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This glossary is written for virtual airline and flight simulation use within Virtual Air Canada Airline. It is not intended as a real-world aviation reference.
North Atlantic High Level Airspace covers the oceanic region between Europe and North America above FL285, where radar coverage is unavailable and procedural separation standards apply. To manage the high volume of transatlantic traffic, NAT MNPS (Minimum Navigation Performance Specification) tracks - known as the North Atlantic Track System (NAT OTS) - are published twice daily by Shanwick and Gander Oceanic Control. Tracks are optimized for jet streams and shift position each day; westbound tracks are issued for the morning flow and eastbound tracks for the evening flow. Aircraft operating in NAT HLA must be MNPS-equipped, carry operational HF radios or SATCOM for position reporting, and comply with strict oceanic clearance procedures. Crews file a specific track letter or random routing, obtain an oceanic clearance before entry, and report position at each waypoint. Mandatory separation standards - typically 60 NM longitudinal, 1 degree of latitude lateral, and 1,000 ft vertical - are maintained through coordinated position reports to Shanwick, Gander, New York, or Santa Maria oceanic centers.

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In Virtual Airline Operations

At Virtual Air Canada Airline, transatlantic routes on the VATSIM network replicate NAT HLA procedures. When flying online between Canada and Europe, pilots should obtain a valid NAT track from the daily OTS, file the correct oceanic clearance, and make position reports at oceanic entry and waypoints. SimBrief automatically incorporates current NAT track data when generating OFPs for transatlantic routes.
  • OFP - Operational Flight Plan
  • RVSM - Reduced Vertical Separation Minimum
  • NOTAM - Notice to Air Missions