Flight levels (altimetry)
Introduction
In order to ensure safe separation between aircraft above the transition level, it has been decided to allocate FLs to aircraft according their heading.
This semi-circular cruising level system is also known as NEODD-SWEVEN rule (north-east is odd, south-west is even). There are three different types of airspace rules worldwide and another for the North Atlantic Tracks. Most airspace is now governed by the RVSM rule (standing for Reduced Vertical Separation Minima). This rule is now in effect over most parts of the world as you can see on the map at the bottom of this document. Earlier in aviation history, due to the relative imprecision of flight instruments, it was decided to apply a minimum vertical separation of 2000 ft above FL290, keeping a 1000 ft spacing below this level. So until now, we had the CVSM (Conventional Vertical Separation Minima) also known as Standard ICAO.
Today's flight instruments are more reliable and more accurate that those of previous decades. Considering this fact, in addition to the necessity of increasing the control capacity in upper airspace sectors, it was decided to reduce the spacing from 2000 to 1000 ft between FL290 and FL410 (marked between red lines in the table below).
Please note that in New Zealand this is applicable to the complete airspace.
This semi-circular cruising level system is also known as NEODD-SWEVEN rule (north-east is odd, south-west is even). There are three different types of airspace rules worldwide and another for the North Atlantic Tracks. Most airspace is now governed by the RVSM rule (standing for Reduced Vertical Separation Minima). This rule is now in effect over most parts of the world as you can see on the map at the bottom of this document. Earlier in aviation history, due to the relative imprecision of flight instruments, it was decided to apply a minimum vertical separation of 2000 ft above FL290, keeping a 1000 ft spacing below this level. So until now, we had the CVSM (Conventional Vertical Separation Minima) also known as Standard ICAO.
Today's flight instruments are more reliable and more accurate that those of previous decades. Considering this fact, in addition to the necessity of increasing the control capacity in upper airspace sectors, it was decided to reduce the spacing from 2000 to 1000 ft between FL290 and FL410 (marked between red lines in the table below).
Please note that in New Zealand this is applicable to the complete airspace.
In most airspace, those levels are according to the primary heading of your flight: Westbound or Eastbound. But over certain areas, the RVSM airspace between FL290 and FL410 is applied Northbound and Southbound instead. Those areas are over: France, Morocco, North Algeria, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland. In Italy, it's the complete airspace that has a Northbound/Southbound semi circular rule. In Italy, above 3000 ft, Northbound flights are even and Southbound flights are odd. In New Zealand Northbound/Southbound rules are applied but Northbound is Odd and Southbound is Even.
Finally, remember VFR flights are Flight Levels ending with 5 (FL055, FL065,FL085, etc.).
On some maps, a little arrow applied next to airways names shows the way for odd levels.
Remember just a rule for airliner operations: "As high as possible". In general, propliners operate between FL080 and FL220 and jetliners between FL220 and FL410 (except for Concorde operating on a step flight around FL550). Even for short ops, jets are operating at a high level even if not staying on cruise for too long.
IMPORTANT: Since September 25th 2008, Africa is now applying RVSM like other countries where westbound traffic uses even levels and eastbound traffic uses odd levels. Therefore CVSM levels were removed from the table below.
