8.33 kHz CHANNEL SPACING IN EUROPE

8.33 channel spacing adds an additional channel every 250 kHz:

Normal VHF radio spacing: 123.000         123.125        123.250

8.33 spacing:                      123.000  123.833  123.176  123.250

SUBJECT: 8.33 KILOHERTZ (KHZ) VHF RADIO CHANNEL SPACING COMPLIANCE AND IMPLEMENTATION IN EUROPE REF: HQ USAF/XOO MSG 011600Z JUL 99

1. THIS IS HQ AMC/DOV FCIF 99-08-02 PLACE IN FCIF PART C (READ FILE). RETAIN FOR 90 DAYS OR AS DETERMINED BY OGV. FOR AMC, AMC-GAINED ANG, AND AFRC MOBILITY FORCES. AFSOC, AFMC, AETC, PACAF, PAGE 02 RHCUAAA0259 UNCLAS AND USAFE TAKE FOR INFORMATION ONLY.

2. EFFECTIVE 7 OCTOBER 1999, AUSTRIA, BELGIUM, FRANCE, GERMANY, LUXEMBOURG, NETHERLANDS AND SWITZERLAND WILL REQUIRE ALL AIRCRAFT OPERATING AT FL 245 AND ABOVE TO HAVE TWO OPERATIONAL 8.33 KHZ VHF RADIOS. ALTHOUGH THESE NATIONS DO NOT COMPRISE THE COMPLETE ICAO EUR REGION, FROM 7 OCTOBER 1999, THE MANDATORY CARRIAGE OF 8.33 RADIOS ABOVE FL 245 WILL APPLY TO THE WHOLE EUR REGION. MOST AMC AND DOD AIRCRAFT WILL NOT BE 8.33 KHZ CAPABLE BY THE IMPLEMENTATION DATE; HOWEVER, UHF-EQUIPPED, STATE, AIRCRAFT [military] WILL BE PERMITTED TO FLY IN 8.33 AIRSPACE PROVIDING THAT AIRSPACE HAS DESIGNATED UHF COVERAGE. WE EXPECT THE NATIONS IMPLEMENTING 8.33 KHZ CHANNEL SPACING TO MAINTAIN AND/OR ESTABLISH ADEQUATE UHF COVERAGE, AND TO ADAPT THEIR PROCEDURES AS NECESSARY TO PROVIDE ATC SERVICES TO MILITARY AIRCRAFT WITHOUT 8.33 RADIO CAPABILITY. EACH NATION SHOULD ALSO PUBLISH RELEVANT INFORMATION IN ITS NATIONAL AIRMAN’S INFORMATION PUBLICATIONS (AIP). 3. IF UHF COVERAGE IS NOT AVAILABLE, FOR EXAMPLE, DUE TO EQUIPMENT PROBLEMS OR AIRCRAFT TRAFFIC SATURATION, ATC MAY DENY ENTRY INTO 8.33 AIRSPACE TO MILITARY AIRCRAFT WITHOUT AN 8.33 CAPABILITY. IN THESE CIRCUMSTANCES, THE AIRCREW MUST OBTAIN A NEW CLEARANCE TO OPERATE OUTSIDE THE 8.33 AIRSPACE. WHILE UHF MAY BE AN ALTERNATIVE MEANS OF COMMUNICATION FOR DOD/USAF AIRCRAFT, THOSE AIRCRAFT WHICH FREQUENTLY USE 8.33 KHZ AIRSPACE SHOULD HAVE 8.33 CAPABILITY FOR EFFICIENT OPERATION IN THE AIRSPACE.

4. AIRCRAFT THAT ARE NOT COMPATIBLE WITH 8.33 FREQUENCIES MAY CONTINUE TO OPERATE IN EUROPE, BUT ATC MAY PROHIBIT OPERATIONS ABOVE FL245 AND/OR AIRCREWS CAN EXPECT FLIGHT PLAN RE-ROUTING AND/OR DEPARTURE DELAYS. IN THE EVENT OF A RE-ROUTE, AIRCREWS SHOULD NOTE THAT NORMAL DIPLOMATIC CLEARANCES APPLY AND THAT ATC CLEARANCE TO ROUTE THROUGH A THIRD COUNTRY’S AIRSPACE DOES NOT CONSTITUTE DIPLOMATIC CLEARANCE TO DO SO.

5. FLIGHT PLANNING: AIRCREWS WILL INDICATE THE AIRCRAFT’S 8.33 EQUIPMENT STATUS OR EXEMPTION STATUS IN BLOCK 10 AND BLOCK 18 (RESPECTIVELY) OF THEIR ICAO FLIGHT PLAN (DD FORM 1801). FROM 7 OCTOBER 1999, THE INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT PLANNING SYSTEM (IFPS) WILL REJECT FLIGHT PLANS THAT DO NOT INDICATE COMPLIANCE WITH, OR EXEMPTION FROM, THE 8.33 AIRSPACE REQUIREMENTS.

PAGE 04 RHCUAAA0259 UNCLAS A. FOR AIRCRAFT CERTIFIED BY THEIR MAJCOM AS 8.33 COMPLIANT, AIRCREWS MUST ENTER “Y” IN BLOCK 10 OF THE FLIGHT PLAN.

B. FOR NON-COMPATIBLE AIRCRAFT, THAT HAVE UHF RADIOS, AIRCREWS SHOULD ENTER “U” IN BLOCK 10, TO INDICATE UHF RADIO CAPABILITY AND ALSO “STS/EXM833” IN BLOCK 18 OF THE FLIGHT PLAN.

6. AIRCREW SHOULD NOTE THAT IF AN AIRCRAFT OPERATES 25 KHZ RADIOS IN A SECTOR WHICH HAS DESIGNATED FOR 8.33 KHZ OPERATIONS, ATC MAY NOT RECEIVE ITS TRANSMISSIONS. MOREOVER, THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR TRANSMISSIONS FROM A 25 KHZ SPACING RADIO TO BLOCK OUT OTHER TRANSMISSIONS ON ADJACENT 8.33 KHZ CHANNELS. THESE OCCURRENCES WOULD BE UNPREDICTABLE. THEREFORE, AIRCREWS SHALL USE UHF RADIOS, UNLESS 8.33 EQUIPPED, AND THEY SHALL NOT ATTEMPT TO CALL MILITARY OR OTHER CIVILIAN FACILITIES ON NON-8.33 KHZ RADIOS WHILE OPERATING IN 8.33 KHZ AIRSPACE.

7. HQ AFFSA/XO IS DRAFTING 8.33 KHZ GUIDANCE FOR FLIP AREA PLANNING DOCUMENTS DURING THE NEXT AVAILABLE FLIP UPDATE CYCLE. AIRCREWS CAN FIND THIS MESSAGE AND MORE EUROCONTROL 8.33 GUIDANCE ON THE AFFSA/XOP WEBPAGE AT:  HTTP://WWW.ANDREWS.AF.MIL/TENANTS/AFFSA/AFFSAXO.HTM 

8. THIS IS A COORDINATED MESSAGE. HQ POCS ARE: MAJ WELLS, ANG/DOOM, DSN 327-2928; LT COL BELL, AFRC/DOTV, DSN 497-0531; CMSGT CUMMINGS AMC/DOVI, DSN 576-4009.