Crossing the North Atlantic is a bucket-list item for many pilots. Some have done it, and many more dream to do it one day. Flying across in a Turbo Commander is not a difficult task, as long as you prepare for your journey carefully. In this “Adventure Travel” we will be discussing how to pick a route and the main differences compared to flying in the United States.
With a range of 1,000 to 1,300 nautical miles we have to plan to fly from the US to Canada, then to Greenland for a fuel stop before heading to Iceland, then to Europe. Flying eastbound is more challenging as you lose time every flight. There is a two-hour time difference from Canada to Greenland (sometimes only one hour depending on where you depart), then another two hours from Greenland to Iceland. If it is 8:00 a.m. in New York, it is 10:00 a.m. in Greenland and 12:00 p.m. in Iceland. It reduces the number of legs you can fly in one day. Going westbound is easier as you gain time every flight.
Sunset in the summer is not an issue as there is almost 24 hours of daylight in Iceland and Greenland. The opposite happens in the middle of the winter; you will have as little as four hours per day. The sun barely rises over the horizon before it comes back down. Note that Greenlandic airports operate from Monday to Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. local, and are closed afterhours on Sundays and holidays. The airports will accommodate any arrivals or departure outside of normal business hours for a fee (around $1200 for a three-hour window). This is normally not an issue in Iceland as some airports are open 24/7, such as Keflavik, the major airport. Reykjavik has a smaller window of operation, but is generally open from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
USA to Canada
Flying from the United States to Canada requires filing an eAPIS to leave the country and calling CANPASS (Canadian Customs) in Canada to let them know you are coming. Departing the United States or Canada on an international flight can be done from any airport; it doesn’t need to be an airport of entry. However, landing in Canada or the United States when coming from a foreign country requires you to arrive at an airport of entry with customs/immigration.
Canada to Greenland
Any airport in Canada can be used as a launching point. The most common is CYYR Goose Bay, Canada, with two FBOs, two crossing runways, ILS, customs, jet fuel, and nearby accommodations. Other airports are commonly used depending on your range, wind, weather, and destination in Greenland. We often depart Canada for Greenland from CYYR, CYVP Kuujjuaq or CYFB Iqaluit. Other airports can be used, such as CYQX Gander or CYKL Schefferville, which have jet fuel. The flights within Canada are not difficult as you are under ATC radar during the flight.
Your flight to Greenland will be your first of three legs over water. Flying a Turbo Commander, you can normally choose between BGSF Kangerlussuaq (north), BGGH Nuuk or BGBW Narsarsuaq (South). Flying the shortest route is usually the way we plan, but pilots will have to be careful with their selection. BGSF Kangerlussuaq was built by the United States during World War II for airplanes crossing the North Atlantic. The airport is strategically located 80 nautical miles inland and the weather is mostly good all year long. Facilities include a 9,200-foot runway, a LOC-DME approach with minimums at 450 feet above the ground and a control tower with full radar service, meaning that during the descent they will vector you to intercept the localizer. Jet fuel and basic accommodations are available.
BGGH Nuuk is a 3,000-foot runway located on a hilltop on the side of the ocean. It is prone to quick weather changes and fog when the temperature is near the dew point. ATC services are available but there’s no radar for the GPS or LOC approach. Finally, BGBW, located in southern Greenland between hills and mountains and at the end of a fjord, is a beautiful airport to use when the weather is clear. The runway is 6,000 feet long with a new RNAV approach with several step-down descents and no radar. You enter uncontrolled airspace descending through FL195 and are on your own until you are on the ground. Traffic information is provided by a radio operator during the descent and landing in Narsarsuaq but you are responsible for your own separation of traffic and terrain.
As you leave the east coast of Canada to Greenland, you will receive an oceanic clearance with Gander Center leaving domestic airspace, which will include your route, and a speed and altitude to maintain. This allows ATC to keep the separation between all traffic during the crossing as there is no radar. Gander airspace extends past the southeast tip of Greenland, including over BGBW. If you are heading to BGSF, you will be transferred to Iceland Radio as Iceland controls a big area over Greenland, just north of Gander airspace. By default, if you hear Gander Radio or Iceland radio, this means you are talking to a controller writing down your position reports and that means you are in a non-radar environment. If you are talking to Gander Center or Reykjavik Control over water, this means you are under radar or ADS-B coverage and no position report is required.
Greenland to Iceland
Iceland installed three ADS-B ground stations over Greenland in the last few years so on a flight from BGSF Kangerlussuaq airport to Iceland you are under ADS-B contact the entire way. This route keeps you in Reykjavik Control airspace. It might not seem like a big deal but the separation under ADS-B for same altitude crossing traffic is 10 nautical miles, instead of 120 nautical miles without ADS-B. So, if you are flying within Gander Oceanic Airspace (which is without radar or ADS-B coverage), you might be stuck under another airplane until you are 120 nautical miles away from it. Many small jets with limited range have had issues in the past when taking off behind let’s say a Piper Malibu. Approaching Iceland, you will get direct to the IAF for the approach in use or vectors for the ILS approach or visual, very similar to any approach in the United States.
Iceland to Europe
The flight from Iceland to Europe is under radar contact the entire way so it feels like a domestic flight. There’s no need for position reports. Iceland uses its radar along with a combination of radar overlaps from Iceland, Norway, Scotland and the Faroe Islands.
Here are a few more items that will surprise you along the way if not ready for them:
Altimeters: Once leaving Northern America, the altimeter setting will be given in millibars / hectopascals instead of inches. Most airplanes have the capability to change from inches of mercury to millibars.
Altitudes: Altitudes are standard across the world in feet except in some countries in Eastern Europe, China and Russia. Thus, a North Atlantic crossing will be in feet.
Transition Altitude/Transition Levels: In North America, the transition level and transition altitude both are 18,000 feet. When climbing, we change from local altimeter setting to standard at 18,000 feet and the opposite while coming down. Once leaving North America, each airport will have a different transition altitude and transition level, which will be displayed on the approach plates or given in the ATIS. Transition level is when you descend and transition altitude is when you are on the climb. Any altitude above the transition will be given in Flight Level.
Start-up Clearance: Beginning in Greenland you will need to request a start-up clearance before starting your engines, in addition to the IFR clearance. This is standard throughout the world and allows ATC to check that there is no delay, slots or issues with your flight plan before you start your engines. Ultimately this would prevent you from having to start and shut down if there was an issue or delay.
Non-Radar Environment: Crossing the North Atlantic, other long stretches of water, or over some countries, radar control will not be available. In this case the controllers will ask you for a position report. Your position reports must include the following information:
- Tail number
- Your position (waypoint, altitude, time)
- Your next waypoint estimate, and the one after.
For example, “Gander Radio N1234 over N63W055 FL250 at 1345z, estimating N64W054 at 1410z, N65W53 is next.
Create User Waypoints: Over the North Atlantic you will need to create user waypoint for fixes that are coordinates. Make sure you know how to save a user waypoint by entering the lat/long coordinates, and give it a name so you can pull it into the flight plan.
Guillaume Fabry guides trips for Air Journey (www.airjourney.com), which offers aircraft owners and pilots escorted and concierge tours for destinations around the world.
