Nome is located on the southern coast of the Seward Peninsula, approximately 540 air miles northwest of Anchorage. There are no roads connecting Nome to any major city. Half of the 4,000 population are Native Alaskan Eskimos.  Nome has a unique combination of traditional Eskimo culture and a gold rush past. Rent a vehicle and tour the 300-plus miles of road system surrounding Nome. Drive to the Eskimo village of Teller, see the many remnants of Nome's gold rush past, and look for wildlife such as moose, bear, reindeer, or musk oxen. Visitors can have a picnic at Salmon Lake Campground, go on a walking tour of the town and visit the museum, shop for Native arts and crafts, or visit with the friendly residents.”

Logistics:  Nome (PAOM) is a roughly three hour flight by Cirrus from Anchorage.  Consult this FAA website for general information on flying in Western Alaska.

Nome is also the embarkation point for a VFR flight over the Bering Straits to Provideniya Bay, Russia.  The Alaska Airmen’s Association sponsors an annual group trip along this route in early August each year.

 

     

Below is some general information and procedures extracted from the FAA Alaska Supplement to the AIM, Russian Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP), notams and other air traffic procedural documents on making the VFR trip to Russia.

A. Route Description

Waypoint

Latitude

Longitude

Track 
(magnetic degrees) 

Distance 
(kilometers)

BC (PROVIDENIYA BAY NDB)

64.22.7N

173.14.6W

020 / 200

54

**MONUD

64.47.9N

172.41.5W

020 / 200

44

NALID

65.08.2N

172.13.0W 

019 / 199 

47

KADAT 

65.30.0N

171.43.2W 

063 / 243

34

LA (LAVRENTIYA NDB)

65.35.0N

171.00.8W

026 / 206

37

KILAK 

65.51.0N

170.31.0W

090 / 270

73 

BATNI

65.42.2N

168.58.4W

US/Russian Border

 

**Note MONUD intersection in table above is not on the VFR Chart but Russian ATS may request you to report this point. It is in the Russian AIP and Jeppesen charts.

Route Width: 10 kilometers 

Authorized Minimum and Maximum Route Altitudes:  1500-3000 meters 

Route Availability: Route is available for operations 2100/0400 UTC Winter, 2000/0300 UTC Summer except Saturday and Sunday.  Consult Russian VFR Enroute Chart YKD-11 and Russian Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP) Rules of the Air and Air Traffic Services (RAC) 3-2.100.

B. Advanced flight permission required.  

Request for single flight permissions of foreign civil aircraft on B-369 must be submitted in accordance with procedures contained in the Russian AIP a minimum of 5 full working days in advance of intended flight.  It is recommended that flight permission is requested at least 14 full working days in advance..

B-369 begins at the U.S./Russian border and is ENTIRELY within Russian airspace. 

Pilots need to be familiar with and comply with all Russian Laws and Regulations while operating in Russian airspace including Customs, Immigration, and Agriculture, etc.  

A valid passport, Russian Visa and Border Permit is required.  

Consult the Russian AIP or Jeppessen for pertinent aeronautical flight information.

C. 4096 Code transponder required for operation on B-369. 

Each person operating an aircraft into or out of the United States on B-369 shall operate the transponder, including altitude encoding equipment if installed, and shall reply on the appropriate code or as assigned by Nome Flight Service Station (FSS).  In addition, the aircraft shall comply with the transponder requirements and ADIZ penetration procedures of 14 CFR part 99..

D. ICAO flight plan required

All aircraft intending to operate on B-369 to or from the U.S. must file an ICAO flight plan one (1) hour before intended departure.  Aircraft departing the U.S. must file the ICAO flight plan with Nome Alaska FSS.  The estimated border crossing time at BATNI and Russian flight permission number must be included in the Remarks section of the ICAO flight plan.

Flight planned cruising altitude for VFR flight on B-369 SHALL be in meters using QNH altimeter setting in accordance with Russian AIP .

E. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) waiver required.

 In accordance with Special Notice ... Operations to/from Locations Outside the U.S. Issued as a domestic and international NOTAM, a waiver must be obtained from the U.S. TSA prior to operations on B-369 to or from the U.S. Waiver application must submitted at least seven (7) days in advance.  Application form and further information is available in TSA Waiver Section.

F. Route Procedures

Aircraft departing the U.S. will be assigned a discreet transponder code by Nome FSS in accordance with Defense VFR (DVFR) procedures.  Aircraft delayed more than 30 minutes from their flight plan departure time notify Nome FSS of the delay.  Once airborne if estimated border crossing time at BATNI changes by more than 10 minutes, aircraft must notify Nome FSS of their new BATNI estimate.

West bound aircraft from the U.S.to Russia must contact Lavrentiya Tower on freq 131.1 for permission to cross the Russian border and altitude assignment 10 minutes prior to their estimated time over BATNI.  

East bound aircraft from Russia to the U.S. shall request permission from Lavrentiya Tower on freq 131.1 to contact Nome FSS over KADAT with their estimated time over BATNI and request a discreet transponder code assignment for U.S. border crossing.

 

 

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