Route Assistance
General Information

AFOD does not provide routes from scratch. If necessary we will assist finding a route accepted by Eurocontrol and/or Air Traffic Services en-route. 

First check our list of Preferential Routes.

Email AFOD Flight Data Processing for route validation request. Include all necessary details like equipment and Performance Based Navigation.

Exceptions are made for urgent reasons e.g. short-notice humanitarian missions, evacuations, medevacs or if you have to divert and need help to continue or return home. 

Route assistance is provided for the US Army Europe and Africa / US European Command Area of Responsibility.

Basic Rules
General tips to create a route:
  • If SIDs and STARs exist at the airport of departure/destination put in the SID final waypoint and/or the first point of the STAR. Flight plans not using those are usually rejected by Eurocontrol.
  • Airfields without SID and STAR usually have a direct limit (e.g. 40NM) so you have to choose a point close to the airport. Sometimes certain waypoints have been designated to serve for departures or arrivals which you have to file then.
  • Stick to the ATS Route network. In many European countries the DCT limit is set to 0NM so directs in item 15 will most likely cause a reject.
  • The numbers of countries introducing Free Route Airspace is growing making route planning much easier and more flexible.
Basic Rules for Free Route Airspace

Airspace users will be able to plan user-preferred trajectories using significant points - five-letter name-codes, and/or en-route radio navigation aids published in the respective AIP. Segments between the significant points shall be defined by means of DCT (Direct) instructions.

The use of an unpublished point defined by geographical coordinates or by bearing and distance is usually not allowed.

FRA relevant significant points and en-route radio navigation aids published in AIP are considered (where indicated so) as:

  • FRA Horizontal entry (E),
  • FRA Horizontal exit (X),
  • FRA Intermediate (I),
  • FRA Arrival Connecting (A),
  • FRA Departure Connecting (D) points.

Overflying traffic 

  • Overflight traffic shall be planned directly between FRA entry, FRA exit and FRA intermediate points.
To/from airports
  • In case of RNAV-capable departing flight from an airport where standard instrument departures procedures (SIDs) or departure connecting routes are published, flights shall be planned directly from the SID final waypoint or the last point of the departure connecting route to the FRA Horizontal exit or FRA Intermediate point.
  • In case of RNAV-capable arriving flight to an airport where standard instrument arrival procedures (STARs) are published, flights shall be planned directly from the FRA Horizontal entry or FRA Intermediate point to the first point STAR or first point of the FRA Arrival connecting route.
  • The SID/STAR shall not be indicated in the filed route of the FPLs.
  • Where SIDs are not published, the flights shall be planned DCT to the FRA  Horizontal exit or FRA Intermediate point.
  • Where STARs are not published, the flights shall be planned DCT from the FRA Horizontal entry or FRA Intermediate point to the airport.

enlightenedFor more information (points, maps etc.) sorted by country click here. (SharePoint access required)

Helpful Tools

Route on En-Route charts

  • Use DOD FLIP, Jeppesen Mil Planner or similar services
  • Skyvector.com is not supposed to be used for navigational purposes but is a valuable tool to plot route on en-route charts.
In the section 'Flight Planning' you will find a:
  1. Structured Editor
  2. Free Text Editor
  3. Flight Planning Guide

1. Structured Editor serves as flight plan form. Enter all data and start validating. In item 18 you don't have to enter all data but you should enter STS/STATE, your PBN/ and a date of flight (DOF).

2. Free Text Editor - Insert the correct formatted International Civil Aviation Organization flight plan message. Here is an example:

(FPL-TEST200-IM
-BE20/L-SDFGRTUY/S
-XXXX0800
-N0260Fxxx
-XXXX0150
-STS/STATE PBN/B2D2 DOF/YYMMDD)

3. Flight Planning Guide
An interactive user manual providing help for filling out the flight plan correctly and explaining the errors you may see when validating a route.​