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REVISED AIRCRAFT EQUIPMENT

 SUFFIX TABLE FOR FAA FLIGHT PLANS:

EFFECTIVE SEPTEMBER 1, 2005

 1.  Introduction.  An effective time of “0901 UTC” is added for this update.  

 

a.  Effective September 1, 2005 at 0901 UTC, when filing an FAA Flight Plan (FAA Form 7233-1), operators will use a new set of aircraft equipment suffixes to indicate Advanced RNAV and RVSM capabilities.  Either “/J”, “/K”  “/L” or a newly defined “/Q” will be filed to indicate Advanced RNAV and RVSM capabilities.   “/W” will continue to indicate RVSM capability only.  The revised aircraft equipment suffix table that will be effective on September 1, 2005 is attached to this notice. 

 

b. Equipment Suffix Definition Changes.  The revised table also contains significant changes to the definitions of “/E”, “/F” and “/Q”.  The revised table will replace that posted in the

February 17, 2005 edition of the Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM).

 

c.  Important Note:  Use of one of the new aircraft equipment suffixes prior to September 1, 2005 at 0901 UTC will likely result in your flight plan being rejected.  Although due to publication cycles, the revised suffix table will be published in the August 4, 2005 edition of the AIM, users are cautioned to continue to use the suffixes defined in the February 17, 2005 edition of the AIM until September 1, 2005.

 

d.  The September 1 change will mark the fourth and final phase of the plan announced in October 2004 in FAA Notice GEN04006, Revised Aircraft Equipment Suffix Table for FAA Flight Plans. GEN04006 outlined a phased approach to enable operators to better indicate aircraft Advanced RNAV and RVSM capabilities using aircraft equipment suffixes.  Phase 3 was implemented on January 20, 2005 to coincide with RVSM implementation in the domestic U.S. 

 

2.  General Policies for FAA Flight Plan Equipment Suffix.

 

a.  Operators can only file one equipment suffix in block 3 of the FAA Flight Plan.  Only this equipment suffix is displayed directly to the controller.

 

b.  If the operator or aircraft has not been authorized to conduct RVSM operations, “/W”, “/J”, “/K”, “/L” or “/Q” will not be filed.  This is in accordance with 14 CFR Part 91 Appendix G, Section 4.  The appropriate equipment suffix from the aircraft equipment suffix table will be filed instead.  

 

c.  Aircraft with RNAV Capability.  For flight in RVSM airspace, aircraft with RNAV and RVSM capability, but not Advanced RNAV capability, will file “/W”.  Filing “/W” will not preclude such aircraft from filing and flying direct routes in enroute airspace.

 

3.  Policy for ICAO Flight Plan Equipment Suffixes. 

 

a.  Operators/aircraft that are RVSM-compliant and that file ICAO flight plans will continue to file “/W” in block 10 (Equipment) to indicate RVSM authorization and will also file the appropriate ICAO Flight Plan suffixes to indicate navigation and communication capabilities.  The equipment suffixes contained in the attached table are for use only in FAA Flight Plan (FAA Form 7233-1). 

 

b.  As of January 20, 2005, operators/aircraft that file ICAO flight plans that include flight in Domestic U.S. RVSM airspace must file “/W” in block 10 to indicate RVSM authorization.

 

4.  Importance of Flight Plan Equipment Suffixes.  The operator must file the appropriate equipment suffix in the equipment block of the FAA Flight Plan or the ICAO Flight Plan.   The equipment suffix informs ATC:

 

·        Whether or not the operator and aircraft are authorized to fly in RVSM airspace

 

·        The navigation and/or transponder capability of the aircraft (e.g., Advanced RNAV, Transponder with Mode C)

 

5.  Significant ATC uses of the flight plan equipment suffix information are:

 

·        To issue or deny clearance into RVSM airspace

 

·        To apply a 2,000 foot vertical separation minimum in RVSM airspace to aircraft that are not authorized for RVSM, but are in one of the limited categories of Non-RVSM operators/aircraft that the FAA has agreed to accommodate. 

 

·        To determine if the aircraft has “Advanced RNAV” capabilities and can be cleared to fly procedures for which that capability is required.

 

 FAA Flight Plan Aircraft Suffixes

 Effective September 1, 2005

 

Suffix

 Equipment Capability

 

NO DME

/X

No transponder

/T

Transponder with no Mode C

/U

Transponder with Mode C

 

DME

/D

No transponder

/B

Transponder with no Mode C

/A

Transponder with Mode C

 

TACAN ONLY

/M

No transponder

/N

Transponder with no Mode C

/P

Transponder with Mode C

 

AREA NAVIGATION (RNAV)

/Y

LORAN, VOR/DME, or INS with no transponder

/C

LORAN, VOR/DME, or INS, transponder with no Mode C

/I

LORAN, VOR/DME, or INS, transponder with Mode C

 

ADVANCED RNAV WITH TRANSPONDER AND MODE C (If an aircraft is unable to operate with a transponder and/or Mode C, it will revert to the appropriate code listed above under Area Navigation.)

/E

Flight Management System (FMS) with DME/DME and IRU position updating

/F

Flight Management System (FMS) with DME/DME position updating

/G

Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), including GPS or WAAS, with enroute and terminal capability. 

/R

Required Navigational Performance.   The aircraft meets the RNP type prescribed for the route segment(s), route(s) and/or area concerned.

 

 

Reduced Vertical Separation Minimum (RVSM).  Prior to conducting RVSM operations within the U.S., the operator must obtain authorization from the FAA or from the responsible authority, as appropriate.

/J

/E with RVSM

/K

/F with RVSM

/L

/G with RVSM

/Q

/R with RVSM

/W

RVSM