ROUTE PLANNING

BARCELONA (EL PRAT) PARIS (ORLY)

AYMAN ODEH OLMEDA

3rd IA GROUP 831

Here there is an approximation of a real air route between Barcelona (El Prat airport
LEBL) and Paris (Orly airport LFPO) using different charts, route calculators and
AIPs. The virtual route obtained by Route Finder (route calculator) has been compared
with en-route charts and even real paths followed by flights LEBL-LFPO:

Real route followed by Vueling flight (VY8010) from Barcelona to Paris Orly.
If we see the representation of our virtual route (which includes SID, STAR and IAC
waypoints) in Google Earth (Drawn in Google Maps to improve aspect see in the enroute part) is easy to observe that it matches the path of the real flight, although we
must recall that there are shortest routes (we can find them in the en-route charts), but
for different reasons, they dont allow this flight.
Now we find the description in detail of the different stages of the flight:

DEPARTURE (SID)
Take off takes part by runway 25L (diurnal). The selection of this runway has not been
arbitrary, as aerodrome information has been consulted in the ENAIRE AIP:

Preferential use of runways at LEBL

Following these preferential configurations, we should use RW25L. In addition, it is
known that West configuration (25) is the most used because of the most common
wind situation. RW25R is discarded because the distance does not require a big aircraft
(for instance, an A320 as uses Vueling is a common aircraft to cover this distance)

Runway 25L matches all the requirements

Aerial view of RWY25L

The procedure for the departure would be the following:

The controller assigns OKABI THREE WHISKEY DEPARTURE (OKABI3W). Aircraft
climbs to 500ft on runway heading (250). Turns left at 164 (magnetic track) until
intercepting radial 208 of the DVOR-DME at El Prat (R-208 PRA). Continues climbing
at that radial to reach 8.0 DME PRA (8 NM from PRA) at 2500 ft or more. Turns right to

intercept magnetic route 287 NDB VNV (Non Directional Beacon in Villanueva) and
continues climbing to get to NDB VNV at 5000 ft or above. Turns right (and climbs) to
follow magnetic route 353 NDB VNV to cross KARDO at FL120 or above and
continues at 353 to OKABI. There is a 5% minimum climbing gradient until 8.0 DME
PRA.

Path followed at the SID chart

Standard Departure maneuvers (OKABI3W):

Climbing at constant vertical speed at a 5% of minimum climbing rate until reach
2500 ft at 8.0 DME PRAT. Then climbing continues to get to FL 120 in KARDO. Use of
artificial horizon, anemometer, variometer and tachometer.
Adjusting the altimeter when reaching transition altitude of 6000ft (Spain) with
reference pressure 1013 mb to start using flight levels.
Turning left (while climbing) at 164 magnetic track (using the compass) until
intercept radial 208 of DVOR-DME PRA (Frequency 114.30 MHz must be selected and
the radial 208 at the OBS of the CDI to see the deviation from the radial desired and

correct it). Need of anemometer (speed), turn coordinator (roll and yaw), tachometer
(engine power) and variometer (vertical speed)
Turning right (while climbing) to intercept the magnetic route 287 NDB VNV (read
ADF, which indicates the angle between the plane and the NDB and correct course)
and follow it until reaching NDB VNV at 5000 ft or above. Turn coordinator,
variometer, tachometer and anemometer.
Turning right (while climbing) to follow the magnetic route 353 NDB VNV (read
ADF, which indicates the angle between the plane and the NDB an correct course) and
follow it until reaching KARDO at FL120 or above. Turn coordinator, variometer,
tachometer and anemometer.
Continue climbing at 353 direct to OKABI. Variometer

SID manoeuvers

Speed and roll angles for the first turn to the left are given in the chart:

Indicated roll angle depends on the indicated speed.

EN-ROUTE STAGE
After OKABI, route R861 is followed until reaching Upper Airspace. Then UN861 is the
route, which is followed towards TOU and FISTO.

Then, UY156 from FISTO to PERIG,

UT210 from PERIG to TUDRA, passing through DIBAG, and UT158 from TUDRA to
AMBOISE (last waypoint en-route), passing through BEVOL.

The route calculation with its waypoints:

Adding SID, STAR and IAC fixes:

The plot in Google Maps allows us to see the matching with VY8010 flight track:

The UIRs overflown are:

BARCELONA UIR (LECB)
FRANCE UIR (LFFF)

World UIRs
As we have mentioned, the departure waypoint of the origin TMA is OKABI and the
first of the destination TMA is AMBOISE.
FIRs (Flight Information Regions) crossed are:
FIR BARCELONA, BORDEAUX (LFBB) and PARIS (LFFF).

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BARCELONA FIR is left in OKABI to enter BORDEAUX FIR, which is left in

AMBOISE to enter PARIS FIR.

