Griffith via the route designators J149 and B469  enter DCT CD J149 WHA B469 GTH DCT in Item 15.

On survey work in a block or airspace, enter DCT followed by significant points  to the survey area, included the point of commencement of survey, then the point of exit from the survey area and the significant points to the destination,  for example: DCT BN KCY GAY YGYM MC BN DCT.

When planning to conduct survey work, a map of the survey area must be provided to ATS with the flight notification.

When planning survey work, write in Item 18(b) the expected delay (DLA) at the commencement of survey, for example: DLA/GAY 0130 indicates a delay at Gayndah for 90 minutes.

Pilots should refer to AIP ENR 1.1 para 5 ‘Air route specifications’ and AIP ENR 1.1 para 4

Requirements for change of speed/level

Enter: the significant point where the change will occur, followed by an oblique stroke, the cruise speed and the level, for example AY/N0130A080. Both cruise speed and level must be entered even if only one has changed.

Requirements for change of flight rules

Enter: details of a change to flight rules following the for change entry in Items 8  of Y or Z.

Enter: the location where the change will occur followed by a space and VFR or IFR, for example: YBAF VFR.

Can accompany change in level, for example ROM/N018A090 IFR.

Requirements for cruise climb/block level reservation

Enter:

• the letter C followed by an oblique stroke, the point at which the cruise climb or reservation is planned to start, an oblique stroke, the speed to be maintained during the cruise climb or reservation, and
• either:
  • the two levels defining the layer to be occupied during the cruise climb or block reservation; or
  • one level and the word PLUS

For example C/FERET/N0380F370F390 or C/FERET/N0380F370PLUS

Item 18

Enter: other information such as navaid training, block surveys and other plain language remarks of significance. Note that ACARS and TCAS or ACAS are not required to be included in the flight notification. Enter information in the sequence shown below:

STS/   Use for special aircraft handling, followed by one or more of the indicators set out in AIP ENR 1.10 – 21 Appendix 2 (Item 18) (STS/), separated by a space, for example: STS/MEDEVAC NONRVSM.

PBN/   Followed by RNAV and/or RNP capabilities. For more details, see AIP ENR 1.10 – 22 Appendix 2 (Item 18) (PBN/).

COM/   Followed by communication equipment or capabilities other than those listed for Item 10a. Use when Z has also been entered in Item 10a, for example: COM/HF3452.

DAT/   Followed by data applications or capabilities not specified in Item 10a.  Use when Z has also been entered in Item 10a.

SUR/   Followed by surveillance applications or capabilities not specified in 10b.

DEP/   When ZZZZ has been entered in Item 13 followed by latitude and longitude or bearing and distance from a location with an authorised abbreviation,  for example: DEP/BN090120.

DEST/   When ZZZZ has been entered in Item 16 followed by latitude and longitude or bearing and distance from a location with an authorised abbreviation,  for example: DEST/2730S1532E.

DOF/   Followed by the full aircraft registration, for example: REG/VHZFR.

EET/   For international flights.

SEL/   Followed by the special code, for aircraft so equipped.

TYP/   When an approved aircraft type designator has not beed assigned and ZZZZ has been entered in Item 9, enter TYP/ followed by the aircraft type,  for example: TYP/Echo Mk 1.

DLE/   Followed by the point where the aircraft will be operating and the  estimated time in hours and minutes as a four figure group, for example:  DLE/MDG0030 RMK/MDG NDB indicates that the aircraft will be delayed  at Mudgee for 30 minutes training on the NDB.

OPR/   Followed by the name on operator.

ORGN/   Followed by the originator’s eight letter AFTN address or other appropriate contact details such as a contact phone number when submitting a SARTIME.

PER/   Followed by the aircraft performance category as described in AIP ENR 1.5 para 1.2, for example: PER/B.

ALTN/   When ZZZZ has been entered in Item 16 followed by latitude and longitude or bearing and distance from a location when an approved abbreviation,  for example: ALTN/2700S25320E.

RMK/   When any other plain language remarks are required or deemed necessary. Where applicable, followed by one or more of the indicators set out in AIP ENR 1.10 -32 (RMK/).

Item 19 – Supplementary information

Enter: additional information relevant to the flight for search and rescue purposes (optional).

Endurance

Fuel endurance to be entered for each stage of flight in hours and minutes after E/, for example: 0430 hours.

Aircraft colour and markings

Used to record predominant colour and significant markings of the aircraft.

Survival equipment

Circle as follows:

P   First aid

D   Emergency rations

M   Water

J   Jackets

E   ELT 406 MHz

Dinghies

Enter: number of dinghies carried, the total capacity of all dinghies and colour.

Persons on board

Enter:

• the total number carried for each flight;
• TBN if the number is to be advised after time of filing flight notification.

Remarks

Provided for any additional survival equipment carried.

Enter: additional capabilities of life jackets and ELT beacon transmit frequencies  as relevant:

L   Lights

F  Fluorescent

U   UHF radio on 243.0 MHz

V   VHF radio on 121.5 MHz

Pilot in command

The pilot in command should include telephone, mobile and fax numbers,  and company name.