Federal Airway System

GirlInTraining · July 16th, 2002, 05:59

During a late night reading of the AIM (ok, ok, I know I'm a big nerd), I came back across the terms "red/green/amber/blue airways". In AIM 20-1-5 it defines these airways are/were used to designate routes between low/medium frequency NAVAIDS (e.g. NDBs). My questions are:

How did you know you were on the airway?
When did these stop being used/depicted? I remember reading they are still in use across Alaska....

Raskal · July 16th, 2002, 12:34

I met an old guy a couple of weeks ago that was telling me about that. Basically you would take navigational fixes off the light (once you found it) and that would allow you to correct for wind, than you could check your progress on the next one.

I don't recall the color usage

MartinFierro · July 16th, 2002, 18:59

Don't know about other areas of the U.S., but the Jepp Florida Low-Enroute Charts still depict a number of these colored airways.

I wonder if they ever get used at all?

Richman · March 15th, 2003, 22:46

Heyho,

Actually, a few colored airways still exsist, I think. There were some out by the Eastern shore of North Carolina.

Anyway, they were just like Victor or Jet airways, except that they were designated with NDBs instead of VORS.

You could tell you were on course the same way as when you were on course with an NDB approach (that is, magnetic bearing from/to the station).

I was flying out of Montreal the other day, and part of the airway was made up by an NDB.

Hope this helps,
Richard

ananoman · March 16th, 2003, 20:46

I think that there are a few lights left from the old lighted airways still in operation out West, mainly in mountain passes. Maybe a poster from out there could comment....

MikeD · March 17th, 2003, 07:22

[ QUOTE ]
During a late night reading of the AIM (ok, ok, I know I'm a big nerd), I came back across the terms "red/green/amber/blue airways". In AIM 20-1-5 it defines these airways are/were used to designate routes between low/medium frequency NAVAIDS (e.g. NDBs). My questions are:

How did you know you were on the airway?
When did these stop being used/depicted? I remember reading they are still in use across Alaska....

[/ QUOTE ]

Like the others said, most of these airways went out along with the old Consolan Stations, though a few NDB airways exist in very rural areas, mainly Alaska and Canada.

MD

mtsu_av8er · March 18th, 2003, 22:38

There are actually quite a few of the colored airways that run between the Carolinas and the Florida coast.

AR7 and AR14 are based on the Dixon NDB (DIW) and run down toward Florida, and AR1 runs from the Carolina Beach NDB (CLB) to the south. J174 goes northeast from the Wilmington VORTAC on the R-062 25 miles to DIW, and then out on the DIW 031 bearing 67 miles until it picks up the Norfolk (OFR) R-211.

They actually use these quite frequently, and if you listen to the frequencies on the coastal areas, you'll hear quite a few of the airliners and bizjets picking up these routes.

Eagle · March 19th, 2003, 05:54

If I recall correctly (I know rare) the airways had different colors based on the heading. like a red route may be north and a yellow could be east (or something like that)

onthebeach · May 17th, 2003, 18:27

Amber & Blue Airways are oriented primarily north-south.

Green & Red Airways are oriented primarily east-west.

MikeD · February 14th, 2004, 18:21

bumped for interest

July 16th, 2002, 05:59	#1
GirlInTraining Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Lounging in Pyjamas Posts: 69	Federal Airway System During a late night reading of the AIM (ok, ok, I know I'm a big nerd), I came back across the terms "red/green/amber/blue airways". In AIM 20-1-5 it defines these airways are/were used to designate routes between low/medium frequency NAVAIDS (e.g. NDBs). My questions are: How did you know you were on the airway? When did these stop being used/depicted? I remember reading they are still in use across Alaska....

July 16th, 2002, 12:34	#2
Raskal Newbie Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: PTK Posts: 26	Re: Federal Airway System I met an old guy a couple of weeks ago that was telling me about that. Basically you would take navigational fixes off the light (once you found it) and that would allow you to correct for wind, than you could check your progress on the next one. I don't recall the color usage

July 16th, 2002, 18:59	#3
MartinFierro Newbie Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Atlanta, GA/Cordoba, Argentina Posts: 29	Re: Federal Airway System Don't know about other areas of the U.S., but the Jepp Florida Low-Enroute Charts still depict a number of these colored airways. I wonder if they ever get used at all?

March 15th, 2003, 22:46	#4
Richman Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Florida Posts: 35	Re: Federal Airway System Heyho, Actually, a few colored airways still exsist, I think. There were some out by the Eastern shore of North Carolina. Anyway, they were just like Victor or Jet airways, except that they were designated with NDBs instead of VORS. You could tell you were on course the same way as when you were on course with an NDB approach (that is, magnetic bearing from/to the station). I was flying out of Montreal the other day, and part of the airway was made up by an NDB. Hope this helps, Richard

March 16th, 2003, 20:46	#5
ananoman Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Posts: 916	Re: Federal Airway System I think that there are a few lights left from the old lighted airways still in operation out West, mainly in mountain passes. Maybe a poster from out there could comment....

March 17th, 2003, 07:22	#6
MikeD Administrator Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Pinal Airpark Posts: 6,897	Re: Federal Airway System [ QUOTE ] During a late night reading of the AIM (ok, ok, I know I'm a big nerd), I came back across the terms "red/green/amber/blue airways". In AIM 20-1-5 it defines these airways are/were used to designate routes between low/medium frequency NAVAIDS (e.g. NDBs). My questions are: How did you know you were on the airway? When did these stop being used/depicted? I remember reading they are still in use across Alaska.... [/ QUOTE ] Like the others said, most of these airways went out along with the old Consolan Stations, though a few NDB airways exist in very rural areas, mainly Alaska and Canada. MD

March 18th, 2003, 22:38	#7
mtsu_av8er Old Skool Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Utopia Posts: 12,477	Re: Federal Airway System There are actually quite a few of the colored airways that run between the Carolinas and the Florida coast. AR7 and AR14 are based on the Dixon NDB (DIW) and run down toward Florida, and AR1 runs from the Carolina Beach NDB (CLB) to the south. J174 goes northeast from the Wilmington VORTAC on the R-062 25 miles to DIW, and then out on the DIW 031 bearing 67 miles until it picks up the Norfolk (OFR) R-211. They actually use these quite frequently, and if you listen to the frequencies on the coastal areas, you'll hear quite a few of the airliners and bizjets picking up these routes.

March 19th, 2003, 05:54	#8
Eagle Banned Join Date: Oct 2000 Posts: 1,272	Re: Federal Airway System If I recall correctly (I know rare) the airways had different colors based on the heading. like a red route may be north and a yellow could be east (or something like that)

May 17th, 2003, 18:27	#9
onthebeach Newbie Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 22	Re: Federal Airway System Amber & Blue Airways are oriented primarily north-south. Green & Red Airways are oriented primarily east-west.

February 14th, 2004, 18:21	#10
MikeD Administrator Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Pinal Airpark Posts: 6,897	Re: Federal Airway System bumped for interest

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