STANDARD ARRIVAL (STAR)

Once AMBOISE is reached, we are in Paris TMA and the ATC assigns AMBOISE5E.
Aircraft gets to Amboise by the radial 14 of VOR AMB, whose frequency is at the table
attached, at flight level 240 (24000 ft) and speed limited to 280kt. Then, radial 20 of
VOR CAD is selected to reach CHATEAUDUN at flight level 130. After that, the radial
35 of the same VOR is selected to get to SOTIP at a flight level lower or equal than 120
and maximum indicated airspeed of 250 kt. Finally the aircrafts goes directly towards
ODILO (Initial Approach Fix) at FL100 to start the approach and landing to runway 06
in LFPO.

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APPROACH (IAC)
Once the pilot is given clearance from LFPO ATC after IAF, the initial approach starts:
The initial approach chart which is provided to approach from ODILO gives the
procedure to descend until intercepting ILS of runway 06 using GNSS and DME
(which provides position by satellite and distance by DME)
With the course 35 which was obtained from R035 VOR CAD, aircraft descends to
4000ft to PO609 and maintains this altitude going towards PO611. Then turns right
until reaching ILS RWY 06 at course 36.
This is a straight-in approach with the IAF (ODILO) out of the central line of the
runway 06.

Initial approach (IAC chart)

Once the ILS (Instrument Landing System) RWY 06 is intercepted, the precision final
approach starts and the Glide Slope (G/S) helps the aircraft to maintain the desired
descent rate and the LOC to keep it aligned with the runway (both deviation from
alignment and decent slope are shown on the CDI as yellow vertical and horizontal
lines).
This ILS RWY 06 allows also to perform the three categories of ILS, even CAT III,
which makes possible to land with zero visibility automatically with the autopilot.
Now the aircraft is already aligned with the runway.

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Final approach (IAC chart)

At the Intermediate Fix (IF), which is at 14.3 NM from DME ORE the altitude of 4000 is
maintained until reaching Final Approach Fix (11.3 ORE), when aircraft intercepts LOC
and starts to descend at a slope of 3.0 or rate 5.2% when reaching the OM (outer
marker at 4.2 ORE) to finally land at RW06, if no missed approach takes place. If
missed approach occurs, aircraft must climb from MAPT (Missed Approach Point) at
0.8 NM from runway up to 2000ft. Then, at 6.4 NM from POY (NDB 334) it turns right
to R-135 VOR MLN (113.6) until reaching 81 angle with POY. Then it climbs to 4000ft
or follows ATC clearance. When reaching MLN, it has to climb to FL070 and start the
holding pattern MOLBA, with IAS limited to 230kt.

Vertical profile of the approach with the IF, FAF and MAP

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The runway 06 has been selected because of the preferential configurations of the AIP:

Runway preferences at LFPO

If we choose runway 26 (preferred to land facing west), the approach is not simple:

Landing with circling and use of guidance radar.

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At course 35 VASOL is reached from ODILO and a non-usual pattern must be

followed to land at runway 26. Then, from VASOL the aircraft turns to 85 until PO615,
where it must descend to 3000 ft and then, at radial 360 VOR MLN turns left to radial
006 MLN. At 18 NM from it should turn left to intercept FNA read-back approach. We
could use LOC of runway 08 (opposite one) to perform a LOC back course approach.
Guidance radar is used. As the aircraft gets first way from the airport, it is called
circling procedure, and takes standard inversion action, as it goes away of the runway
(outbound-turning right) and then turns left (turn phase) until the plane is aligned
with runway 26 (inbound).

Another possibility to approach runways 06 or 26 could be to perform a hippodrome if

the aircraft has no proper configuration to approach (need of descent or other
requirements as speed limit). At ODILO we find a standard hippodrome (right turn),
with four stages: inbound at straight leg 35 until ODILO, outbound turn (half
circumference 1 minute 180), outbound at straight leg 215 (parallel to 35) until
being at 9.7 DME ODILO and then inbound turn of 1 minute to intercept the initial
track and start the approach if everything is ready for that. At RWY 06:

Hippodrome procedure to adjust aircraft parameters before landing.

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Approaching without G/S

If Glide Slope (G/S) is not available, landing gets more difficult and another way to
descend at the proper rate (5.2%) should be found. Supposing that LOC of runway 06
is available, alignment with runway is met easily and our only problem is to descend
correctly. That can be made using the PAPI visual navaid (at the runway), which gives
information to the pilot about the deviation from the glide path. PAPI emits light in
two segments (red and white) and depending on the approach angle, the pilot sees red
or white colour. It is normally placed at the left side of the runway. If half of the total
lights (commonly 4) look red and the others look white, the aircraft follows the normal
glide path. If there are more red lights than white ones, the slope is below the proper
one and above if white lights are more. Then, deviation can be corrected varying pitch
angle to find correct glide slope and increase speed to maintain it. Act on throttle and
elevators and use anemometer, and variometer.

All procedures indicated are standard and can be modified by meteorological

conditions and ATC clearances.

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