Author Topic: ATC/aviation term meaning: "cross polar/direct polar"?  (Read 11948 times)

Offline TomCat4680

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ATC/aviation term meaning: "cross polar/direct polar"?
« on: May 01, 2012, 06:17:24 PM »
I'm always hearing Cleveland Center and Flint Approach/Departure say "cross polar" and "direct polar". What does this mean?

« Last Edit: May 01, 2012, 06:19:22 PM by TomCat4680 »



Offline StuSEL

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Re: ATC/aviation term meaning: "cross polar/direct polar"?
« Reply #1 on: May 01, 2012, 07:02:51 PM »
POLAR is an intersection (aka a fix) on the POLAR3 arrival into Detroit Metro Airport (DTW). The letter of agreement between Flint Approach and Detroit Approach specifies that certain aircraft will be instructed to cross POLAR at and maintain 6,000. 5,000 and 4,000 are used for turboprops and pistons respectively, if I recall correctly. When Flint Approach is closed, Cleveland Center takes control of its airspace and provides the same instructions.

POLAR is also used to route aircraft into Pontiac (PTK), Willow Run (YIP), Detroit City (DET), Troy (VLL), and Metro (DTW). You may hear the controllers issuing instructions saying "Depart POLAR on a 180 heading, radar vector to [destination airport]" or "Depart POLAR on the Windsor (YQG) 346 or 343 radial, vector to [destination airport]." Those instructions all comply with provisions in the letter of agreement between Detroit Approach and Flint Approach with regard to routing aircraft into Detroit Approach's airspace. (The airports listed all lie within the Detroit Approach boundary.)

http://155.178.201.160/d-tpp/1204/00119POLAR.PDF

Edit: Mistyped the intersection name.

Offline TomCat4680

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Re: ATC/aviation term meaning: "cross polar/direct polar"?
« Reply #2 on: May 01, 2012, 07:25:42 PM »
POLAR is an intersection (aka a fix) on the POLAR3 arrival into Detroit Metro Airport (DTW). The letter of agreement between Flint Approach and Detroit Approach specifies that certain aircraft will be instructed to cross POLAR at and maintain 6,000. 5,000 and 4,000 are used for turboprops and pistons respectively, if I recall correctly. When Flint Approach is closed, Cleveland Center takes control of its airspace and provides the same instructions.

POLAR is also used to route aircraft into Pontiac (PTK), Willow Run (YIP), Detroit City (DET), Troy (VLL), and Metro (DTW). You may hear the controllers issuing instructions saying "Depart POLAR on a 180 heading, radar vector to [destination airport]" or "Depart POLAR on the Windsor (YQG) 346 or 343 radial, vector to [destination airport]." Those instructions all comply with provisions in the letter of agreement between Detroit Approach and Flint Approach with regard to routing aircraft into Detroit Approach's airspace. (The airports listed all lie within the Detroit Approach boundary.)

http://155.178.201.160/d-tpp/1204/00119POLAR.PDF

Edit: Mistyped the intersection name.

Thanks for the info.

Offline TomCat4680

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Re: ATC/aviation term meaning: "cross polar/direct polar"?
« Reply #3 on: May 23, 2012, 07:54:30 PM »
Do you have one of those maps for Flint Approach's entire airspace?

Offline StuSEL

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Re: ATC/aviation term meaning: "cross polar/direct polar"?
« Reply #4 on: May 25, 2012, 12:06:26 AM »
No, they're not published anywhere. The best description I can give you is that it's a big rectangle. POLAR (Lake Fenton) is on the southern boundary, which extends from Owosso east to Lapeer. The north boundary is somewhere around Birch Run.

Offline TomCat4680

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Re: ATC/aviation term meaning: "cross polar/direct polar"?
« Reply #5 on: May 25, 2012, 01:06:04 AM »
No, they're not published anywhere. The best description I can give you is that it's a big rectangle. POLAR (Lake Fenton) is on the southern boundary, which extends from Owosso east to Lapeer. The north boundary is somewhere around Birch Run.

Well what's the other intersection names for Flint Approach and its other surrounding approaches (i.e. Saginaw, Lansing, and... Selfridge I think)?

Offline StuSEL

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Re: ATC/aviation term meaning: "cross polar/direct polar"?
« Reply #6 on: May 28, 2012, 05:05:48 AM »
Saginaw is to the north, Lansing is to the west, Detroit is to the south, and Selfridge AFB is to the southeast. Cleveland Center has a non-radar sector to the east of Flint as well out there in booneyland.

The boundaries aren't always intersections like POLAR (and in fact I don't actually know if POLAR is the actual boundary or not; I just know the frequency change happens around there). That said I can't think of any off hand that would more clearly define the boundaries.

If you're in the Flint area, you can always schedule a tour there, too.
« Last Edit: August 31, 2013, 12:59:04 AM by StuSEL »