Vatpac & Vatnz Event 5th Dec 2009

[Ray Lang]

Cross the Ditch - 5th December 1900 to 6th December 1100 UTC - 2009

Cross the Ditch is brought to you by VATPAC and VATNZ. For sixteen hours this December, the Oceanic skies over the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand will be filled with aircraft on a mission to "Cross the Ditch".

This is classic example of that typical down-under understatement as this "ditch" is over 1100nm wide. Flight routes have be chosen between three major city pairs on opposite sides of the Tasman. These oceanic tracks converge ensuring ATC will have their hands full. Flights range from three to four-and-a-half hours.

Throughout the event, VATNZ and VATPAC will providing full gate-to-gate ATC coverage, with the aim to making this the Southern Hemisphere's premiere oceanic event.

City Pairs

Auckland NZAA and Melbourne YMML
Wellington NZWN and Sydney YSSY
Christchurch NZCH and Brisbane YBBN

Pilots Bookings:

Pilot can book their slots now via Vroute or Directly via the Cross the Ditch Website. http://avigation.net/events/crosstheditch/

Cross the Ditch pilots are required to utilize "Oceanic Position Reporting". To standardise these reports please use the VATNZ Oceanica Position Reporting Tool. (http://www.vatnz.net/cms/index.php?option=com_content&task=category&sectionid=8&id=28&Itemid=44) Simply fill-in the details and read the formatted report. Please note that "online" the information from temperature down is not required.