Advanced Pilot Programs
FS Techniques - Airway Flying 
by Ed Turner, Jr.
Vice President, Pilot Programs

Last Updated March 14, 2006

PART 2: AIRWAY FLYING

Airway route, a short description:  If you are going to fly any distance to a reliable schedule in a civil aircraft weighing more than a few tons, you will be instrument flying in the airways.  The big advantage of using the airways is the ability to get above most of the weather, the controlled environment and the reduced fuel consumption at higher altitudes.  So airway flying are a good thing for flying the big jets. 

There is a standard way of describing a route through the airways for submission on a flight plan.  The route is specified by the airway names and waypoints names.  If you look at an airways map, you will find that, with a little practice, routes given in this way can be followed quite easily.  As an example, one route from Malaga VOR to the Wallasey VOR can be described as:

MGA UN869 BLN UN865 PATEL
UN864 SALCO UA29 BHD UA25
WAL

 To decode this: 

The minimum number of waypoints is used to describe the routes. There will be many reporting points along the route, but they are not included in the description unless they are absolutely essential to define the route.


Drawing by Ed Turner, Jr.

Airway Flying

Q&A

 

  1. When will you be instrument flying in the airways?

A)    When the aircraft weigh less than a few tons.

B)    When the aircraft weigh more than a few pounds.

C)    If you are going to fly any distance to a reliable schedule in a civil aircraft weighing more than a few tons.

 

  1. The big advantage of using the airways is the ability to get above most of the other jets:

A)    True

B)    False

 

  1. High altitude flying allow for reduced fuel consumption.

A)    True

B)    False

 

  1. How is the route specified?

A)    By the airway names and GPS.

B)    By the Malaga VOR.

C)    By the airway names and waypoints names.

 

  1. MGA is a:

A)    Reporting point

B)    An airways map

C)    A VOR

 

  1. BLN is a VOR

A)    True

B)    False

 

  1. UN29 is a:

A)    VOR

B)    Airway

C)    Reporting point

 

  1. The maximum number of waypoints are used to describe the routes:

A)    True

B)    False

 

  1. When describing the route from the Wallasey VOR to the Malaga VOR, which is the first reporting point?

 

A)    UN869

B)    PATEL

C)    SALCO

 

  1. Airway routes are part of the controlled environment.

A)    True

B)    False

 

Answers:

 

1-C  2-B  3-A  4-C  5-C  6-A  7-B  8-B  9-C  10-B

  

Have a question? Contact the author, Ed Turner, Jr.

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