1. Training
2. Center
3. Oceanic Clearances

ZAK Oceanic Clearances and Procedures

Oakland ARTCC is responsible for air traffic control services within the Oakland OCA/FIR (ZAK) from
FL055 and above, and for flight information and alerting services from surface and above. As ZAK is a non-radar control area, ZSE has some additional responsibilities for handing aircraft off.

Sending Aircraft

ZSE controllers must prepare several pieces of information for ZAK before an aircraft crosses the ARTCC boundary / Transfer of Control (TCP) fix.

• For VATUSA facilities, at least 15 minutes prior to the TCP, collect the following information and send it to the ZAK controller via private message.
  -Aircraft Callsign
  -TCP Fix
  -TCP ETA (the zulu time at which the aircraft will cross the TCP or ARTCC boundary)
  -Requested Altitude
  
  
• For example: ASA626 SEDAR 1700z FL360
• ZAK will acknowledge your message and provide any clearance adjustments as needed. If they respond with a different zulu time, for example 1705z, it is your responsibility to ensure the aircraft does not cross the TCP before 1705z.
  
  
• When obtaining the TCP ETA, you may calculate it based on aircraft distance and speed to TCP or ask the pilot for an estimated time over the fix. If the TCP ETA changes by more than 3 minutes, you must inform ZAK of the revised TCP time. 
  
  
• Not later than 5 minutes prior to the TCP you should instruct the aircraft to squawk 2000 and contact the appropriate San Francisco Radio frequency.

Example Scenario 

*20 minutes prior to the aircraft crossing TCP
Seattle ARTCC: "ASA626, say estimated time over SEDAR"

ASA626: "1700z"

Seattle ARTCC sends a private message to the ZAK controller with the following: "ASA626 SEDAR 1700z FL360"

*5 minutes prior to TCP
Seattle ARTCC: "ASA626, radar service terminated, squawk 2000, contact San Francisco Radio"

Seattle ARTCC must drop the track. There is no ability for you to automatically hand off to ZAK.

Receiving Aircraft

The process for receiving aircraft from ZAK is almost exactly the same but in reverse. 

ZAK will coordinate with the appropriate ZSE sector at least 15 minutes prior to TCP. They will include the callsign, TCP fix, and assigned altitude. No time estimate is required for VATUSA facilities. At least 5 minutes prior to TCP, ZAK will hand off communications to you.

Seattle ARTCC shall provide a vNAS squawk code, initiate a track, and advise the aircraft of "radar contact"