Flight levels table
| ICAO / RVSM / ICAO | NAT RVSM | "North/South" RVSM | NZ "North/South" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Westbound | Eastbound | Westbound | Eastbound | Northbound | Southbound | Southbound | Northbound |
| Heading 180°-359° | Heading 360°-179° | Heading 180°-359° | Heading 360°-179° | Heading 270°-089° | Heading 090°-269° | Heading 090°-269° | Heading 270°-089° |
| FL610 | FL610 | ||||||
| FL590 | FL590 | ||||||
| FL570 | FL570 | ||||||
| FL550 | FL550 | ||||||
| FL530 | FL530 | ||||||
| FL510 | FL510 | ||||||
| FL490 | Above FL410 use standard W/E ICAO rules except Italy (see above) | FL490 | |||||
| FL470 | FL470 | ||||||
| FL450 | FL450 | ||||||
| FL430 | FL430 | ||||||
| ↑ ICAO ↑ / ↓ RVSM ↓ |  | ||||||
| FL410 | FL410 | FL410 | |||||
| FL400 | FL400 | FL400 | FL400 | FL400 | |||
| FL390 | FL390 | FL390 | FL390 | FL390 | |||
| FL380 | FL380 | FL380 | FL380 | FL380 | |||
| FL370 | FL370 | FL370 | FL370 | FL370 | |||
| FL360 | FL360 | FL360 | FL360 | FL360 | |||
| FL350 | FL350 | FL350 | FL350 | FL350 | |||
| FL340 | FL340 | FL340 | FL340 | FL340 | |||
| FL330 | FL330 | FL330 | FL330 | FL330 | |||
| FL320 | FL320 | FL320 | FL320 | FL320 | |||
| FL310 | FL310 | FL310 | FL310 | FL310 | |||
| FL300 | FL300 | FL300 | |||||
| FL290 | FL290 | FL290 | |||||
| ↓ ICAO ↓ / ↑ RVSM ↑ | | ||||||
| FL280 | Below FL290 use standard W/E ICAO rules except Italy (see above) | FL280 | |||||
| FL270 | FL270 | ||||||
| FL260 | FL260 | ||||||
| FL250 | FL250 | ||||||
| FL240 | FL240 | ||||||
| FL230 | FL230 | ||||||
| FL220 | FL220 | ||||||
| FL210 | FL210 | ||||||
| FL200 | FL200 | ||||||
| FL190 | FL190 | ||||||
| FL180 | FL180 | ||||||
| FL170 | FL170 | ||||||
| FL160 | FL160 | ||||||
| FL150 | FL150 | ||||||
| FL140 | FL140 | ||||||
| FL130 | FL130 | ||||||
| FL120 | FL120 | ||||||
| FL110 | FL110 | ||||||
| FL100 | FL100 | ||||||
| FL090 | FL090 | ||||||
| FL080 | FL080 | ||||||
| FL070 | FL070 | ||||||
| FL060 | FL060 | ||||||
| (FL050) | (FL050) | ||||||
Metric airspace flight levels table
Finally some countries are applying metric units for their flight levels. Those countries are China, Mongolia, Russia and many CIS countries (except Ukraine, Minsk FIR, Kaliningrad FIR, Vilinus FIR, RIGA FIR, Tallinn FIR). Aircraft entering these areas normally make a slight climb or descent to adjust for this.
Note that Ukraine, Lituania and part of Russia changed to feet RVSM but altitudes (below transition) are remining Metric. Levels are indicated with a S and four digits (SXXXX) and atlitudes with a M and four digits (MXXXX).
On November 21st 2007, China started to apply RVSM on their metric system.
Note that Ukraine, Lituania and part of Russia changed to feet RVSM but altitudes (below transition) are remining Metric. Levels are indicated with a S and four digits (SXXXX) and atlitudes with a M and four digits (MXXXX).
On November 21st 2007, China started to apply RVSM on their metric system.
