How to use ETOPS on your oceanic trips:
Extended Twin-Engine Operations or ETOPS permits twin engine aircraft to fly longer distances such as oceanic flying while ensuring aircrafts have a safe airport that accommodates the aircraft in the event of an incident. Flight plans that incorporate ETOPS are may vary the length of the flight but provide essential safety aspects.
Example of an ETOPS flight portion.
Specifications of an aircraft receiving an ETOPS certification:
- An aircraft with an ETOPS certification must be able to fly a certain amount of minutes at in inoperative cruise speed with one engine the event of an emergency. Ex. If the A350 has a certification of ETOPS 370, it can fly with one engine at an inoperative cruise speed for 370 minutes.
ETOPS ratings for popular aircrafts:
| Aircraft Type | ETOPS Rating in Minutes | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Boeing 717 | 75 | ||
| Boeing 737NG | 180 | ||
| Boeing 757 | 120 | ||
| Boeing 767 | 180 | ||
| Boeing 777 | 330 | ||
| Boeing 787 | 330 | ||
| Airbus A320 | 120 | ||
| Airbus A330 | 180 | ||
| Airbus A350-900 | 180-370 |
These are just a few aircraft with the certification. Numbers may vary dependent on the model.
How to flight plan oceanic trips using ETOPS:
-
Install SimBrief at simbrief.com. Free of charge.
-
After successfully installing SimBrief, create a new flight. Plug in the departure and arrival information as well as the airframe type.
- Based on the above reference card of ETOPS certifications, input the max number of minutes the aircraft can sustain at an inoperative cruise speed. Click validate. Viable airports will show as in Alternate 1 and 2.
Based on your location, if you encounter an emergency you can correctly identify an “ETOPS airport” that is in proximity and suitable for your aircraft. The largest circle around an airport identifies the furthest you can be from an “ETOPS airport” to be able to safely land. Other circles refer to different time stamps such as ETOPS 75, 138 etc.
Now, you are an ETOPS expert! Give it a go on your next oceanic adventure! Cheers!
Input is always welcome. :)