Author Topic: Syracuse Departure Altitude Assignments  (Read 4512 times)

Offline makonyy15

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Syracuse Departure Altitude Assignments
« on: April 27, 2012, 10:46:47 AM »
Quick question regarding altitudes being assigned by KSYR Dep today. Normally, SYR Dep clears departing aircraft up to 10,000 feet before handing them off to the respective center frequency. However, on multiple occasions today, Dep has been clearing aircraft above that, up to FL180 (CJC 3939) and 15,000 ft (PDT 4103). Any idea why this would be happening?
« Last Edit: April 27, 2012, 10:51:31 AM by makonyy15 »



Offline dave

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Re: Syracuse Departure Altitude Assignments
« Reply #1 on: April 27, 2012, 12:03:29 PM »
Quick question regarding altitudes being assigned by KSYR Dep today. Normally, SYR Dep clears departing aircraft up to 10,000 feet before handing them off to the respective center frequency. However, on multiple occasions today, Dep has been clearing aircraft above that, up to FL180 (CJC 3939) and 15,000 ft (PDT 4103). Any idea why this would be happening?

Boston Center could have delegated authority for climbs during that time period...or perhaps Syracuse Departure coordinated each one individually.  Hard to tell which, or if there was some other reason.  As far as I know, 10,000' is still the top of Syracuse Approach's airspace.

Offline davolijj

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Re: Syracuse Departure Altitude Assignments
« Reply #2 on: April 29, 2012, 09:48:47 AM »
This happens quite often when there is an overflight operating at or near the top of their airspace (i.e. 10,000), which gets in the way of departing traffic.

Since the SYR departures climb to 10000 and are changed to center frequency, think of what would happen if the aircraft got the frequency wrong, or there was a stuck mic, or any number of other contingencies happened which prevented the center from climbing it...now the aircraft is in confliction with traffic in approach's airspace which the center probably doesn't see.  In that case the approach controller would request a higher altitude from the center controller and assign it to the departure.