Flight Progress Strips

Maintain only necessary current data and remove the strips from the flight progress boards when no longer required for control purposes. To correct, update, or preplan information:

Do not erase or overwrite any item. Use an “X” to delete a climb/descend and maintain arrow, an at or above/below symbol, a cruise symbol, and unwanted altitude information. Write the new altitude information immediately adjacent to it and within the same space.

Do not draw a horizontal line through an altitude being vacated until after the aircraft has reported or is observed (valid Mode C) leaving the altitude.

Preplanning may be accomplished in red pencil.

Manually prepared strips must conform to the format of machine‐generated strips and manual strip preparation procedures will be modified simultaneously with the operational implementation of changes in the machine‐generated format. (See FIG 2-3-1.)

Altitude information may be written in thousands of feet provided the procedure is authorized by the facility manager, and is defined in a facility directive, i.e., 5,000 feet as 5, and 2,800 as 2.8.

Information recorded on the flight progress strips (FAA Forms 7230-19) must be entered in the correspondingly numbered spaces:

Latitude/longitude coordinates may be used to define waypoints and may be substituted for nonadapted NAVAIDs in space 25 of domestic en route flight progress strips provided it is necessary to accommodate a random RNAV or GNSS route request.

Facility air traffic managers may authorize the optional use of spaces 13, 14, 14a, 22, 23, 24, and 28 for point out information, radar vector information, speed adjustment information, or transfer of control data.

The ATOP system displays information on electronic flight progress strips and, in the event of a catastrophic system failure, will print flight progress strips with data in the corresponding numbered spaces:

Standard annotations and abbreviations for Field 22 may be specified by facility directives.

Arrivals: Information recorded on the flight progress strips (FAA Forms 7230-7.1, 7230-7.2, and 7230-8) must be entered in the correspondingly numbered spaces. Facility managers can authorize omissions and/or optional use of spaces 2A, 8A, 8B, 9A, 9B, 9C, and 10-18, if no misunderstanding will result. These omissions and/or optional uses must be specified in a facility directive.

Departures: Information recorded on the flight progress strips (FAA Forms 7230-7.1, 7230-7.2, and 7230-8) must be entered in the correspondingly numbered spaces. Facility managers can authorize omissions and/or optional use of spaces 2A, 8A, 8B, 9A, 9B, 9C, and 10-18, if no misunderstanding will result. These omissions and/or optional uses must be specified in a facility directive.

Overflights: Information recorded on the flight progress strips (FAA Forms 7230-7.1, 7230-7.2, and 7230-8) must be entered in the correspondingly numbered spaces. Facility managers can authorize omissions and/or optional use of spaces 2A, 8A, 8B, 9A, 9B, 9C, and 10-18, if no misunderstanding will result. These omissions and/or optional uses must be specified in a facility directive.

Air traffic managers at automated terminal radar facilities may waive the requirement to use flight progress strips provided:

Backup systems such as multiple radar sites/systems are utilized.

Local procedures are documented in a facility directive. These procedures should include but not be limited to:

Departure areas and/or procedures.

Arrival procedures.

Overflight handling procedures.

Transition from radar to nonradar.

Transition to or from ESL.

No misunderstanding will occur as a result of no strip usage.

Unused flight progress strips, facility developed forms and/or blank notepads must be provided for controller use.

Facilities must revert to flight progress strip usage if backup systems referred to in subparagraph d1 are not available.

Air traffic managers at FDIO locations may authorize reduced lateral spacing between fields so as to print all FDIO data to the left of the strip perforation. When using FAA Form 7230-7.2, all items will retain the same relationship to each other as they do when the full length strip (FAA Form 7230-7.1) is used.

Civil aircraft, including the air-carrier letter-digit registration number which can include the letter “T” for air taxi, the letter “L” for MEDEVAC, or the 3-letter company designator specified in FAA Order JO 7340.2, Contractions, followed by the trip or flight number. Use the operating air carrier's company name in identifying equipment interchange flights.

Foreign Civil Aircraft Identifiers that begin with a number (excluding ATOP platforms). ATC personnel must:

Amend aircraft identifications (ACIDs) containing six or fewer characters and beginning with a number by inserting the letter “Q” into Field 02 of the IFR flight plan as the first character.

Amend ACIDs beginning with a number containing seven characters by replacing the first character with the letter “Q” in Field 02 of the IFR flight plan.

Enter the original ACID into the remarks section of the flight plan.

Do not use the “Q” prefix (phonetic “Quebec”) when communicating with the aircraft.

Unless otherwise specified in a Standard Operating Procedure, verbally coordinate the aircraft's actual ACID when conducting intrafacility transfers of control.

Verbally coordinate the aircraft's actual ACID when conducting interfacility transfers of control.

Military Aircraft.

Prefixes indicating branch of service and/or type of mission followed by the last 5 digits of the serial number (the last 4 digits for CFC and CTG). (See TBL 2-3-6 and TBL 2-3-7.)

Pronounceable words of 3, 4, 5, and 6 letters followed by a 4-, 3-, 2-, or 1-digit number.

Assigned double‐letter 2‐digit flight number.

Navy or Marine fleet and training command aircraft, one of the following:

The service prefix and 2 letters (use phonetic alphabet equivalent) followed by 2 or 3 digits.

The service prefix and a digit and a letter (use phonetic alphabet equivalent) followed by 2 or 3 digits.

Aircraft carrying the President, Vice President, and/or their family members will use the identifiers in the following tables. See TBL 2-3-8 and TBL 2-3-9.

Special use. Approved special use identifiers.

The aircraft equipment suffix identifying communication, navigation and surveillance (CNS) capability is generated by automation using the equipment codes of the ICAO flight plan. To change a suffix, the CNS equipment codes must be modified, allowing automation to translate them into the proper suffix. If using unsupported automation platforms (OFDPS and FDP2000), verbally coordinate changes with adjacent supported facilities.

ERAM and ATOP are best suited for making changes to the equipment codes in an ICAO flight plan. For FDIO entries, if uncertain of the proper format to correctly amend an equipment code, verbally coordinate the change with the appropriate en route facility.

For VFR operations, indicate the aircraft's transponder and navigation capabilities by adding the appropriate symbol, preceded by a slant (See TBL 2-3-10).

GNSS-equipped aircraft:

Have an equipment suffix of /G, /L, /S, or /V.

May be determined by executing an ICAO flight plan readout and verifying a filed “G” in the ICAO equipment list.

May be determined by verifying with the pilot that the aircraft is GNSS-equipped.

When forwarding this information, state the aircraft type followed by the word “slant” and the appropriate phonetic letter equivalent of the suffix.

The symbol “H” at the clearance limit when holding instructions have been included in the aircraft's original clearance. Show detailed holding information following the dash when holding differs from the established pattern for the fix; i.e., turns, leg lengths, etc.

The symbols “F” or “O” to indicate the clearance limit when a delay is not anticipated.

Plain language markings when it will aid in understanding information.

Locally approved identifiers. Use these only within your facility and not on teletypewriter or interphone circuits.

Plain sheets of paper or locally prepared forms to record information when flight progress strips are not used. (See TBL 2-3-11 and TBL 2-3-12.)

Control Information Symbols. (See FIG 2-3-7 and FIG 2-3-8.)