Preferred Route Database

Preferred Use Database Usage

Introduction

The Preferred Route Database (PRD) is our way of standardizing route and efficiently expediting the flow of traffic. The PRD is a massive database of combinations of flights with either suggested or required routing in it. The PRD removes a lot of uncertainty from new and old controllers alike regarding most efficient ways to get out of, or travel around, the N90/PHL TRACONs and ZNY airspaces. This is a fabulous tool that, when utilized properly, makes ZNY a highly efficient ARTCC. From S1 to I3, the PRD is one of the most useful flight verification tools we have. The PRD should be checked for ALL flights within ZNY, to Tier 1 ARTCCs, or Toronto Pearson Airport (CYYZ).

Ok yes, it's amazing we know, but how does it work?

The PRD is really quite simple. The first step is to locate it on the website. This can be accomplished by scrolling down to the bottom of the Home Page or by clicking here.

Clicking on the last link brings you to the PRD with a sample route put in, KJFK to KBOS (a very common route on the VATSIM network).

First and foremost, let's discuss what each of the table headers means.

1. From
   1. This column is the departure airport in question.
      1. NOTE Because most departure airports in the PRD are in the Contiguous United States (exception: Bermuda - TXKF), the prefix K is omitted from the departure airport code. However, this K will exist in the flight plan of the aircraft you are clearing. You must ensure there is a K in both the departure and arrival airport of the flight plan in the controlling client.
2. Route
   1. This column is the route portion to check against the airplane your clearing.
   2. There is something very interesting about the JFK-BOS PRD routing. Notice how the first four routes all have checkmarks. This indicates that these routes are higher priority than the other routes. This essentially means that these routes are agreed upon by multiple facilities in the form of an LOA, SOP, or some other facility directive. When at all possible, you must assign one of these routes to the pilot.
      1. NOTE Each of these routes is subject to restrictions based on aircraft type. Make sure to keep reading on to learn more about how to determine between them.
3. To
   1. This column is the arrival airport in question.
4. Area
   1. This column indicates which airports are affected by this routing. For instance, the fourth routing published has the content "AND SATS," indicating that all JFK Satellite airports would also be subject to this routing if applicable.
      1. NOTE Not every minor airport in ZNY has every PRD routing attached to it when searched. Due to this reality, those issuing clearances at minor airports should ALWAYS attempt to search for a PRD route from the major airport which indicates that it should be applied to the satellite airports as well.
5. Altitude
   1. This column contains the approved altitudes for this route of flight. This column may not always have something in it, but when it does it's for good reason. Make sure to always ensure that airplanes filed on these routing are issued altitudes between the two numbers. Taking the first checked route for example, this is read as "11,000 to FL210." This means that no flight should be assigned this routing below 11,000 or above FL210.
   2. Notice how the fourth routing does not assign a top altitude. This means you can clear airplanes as high as they want to fly that route in compliance with direction-of-flight altitude rules.
6. Aircraft
   1. This is potentially one of the most important columns for most clearances you will issue. This column determines what type of aircraft can fly this route. This can range from more broader restrictions (like "TURBOJET RNAV ONLY") to very specific restrictions (such as "/E,/F,/G, PROPS ONLY").
      1. If your routing assignment comes down to the aircraft, always assign the most restrictive restriction. For instance, RNAV always overrules non-RNAV. In majority of situations, those who file RNAV capable can also fly Non-RNAV routes, but Non-RNAV capable aircraft can almost never fly RNAV routes. Keep reading for a nice flow chart later on regarding all of this
7. CTR FROM
   1. This column indicates which ARTCC the PRD applies to. For now, this will always be ZNY
8. CTR TO
   1. This column indicates which ARTCC the PRD applies to. This is what column you look at to determine whether or not the airport the aircraft is within 1 ARTCC or is arriving within ZNY. This column is another one that determines whether or not a PRD routing will be required

PRD Decision Making

All of us here at ZNY understand that this can be a lot to take in. Air Traffic Control is an incredibly complex system, and there are things that sometimes just take practice to let sink in. However, we have some extra resources we'd like to provide to ease that transition for all of you new guys and ensure proper utilization of the resources you're already familiar with for you more... senior... fellas.

The following flow chart is usable for any clearance you issue while a controller here at ZNY. We highly recommend giving this a good glance, and maybe even practice with it up on your screen for as long as you need.

*NOTE* "1 ARTCC away" (or "Tier 1 Facility") is defined at ZNY as ZOB, ZBW, and ZDC or flights to CYYZ. These routes should always be highlighted in green, whether manually added or pulled from the FAA.

The PRD is manually updated by our staff as we notice inconsistencies with real world operations, changes in LOAs, etc. We pull our routing straight from the FAA here. Additionally, FlightAware is a great resource to find routes used in the real world.

Obviously, every single situation you will experience while on the network can't be addressed in one document. However, do not hesitate to ask questions in the #ask-staff channel in Discord or by submitting a ticket through the website.

See you on the scopes!