Section 1. General

1. PURPOSE

This chapter establishes policy, prescribes uniform procedures, and sets forth criteria to be applied to all phases of an ALTRV. The authority, responsibility, and general operating procedures under the ALTRV concept for Central Altitude Reservation Function (CARF) and other concerned ATC facilities are herein defined.

1. Policy

An altitude reservation is authorization by the CARF or the appropriate ARTCC/CERAP/HCF under certain circumstances, “for airspace utilization under prescribed conditions.” An altitude reservation must receive special handling from FAA facilities.

1. CARF or the appropriate ARTCC/CERAP/HCF (if the approving authority) is responsible for separation of the ALTRV mission from other ALTRVs after the aircraft have reached the first cruising altitude to a point where descent is started into the destination airport or where the ALTRV ends.
2. ALTRVs must be classified as either moving or stationary.

1. A moving ALTRV encompasses en route activities and advances with the mission progress, i.e., the reservation moves with the aircraft or flight.
2. A stationary ALTRV encompasses activities within a fixed volume of airspace to be occupied for a specified time period.
3. The final approval authority is designated to the authority whose area of responsibility includes the departure airport. The final approval authority is responsible for the issuance of the final ALTRV approval.

1. APPLICATION

An ALTRV may be employed under conditions normally prescribed for the mass movement of aircraft or other special user requirements that cannot otherwise be accomplished.

1. In the application of ALTRV procedures, policies, and criteria, due consideration must be given to total user requirements throughout the navigable airspace in accordance with the procedures prescribed herein.
2. Unmanned aircraft system (UAS) operations within ALTRVs must operate in accordance with all applicable FAA regulations, including, if applicable, a written letter of authorization (LOA) and certificate of waiver or authorization (COA).
3. Stationary ALTRVs within oceanic and offshore airspace may encompass rocket, missile, and state activities. If multiple aircraft are expected to be in the ALTRV at the same time and military authority assumes responsibility for separation of aircraft (MARSA) will not be used, separation procedures must be covered in an LOA.

1. Stationary ALTRVs in airspace other than oceanic and offshore may be approved for state aircraft; activities covered in Section 7, Special/Emergency ALTRVs; and other activities covered by an LOA.
2. An ALTRV must not be used in lieu of other airspace expressly defined and designated for a special activity. This airspace must be coordinated in accordance with (IAW) FAA Order JO 7110.65, paragraph 9-3-4, Transiting Active SUA/ATCAA.

1. An ALTRV approval does not constitute authorization for chaff or electronic attack (EA) activities.
2. ALTRVs for single aircraft will not normally be approved, with the following exceptions:

1. The aircraft will join a tanker en route and conduct air refueling.
2. Operations above FL 600.
3. UAS with authorization.

1. Aircraft established on an approved ALTRV route and altitude must not be changed except in the interest of safety of flight. The ARTCC/CERAP/HCF may cancel the entire ALTRV if the aircrew requests routing and/or altitude changes that are not in the approved ALTRV. Consideration will be given to the ALTRV when deviations are required.
2. An ALTRV APVL is valid in controlled airspace only.
3. Except within 180 NM of Bermuda, air refueling within New York Oceanic Airspace must be conducted on an approved ALTRV. Tankers joining receivers must be on an ALTRV to join/leave a receiver's ALTRV. Altitudes will normally be approved at or below FL 280. Both receivers and supporting tanker ALTRVs must begin at least 60 NM prior to entering and must continue at least 60 NM after leaving New York Oceanic Airspace.
4. Within Anchorage Oceanic Airspace, west of a line between 5340N 16800E to 4830N 17230E (approximately 430 NM from the Tokyo/Anchorage boundary), tankers joining or leaving a receiver ALTRV must be on an ALTRV.
5. Due to handoff and communication transfer, ALTRVs that transit international airspace must not begin, end, climb, descend, expand, compress, orbit, join, or leave on the boundary.
6. Moving ALTRVs that transit domestic airspace must not begin, end, climb, descend, expand, compress, orbit, join or leave on ARTCC boundaries.

1. ALTERNATE TRACKS

Circumstances occasionally dictate the need for submitting alternate refueling/special tracks to meet mission objectives. Although they may be filed on the same request, only the primary track must initially be approved. If the alternate track is needed and coordinated in a timely manner to process the change, the alternate track must be approved and the primary track canceled.

1. USER REQUIREMENTS

1. When approving an ALTRV, every effort should be made to ensure requested altitudes are approved and to provide adequate altitudes for the normal requirements of other airspace users. Total user requirements, traffic flow, available routes, military missions, and other operations that are using or that propose to use the ATC system must be afforded equitable consideration.
2. Special care must be exercised when processing ALTRV requests that entail operation on a broad frontal width. Indiscriminate approval of these requests could render a considerable portion of navigable airspace unavailable to other users for extended periods of time.

1. ALTITUDE CRITERIA

1. Altitude utilization criteria must be flexible and adjusted as required. Seasonal traffic trends and changes in revised civil and military jet aircraft inventories are factors that necessitate flexibility.
2. Due to pressure gradients, FL 180 will not normally be acceptable on an ALTRV except in oceanic airspace.
3. The normal altitude block assignments for nonstream aircraft are:

1. Two aircraft refueling, two altitudes.
2. More than two aircraft, 500 feet per aircraft.