Polar Routes

[CitationXDriver]

Sitting in Northern Canada and keep seeing airliners overhead. Brought up the question if Polar Routes are used year round or if factors such as temps and winds make them unusable at times??

 

[GVJeff]

Sitting in Northern Canada and keep seeing airliners overhead. Brought up the question if Polar Routes are used year round or if factors such as temps and winds make them unusable at times??

Polar routes are not temp or wind restricted by ATC, just by aircraft limits. It just depends where you are going whether you use them year 'round.

On a more important note I am drunk again. Jeez, I need to stop getting paid $1200/day plus expenses only to get drunk while on the road. Wow, anyone have a cigar?

The G-V is beautiful aircraft. Lots of cigar smokers fly them also.

Love,

Jeff

 

[FlightOpsAB]

There are a a couple of factors that affect the selection of Polar routes. There are a couple of issues to deal with up there. One issues is the VERY VERY VERY cold OATs which sometimes put the fuel temps very close (or below) minimum recommended fuel temps. That's why DX'rs at, say, UA would check the altitude temp charts to avoid sending a 777 through some really cold area, where the fuel temps might fall below -65C.

Another important issue that affects the selection of the Polar routes is Solar Weather. Solar storms can rally hamper HF comms in the Polar region (above 78N I believe).

That's just a couple of basic things.... For more details check out this kickin presentation on POLAR ops from Boeing: http://ifalda.org/IFALDA%20Web%20PPT%20Folder/Polar%20Route%20Operations.zip

 

[CitationXDriver]

Thanks for the info!