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.
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:
Miami, Houston, and San Juan Oceanic Control Areas (CTAs) below FL 180.
Within the Oakland FIR when operating less than 100 NM seaward from the shoreline within controlled airspace.
All Oceanic FIR airspace below the Oceanic CTAs.
8-1-4. TYPES OF SEPARATION
Separation must consist of at least one of the following:
Vertical separation;
Horizontal separation, either;
Longitudinal; or
Lateral;
Composite separation;
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 ERROR REPORT PROCEDURES
FAA Order 7210.632.82 establishes procedures for reporting Gross Navigation Errors (GNE), height errors,
time(longitudinal) errors, intervention, and Special Area of Operations (SAO) verification in oceanic airspace. 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.
8-1-9. RVSM OPERATIONS
Controller responsibilities for non-RVSM aircraft operating in RVSM airspace must include but not be limited to the following:
Ensure non-RVSM aircraft are not permitted in RVSM airspace unless they meet the criteria of excepted aircraft and are previously approved by the operations supervisor/CIC.
In addition to those aircraft listed in Chapter 2, Section 1, Paragraph 2-1-29 RVSM Operations in this order, the following aircraft operating within oceanic airspace or transiting to/from oceanic airspace are excepted:
Aircraft being initially delivered to the State of Registry or Operator;
Aircraft that was formerly RVSM approved but has experienced an equipment failure and is being flown to a maintenance facility for repair in order to meet RVSM requirements and/or obtain approval;
Aircraft being utilized for mercy or humanitarian purposes;
Within the Oakland, Anchorage, and Arctic FIR's, an aircraft transporting a spare engine mounted under the wing.
(a) These exceptions are accommodated on a workload or traffic-permitting basis.
(b) All other requirements contained in paragraph 2-1-29 are applicable to this section.
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