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4 Answers

Flying Off center of the magenta line?

Asked by: 6421 views
General Aviation, Private Pilot

In this day where a GPS receiver is  accurate  to within a few feet at times, does anyone tend to fly a few ticks off of the magenta line just as an extra layer of protection against the midair collision?  If a pilot isn't following the hemispheric rule, and the two of you happen to be going to and from the same way points at the same altitude, then  your noes will meet within couple feet or less of each other! Then again, its a pain on a long XC to not just let NAV do all the work!

Just wanted to get your thoughts... Ofcourse I'll keep my head outside, and do flight following, etc. 

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4 Answers



  1. Boiler on Apr 17, 2014

    Although the airway exists 4nm on each side of the centerline, I believe the pilot is expected to fly the centerline of the airway. If you’re cleared from point A direct to point B I wouldn’t deviate from that clearance. If I remember correctly, sidestepping like you describe is used (and approved) on transatlantic routes. I’ll look for some print to back this up.

    If you’re flying VFR of course, you can navigate as you please.

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  2. Kris Kortokrax on Apr 17, 2014

    91.181 requires one to fly the centerline of the airway when operating under IFR.

    However, you didn’t mention that you were confining your question to IFR. On a VFR flight, I can meander as I wish between departure and destination. There is no expectation by ATC that I am flying a centerline.

    So, go ahead and offset if you wish. There is a procedure described in Order 8900.1, Volume 7, Chapter 3, Section 1, Paragraph 7-81 I which reads as follows:

    Strategic Lateral Offset Procedures (SLOP). ICAO Doc 4444, Procedures for Air Navigation Services-Air Traffic Management (PANS-ATM) and NAT Doc 007, North Atlantic Operations and Airspace Manual, allow aircraft to fly on a parallel track to the right of the centerline relative to the direction of flight. Flightcrew operating in oceanic airspace are encouraged to offset the assigned course by one mile or two miles to the right for reduced collision risk and for wake turbulence avoidance. A full description of SLOP can be found in ICAO Doc 4444, Chapter 16 at https://portal.icao.int/ . The “Login Procedures” tab should be selected for access to the ICAO site. SLOP guidance is also located in NAT Doc 007, Chapter 8 at http://www.paris.icao.int/documents_open/files.php?subcategory_id=108

    I love the acronym, SLOP.

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  3. Boiler on Apr 17, 2014

    Yeah, what Kris said

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  4. Mark Kolber on Apr 18, 2014

    Good catch Kris. The question does look like a VFR one.

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