Chapter 8. Offshore/Oceanic Procedures

Section 1. General

8-1-1. ATC SERVICE

Provide air traffic control service in oceanic controlled airspace in accordance with the procedures in this chapter except when other procedures/minima are prescribed in a directive or a letter of agreement.

REFERENCE-
FAAO JO 7110.65, Procedural Letters of Agreement, Para 1-1-9.

8-1-2. OPERATIONS IN OFFSHORE AIRSPACE AREAS

Provide air traffic control service in offshore airspace areas in accordance with procedures and minima in this chapter. For those situations not covered by this chapter, the provisions in this Order must apply.

8-1-3. VFR FLIGHT PLANS

VFR flights in Oceanic FIRs may be conducted in meteorological conditions equal to or greater than those specified in 14 CFR Section 91.155, Basic VFR weather minimums. Operations on a VFR flight plan are permitted only between sunrise and sunset and only within:

a. Miami, Houston, and San Juan Oceanic Control Areas (CTAs) below FL 180.

b. Within the Oakland FIR when operating less than 100 NM seaward from the shoreline within controlled airspace.

c. All Oceanic FIR airspace below the Oceanic CTAs.

8-1-4. TYPES OF SEPARATION

Separation must consist of at least one of the following:

a. Vertical separation;

b. Horizontal separation, either;

1. Longitudinal; or

2. Lateral;

c. Composite separation;

d. Radar separation, as specified in Chapter 5, Radar, where radar coverage is adequate.

8-1-5. ALTIMETER SETTING

Within oceanic control areas, unless directed and/or charted otherwise, altitude assignment must be based on flight levels and a standard altimeter setting of 29.92 inches Hg.

8-1-6. RECEIPT OF POSITION REPORTS

When a position report affecting separation is not received, take action to obtain the report no later than 10 minutes after the control estimate, unless otherwise specified.

8-1-7. OCEANIC NAVIGATIONAL ERROR REPORTING (ONER) PROCEDURES

FAAO 7110.82, Monitoring of Navigation, Longitudinal Separation, and Altitude Keeping Performance in Oceanic Airspace, contains procedures for reporting and processing navigational errors observed by ATC radar for aircraft exiting oceanic airspace.

NOTE-
FAAO 7110.82 establishes procedures for processing ONER procedures, Oceanic Altitude Deviation Reports, Erosion of Longitudinal Separation Reports, Letter of Authorization Verification Reports, and for collecting system data for analysis. This data is needed for risk modeling activities to support separation standard reductions.

8-1-8. USE OF CONTROL ESTIMATES

Control estimates are the estimated position of aircraft, with reference to time as determined by the ATC automation system in use or calculated by the controller using known wind patterns, previous aircraft transit times, pilot progress reports, and pilot estimates. These estimates may be updated through the receipt of automated position reports and/or manually updated by the controller. Control estimates must be used when applying time-based separation minima.