The FAA is publishing 54 GPS-guided routes in Alaska, allowing pilots to navigate direct flight paths at lower altitudes to avoid icing conditions.
The 30 new and 24 amended Terminal Transition Routes, known as T-routes, are part of the FAA’s Alaska Aviation Safety Initiative, according to agency officials.
“Flying in Alaska is unlike any other place in the United States,” said Acting FAA Administrator Billy Nolen. “T-routes will provide pilots additional options for completing their missions safely in this uniquely challenging environment.”
Pilots use T-routes to navigate along specific points while flying under instrument flight rules (IFR) using approved Global Positioning System (GPS)/Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) equipment, FAA officials explained.
To date, 13 have been activated. Another 20 are expected to go live in November and December 2022, and the remainder in 2023.
The FAA launched the Alaska Aviation Safety Initiative in October 2020. The agency issued 11 recommendations last October on how to increase aviation safety in Alaska after a comprehensive yearlong examination of safety issues specific to Alaska, where more than 80% of communities are accessible only by air. The development of T-Routes was included in those recommendations.
The FAA is developing additional T-routes to replace Low Frequency/Medium Frequency (LF/MF) airways between now and 2025, officials added.
We need something like this to transition around mode c circles. Seattle’s puts you over mountains.
What does “T” mean?
“Terminal Transition Routes”
Thanks. I was trained to provide definitions of abbreviations and acronyms so us outsiders can understand.
Regards/J
Hi James. Lest you think we didn’t provide a definition (of sorts), the following is the second paragraph in the story, “The 30 new and 24 amended Terminal Transition Routes, known as T-routes, are part of the FAA’s Alaska Aviation Safety Initiative, according to agency officials.”