Flight Training - August 2021 - 49

ADVANCED PILOT INSTRUMENT TIP
TAKING THE TEC ROUTE
TOWER EN ROUTE CONTROL
BY IAN J. TWOMBLY
provided by the named route, much like
a departure or arrival procedure. For
example, flying the short 25 nautical
miles from Long Beach to Bob Hope Airport
in Burbank, filing the CSTP1 route
will take you SLI V23 POPPR SMO125R
SMO SMO311R SILEX.
In contrast to all this efficiency, GPS
navigators generally don't store the
routes by name. So be prepared to add
the full list of waypoints. Sometimes
that's a simple direct-to between two
airports, and sometimes it's six different
points in a short 50 miles. If you're lucky
enough to be able to beam your ForeFlight
or Garmin Pilot data to your GPS,
you're in business because the routes are
programmed in those apps.
The routes in the Northeast and
Texas and Louisiana are structured
more like traditional preferred routes
in that you file the entire route in the
flight plan and put " TEC " in the remarks
section. Even here, there are benefits.
For precise planners, knowing what to
expect for your clearance, and in many
cases, minimal reroutes is a winning
strategy. The routes may not always be
the most direct, but predictability can be
beneficial in a busy environment. When
you consider that, especially in the
Northeast, TECs function much the way
preferred routes do, filing one makes a
lot of sense.
Altitude is also a consideration.
CONSIDER IT A HACK. FREE FROM THE
constraints of the en route air traffic
system, tower en route control can save
you time and effort planning your next
cross-country.
Tower en route control is an FAA
program of predetermined routes that
keep a flight solely within approach
control airspace. Instead of working
with air route traffic control centers and
the coordination behind the scenes that
comes with it, a TEC route enables a
flight to move efficiently from one city to
the next. This can reduce workload for
the pilot and the control facility.
The process starts with the pilot. Go
to the applicable chart supplement and
search the table of contents for TEC,
found generally at the back of the book.
We'll save you the time and tell you that
TEC routes have only been designated
for areas in the Northeast, Northern California,
Southern California, and parts of
Texas and Louisiana.
Of these, the routes in California best
exemplify how a TEC can save everyone
time and effort. Simply check your
departure airport, find the destination
on the list of possibilities, and the route
is detailed. As a bonus, the routes are
also named, which makes filing one quite
easy. You simply file the name of the
route in the flight plan, and put " TEC "
in the remarks. Your clearance will be
The Texas routes specify they be flown
at 5,000 feet or 7,000 feet, while the
California and Northeast routes have
altitude maximums that are dependent
on the type of aircraft. In no case is it
higher than 10,000 feet, and many max
out around 8,000 feet. Some may also
designate specific altitudes, and it's easiest
to file and expect those.
Especially in California, be ready for
a workout. Many of the TECs specify
legs and turns based on radials and
distance, and not named intersections.
It's great practice for VOR users, and
it requires some advanced knowledge
when using GPS.
TECs often align with preferred
routes, so you may end up receiving
one whether or not you ask for it. It's
yet another reason to carry a chart
supplement or know where to find the
information on your iPad app. FT
ian.twombly@aopa.org
AOPA.ORG/FT
49
LEIGH CAULFIELD
http://www.AOPA.ORG/FT
Flight Training - August 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Flight Training - August 2021
