NAT Ops Guide: My first North Atlantic Flight is tomorrow (2026)
NAT Ops Guide: My first North Atlantic Flight is tomorrow (2026)
This NAT Ops Guidebook covers (we hope!) everything you need for both a routine crossing (but still complex), and non-routine (eg. No HF, No HLA, No RVSM) ferry flight.
This edition: 2026. Read the latest 2026 changes, easy to read guidance, sample flights, Flight Planning codes, ATC contact numbers, Diversion airports guide, VHF coverage, Oceanic Clearance vs RCL – all in one single guide.
21 pages, PDF format.
Free for OPSGROUP Members - get it in your Dashboard under Guides and Charts.
Of all the hundreds of questions we see in OPSGROUP, one region stands out as the most asked about - the NAT, or North Atlantic. So, we made one of our legendary guides, to get everything into one place. It's called "My first North Atlantic Flight is tomorrow".
Contents:
What’s different about the NAT?
What’s changed? Recent updates (2026 → 2016), including datalink, tracks, comms, and procedures.
(Updated 2026) Circle of Entry: what you actually need to enter different parts of NAT airspace (now reflects current surveillance and corridor logic).
NAT Quick Map: Gander and Shanwick boundaries, plus updated routing overview.
Routine Flight Example: Brussels to JFK (step-by-step): HLA requirements, flight planning, paperwork, RCL vs clearance, oceanic entry, weather deviations, contingencies.
Non-Routine Flights: what you can do without: PBCS, RVSM, RNP4 / RNAV 10, HF, 1 LRNS, HLA approval, ETOPS, TCAS, datalink – including the Iceland-Greenland corridor workaround.
VHF Coverage Maps – FL100 / 200 / 300 across the NAT
Diversion Airports Guide: practical notes on key alternates from Keflavik and Shannon to Goose Bay and Bermuda.
Airport Data: updated list including Keflavik, Shannon, Gander, Goose Bay, plus revised Greenland options (BGGH, BGQO, etc).
Special NAT Procedures: Mach number technique, SLOP, comms, transition areas, exits, and common mistakes.
North Atlantic ATC Contacts: Shanwick, Gander, Iceland, Bodø, Santa Maria, New York, plus adjacent domestic units.
NAT FPL Codes and Flight Levels: what to file and how.
Contingency Procedures: weather deviations and in-flight emergencies.
Oceanic Clearance vs RCL: who does what now, including timing windows and differences between FIRs.
Common Gotchas: real-world mistakes and lessons from OPSGROUP members.
GNSS Interference / Spoofing: what to expect and what to do.
Links, Questions, Guidance
This NAT Ops Guidebook covers (we hope!) everything you need for both a routine crossing (but still complex), and non-routine (eg. No HF, No HLA, No RVSM) ferry flight.
This edition: 2026. Read the latest 2026 changes, easy to read guidance, sample flights, Flight Planning codes, ATC contact numbers, Diversion airports guide, VHF coverage, Oceanic Clearance vs RCL – all in one single guide.
21 pages, PDF format.
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