TEC route minutia

[kullery]

A question for PE TEC route gurus...

In looking at the details of how TEC routes are defined in the A/FD, the abbreviations (LAXE) and (LAXW) are used to define routes to airports near LAX depending on the direction LAX is operating. Too my understanding it DOES NOT indicate that this is a valid route if your destination is LAX.

So with this in mind, I don't believe that there is a defined TEC route from KAVX to KLAX in the A/FD. However both Foreflight and iFLightPlanner.com offer CSTN43 and CSTN46 as valid TEC routes for this trip. These routes make no sense as both would take you 20 miles past LAX before turning back south to LAX.

Have both of these services misinterpreted the meaning of (LAXE) and (LAXE), or is there something I am missing here?

AVX-LAX.jpg (116.54 KiB) Viewed 6589 times

[Keith Smith]

You're right. Their code appears to be doing wildcard matching on that airport list and it's matching LAX with (LAXE). Great find!

[kullery]

Thanks Keith....

I wanted to make sure I was reading it right B4 sending off a note to your new buddy at Foreflight.

[djrisc]

Good catch!

The other thing that drives me crazy about ForeFlight TEC routes is the fact that it doesn't specify what aircraft type they are for (it just drops you a list, even if you have your aircraft type set in ForeFlight it will try and give you both jet and prop routes for example.) I wish it would just show the aircraft type code in the route drop down.

The odd part is if you change aircraft, you'll see the screen refresh on routes, so it is doing some kind of refresh on the data, but I still get jet routes sometimes for my C172, so I have to double check them before using them.

At least that's how I perceive it. Maybe I'm missing something?

Brett

[Keith Smith]

Brett, I feel the same way and don't use the functionality yet for those reasons. You should drop them a note with that info, they'd appreciate it, team@foreflight.com.

I've raised the original issue with them (LAXE/W).

[Denny22]

How or where do you find the TEC route's in ForeFlight?

Thanks
Denny

[djrisc]

1. Go to the sectional view
2. In the search bar, enter departure airport and destination airport. (so for example enter "KVNY KSMO")
3. Click on the NAVLOG button (The button with 3 horizontal lines on it.)
4. Click on Edit mode
5. Notice the "Routes" button, which will have a count of the total suggested routes for what you currently have entered. (in this case KVNY to KSMO)

TEC routes will show up under the "TEC" header in Routes.

However, make SURE you look up the TEC route before using it to make sure it's appropriate to your aircraft type. (issue listed above.)

Easiest way I've found to look it up is to use: http://laartcc.org/tecroutes.php (or.. you could just use this in the first place and enter the route in to ForeFlight after the fact, which is what I'm doing now.)

Enjoy!

Brett

[Keith Smith]

the laartcc.org reference is not a FAA source, it's actually the VATSIM Los Angeles ARTCC web site. Their data is not guaranteed to be up to date. I know of one case where it wasn't, but by and large, it's fairly accurate.

[djrisc]

I never even noticed that was a VATSIM site. I just did a google search for Los Angeles TEC routes. lol

oops!

Brett

[Keith Smith]

FWIW, other than the I-3 and I-4, simply having access to the database of routes, including the route codes (ie, SMON1) is good enough. Once you know where the TEC route areas are (Socal, Pt Mugu, and Santa Barbara TRACON), you show up, call for TEC without filing, and copy the route. It'll either be a full route clearance, or they might use the TEC route code. If it's the former, you're all set. If it's the latter, you read it back, then look it up in the table from the AFD supplement and you're all set.

I know and agree that the online databases are more convenient, and if you're only going to fly in the sim, that's fine, but if you'd like to replicate what will happen if you do it in the airplane, that's the flow I'd follow.