GEN | RAF Gibraltar (LXGB)¶

Overview¶

RAF Gibraltar – hereafter referred to as Gibraltar – is a UK Overseas Airbase located on the Overseas Territory of Gibraltar on the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula. Although no RAF Air Systems are permanently stationed at Gibraltar, it sees frequent military movements. It is also open to civilian operations.

As a military airfield, controllers shall apply ATC procedures in accordance with the VATSIM UK Military ATC Manual and the Regulatory Article 3000 Series. RT phraseology shall be in accordance with military specific phraseology in CAP 413.

Any member wishing to control at Gibraltar must be a VATSIM UK Home or Visiting Member (see further requirements below).

ATC Positions¶

Callsign	Position Logon	Controller Identifier	Frequency
Gibraltar Radar	LXGB_APP	RAD	123.300
Gibraltar Talkdown	LXGB_P_APP	T/D	130.400
Gibraltar Tower	LXGB_TWR	TWR	131.200

Warning

All Gibraltar positions are designated military positions and controllers require the appropriate Military ATC endorsement to control. Controllers wishing to control T/D only require the Military Approach (APC) endorsement and do not require the Talkdown (PAR) endorsement as PARs are not provided at Gibraltar.

Note 1

Gibraltar is not equipped with an ATIS: departing Air Systems shall be provided weather and operational information on first contact with TWR; arriving Air Systems shall contact RAD no later than 50 NM from Gibraltar to obtain weather and operational information.

Note 2

Although Gibraltar lies within the Madrid FIR it is not covered top-down by any _CTR position.

Altimeter Setting Procedures¶

All arriving and departing Air Systems shall operate on the Gibraltar QNH. Air Systems operating in the visual circuit may operate on the Gibraltar QFE (QNH - 1 hPa) on request, additionally Military Air Systems conducting an SRA may operate on the QFE on request.

The Transition Altitude is 6000 ft.

The Transition Level and the lowest available flight level are derived in accordance with MATS Part 1 Appendix A. QNH 1013 hPa is considered ‘low pressure’, in line with MATS Part 1.

Info

From here on, unless otherwise specified, vertical references measured in feet are to be assumed as altitudes AMSL.

Runways and Instrument Approach Procedures¶

Runway 09/27 is intersected at the mid-point by the road linking Gibraltar to Spain. The road is closed for all Air System movements below 500 ft. To minimise delays to road traffic, low approaches should be cleared not below 500 ft, additionally Air Systems conducting visual circuits must conduct a low approach not below 500 ft on every third circuit to allow road traffic to cross.

There is no preferred runway and operations are typically into wind; the tailwind limit is 5 knots for a dry runway, reduced to 1 knot for a wet runway.

The following instrument approaches are available to both runways:

SRA – different procedures exist for Civil and Military Air Systems, described later.

Air Systems may also conduct visual approaches.

Instrument approach procedure charts are accessible via the UK Military AIP.

Airspace¶

Gibraltar is located within the Sevilla TMA in the Madrid FIR.

The Sevilla TMA is classified as Class E from 1000 ft AMSL/AGL (whichever is highest) to FL145. The airspace below 1000 ft AMSL/AGL is Class G. The airspace south of the Sevilla TMA to the FIR boundary is Class G from surface to FL245, except for ATS routes within the Madrid FIR which are established as Class D airspace, 5 NM either side of the centreline, from the ATS route base (ATS route B11 - FL85, ATS route T100 - FL95) to FL145 (Class C from FL145 to FL660).

Gibraltar ATC is delegated two subsections of the Sevilla TMA:

Sevilla TMA 4 is Class G from 1000 ft AMSL/AGL to FL245;
Sevilla TMA 5 is Class D from 1000 ft AMSL/AGL to FL90.

Gibraltar has no ATZ or MATZ and uncontrolled Air Systems (VFR in Class E airspace, IFR or VFR in Class G airspace) may operate within the vicinity without reference to Gibraltar ATC.

A number of restricted regions (depicted in Figure 1) are established within the Sevilla TMA and, unless otherwise stated, Gibraltar ATC shall not allow Air Systems to penetrate these restricted regions.

Interface with Sevilla Area Control Center¶

Letter of Agreement¶

A Letter of Agreement is established between VATSIM UK and VATSPA defining the coordination and hand-over procedures to be applied between Gibraltar ATC and Sevilla ACC when providing Air Traffic Services. The Letter of Agreement is published separately. Whilst the Operations Department aims to ensure the information on this site aligns with the Letter of Agreement, where there are conflicts, the Letter of Agreement will override any procedures detailed on these pages, except where instructions are otherwise published on the ATC Procedure Changes Forum.

Sevilla ACC Sectors¶

The coverage priority for Sevilla ACC at the interface with Gibraltar ATC is as follows:

Callsign	Position Logon	Frequency
Sevilla Control	LECS_CTR	133.350
Madrid Control	LECM_CTR	133.750

VFR Procedures¶

Air Systems may conduct VFR operations within the Class E TMA without reference to Sevilla ACC.

Fixed-Wing Air Systems are not permitted to overfly the Rock or the harbour below 1000 ft AMSL; helicopters are restricted to not below 700 ft AGL.

The visual circuit operates to the south, around the Rock in accordance with the above level restrictions.

Although not designated as Visual Reference Points, ATC may use the following points as reference for VFR Air Systems:

Catalan Bay – the eastern shoreline bay 1 NM south of the Runway 27 threshold.
Detached Mole – the section of freestanding sea wall located within the harbour entrance 1 NM south-west of the Runway 09 threshold.
Europa – the southern tip of the Gibraltar peninsula.

Helicopters may be held at “Catalan Bay” or “West of the Detached Mole” (to prevent overflight of the harbour) to separate against Fixed-Wing Air System movements.

Helicopter Routes in the Bay of Gibraltar¶

A heliport (Algeciras – LEAG) is established in the harbour of Algeciras, 4.5 NM west of Gibraltar within the LER164 Restricted Area. The heliport is uncontrolled but there is a fixed route established to enter/leave LER164 to the south. The route lies underneath the civil SRA procedure to Runway 09, helicopter traffic should operate not above 500 ft AGL, however, in the absence of a controlling authority there is the potential for conflict with Air System inbound to Runway 09/outbound from Runway 27.

Further heliports are located in the Spanish city of Ceuta (Ceuta – GECE), 16 NM south of Gibraltar (helicopter traffic typically routes to/from Algeciras), and a hospital helipad is located in the city of La Línea de la Concepción, 1.5 NM north of Gibraltar. Both of these sites are uncontrolled.

SSR Code Procedures¶

SSR codes for IFR Air Systems are allocated by Sevilla ACC in accordance with CCAMS/ORCAM.

RAD may allocate codes from the range 6660-6677 for traffic receiving Flight Information Services.

Sevilla ACC will allocate codes in the range 4600-4677 for traffic receiving Flight Information Services.