| China RVSM | Mongolia | Russia / CIS | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Westbound | Eastbound | Westbound | Eastbound | Westbound | Eastbound |
| Heading 180°-359° | Heading 360°-179° | Heading 180°-359° | Heading 360°-179° | Heading 180°-359° | Heading 360°-179° |
| 15500 m (50,900 ft) | |||||
| 14900 m (48,900 ft) | |||||
| 14300 m (46,900 ft) | |||||
| 13700 m (44,900 ft) | |||||
| 13100 m (43,000 ft) | |||||
| | | |||
| 12500 m (41,100 ft) | |||||
| 12200 m (40,100 ft) | 15600 m (51,200 ft) | 14600 m (47,900 ft) | |||
| 11900 m (39,100 ft) | 15000 m (49,200 ft) | 14100 m (46,300 ft) | |||
| 11600 m (38,100 ft) | 14400 m (47,200 ft) | 13600 m (44,600 ft) | |||
| 11300 m (37,100 ft) | 13800 m (45,300 ft) | 13100 m (43,000 ft) | |||
| 11000 m (36,100 ft) | 13200 m (43,300 ft) | 12600 m (41,300 ft) | |||
| 10700 m (35,100 ft) | 12600 m (41,300 ft) | 12100 m (39,700 ft) | |||
| 10400 m (34,100 ft) | 12000 m (39,400 ft) | 11600 m (38,100 ft) | |||
| 10100 m (33,100 ft) | 11400 m (37,400 ft) | 11100 m (36,400 ft) | |||
| 9800 m (32,100 ft) | 10800 m (35,400 ft) | 10600 m (34,800 ft) | |||
| 9500 m (31,100 ft) | 10200 m (33,500 ft) | 10100 m (33,100 ft) | |||
| 9200 m (30,100 ft) | 9600 m (31,500 ft) | 9600 m (31,500 ft) | |||
| 8900 m (29,100 ft) | 9000 m (29,500 ft) | 9100 m (29,900 ft) | |||
| | | |||
| 8400 m (27,600 ft) | 8400 m (27,600 ft) | 8600 m (28,200 ft) | |||
| 8100 m (26,600 ft) | 8100 m (26,600 ft) | 8100 m (26,600 ft) | |||
| 7800 m (25,600 ft) | 7800 m (25,600 ft) | 7800 m (25,600 ft) | |||
| 7500 m (24,600 ft) | 7500 m (24,600 ft) | 7500 m (24,600 ft) | |||
| 7200 m (23,600 ft) | 7200 m (23,600 ft) | 7200 m (23,600 ft) | |||
| 6900 m (22,600 ft) | 6900 m (22,600 ft) | 6900 m (22,600 ft) | |||
| 6600 m (21,700 ft) | 6600 m (21,700 ft) | 6600 m (21,700 ft) | |||
| 6300 m (20,700 ft) | 6300 m (20,700 ft) | 6300 m (20,700 ft) | |||
| 6000 m (19,700 ft) | 6000 m (19,700 ft) | 6000 m (19,700 ft) | |||
| 5700 m (18,700 ft) | 5700 m (18,700 ft) | 5700 m (18,700 ft) | |||
| 5400 m (17,700 ft) | 5400 m (17,700 ft) | 5400 m (17,700 ft) | |||
| 5100 m (16,700 ft) | 5100 m (16,700 ft) | 5100 m (16,700 ft) | |||
| 4800 m (15,700 ft) | 4800 m (15,700 ft) | 4800 m (15,700 ft) | |||
| 4500 m (14,800 ft) | 4500 m (14,800 ft) | 4500 m (14,800 ft) | |||
| 4200 m (13,800 ft) | 4200 m (13,800 ft) | 4200 m (13,800 ft) | |||
| 3900 m (12,800 ft) | 3900 m (12,800 ft) | 3900 m (12,800 ft) | |||
| 3600 m (11,800 ft) | 3600 m (11,800 ft) | 3600 m (11,800 ft) | |||
| 3300 m (10,800 ft) | 3300 m (10,800 ft) | 3300 m (10,800 ft) | |||
| 3000 m (9,800 ft) | 3000 m (9,800 ft) | 3000 m (9,800 ft) | |||
| 2700 m (8,900 ft) | 2700 m (8,900 ft) | 2700 m (8,900 ft) | |||
| 2400 m (7,900 ft) | 2400 m (7,900 ft) | 2400 m (7,900 ft) | |||
| 2100 m (6,900 ft) | 2100 m (6,900 ft) | 2100 m (6,900 ft) | |||
| 1800 m (5,900 ft) | 1800 m (5,900 ft) | 1800 m (5,900 ft) | |||
| 1500 m (4,900 ft) | 1500 m (4,900 ft) | 1500 m (4,900 ft) | |||
| 1200 m (3,900 ft) | 1200 m (3,900 ft) | 1200 m (3,900 ft) | |||
| 900 m (3,000 ft) | 900 m (3,000 ft) | 900 m (3,000 ft) | |||
| 600 m (2,000 ft) | 600 m (2,000 ft) | 600 m (2,000 ft) | |||
(출처: www.virtualpilots.org)
출처 : 플라이트 시뮬레이터 | 글쓴이 : 축구황제[권준] | 원글보기
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