IVAO Portugal > About Portugal

About Portugal

Portugal is located in the south west of Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. On the peninsula's west, Portugal is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and south and by Spain to the north and east of the country.
The Azores archipelago and Madeira archipelago are also part of Portugal.

Lisbon is the capital of Portugal. The geographical position of Lisbon makes it a stop point for many international airlines. Currently, the most important airports of Portugal are Lisbon, Porto, Faro, Ponta Delgada (Archipelago of Azores) and Funchal (Archipelago of Madeira). These airports are now main gateways to Portugal and major European hubs.
The natural beauty, art and history of Portugal have been marking our tourists. Hence the increase in number of inbound and outbound flights for the last years throughout the country.

The Airspace

The Portuguese airspace is divided into two main Flight Information Regions: Santa Maria Flight Information Region (LPPO FIR) and Lisbon Flight Information Region (LPPC FIR). These two FIRs are completely different from each other. LPPO FIR is not serviced by radar and therefore a Concessional Control is present, whilst LPPC FIR is radar serviced. Most of the lower airspace over Portugal is uncontrolled airspace and thus Flight Information Services are serviceable for those flying on lower airspace.

The quality and experience of the Air Traffic Facilities in Portugal is worldwide known for guaranteeing the safety throughout the Portuguese Airspace.

General Guidelines

As in all divisions, if you choose to fly or control on Portuguese Airspace you need to be sure of the local procedures operating as well of general IVAOPT rules applying:

_Frequencies_

It is obvious each ATC station has its own frequency. However, when flying over uncontrolled airspace, the UNICOM frequency is to be broadcast! UNICOM frequency 122.800MHz and GUARD frequency 121.500MHz are very important frequencies which shall be used whenever practicable.

Pilots, when flying on uncontrolled airspace, shall report their intentions on 122.800MHz and keep monitoring the frequency until on controlled airspace.

GUARD is the emergency frequency worldwide and it shall be used for emergencies ONLY. Particularly, GUARD should not be used for co-ordinations, nor any kind of messages other than emergencies. For that purpose use the chat windows or the ATC channel. Guard frequency is considered to be a pilot’s emergency frequency.

_Squawk Codes (SSR Codes)

The following codes are allocated for use by pilots, without direction from ATC for the purposes specified. Use these codes unless ATC instruct otherwise:

   * Code 7700 - Aircraft Emergency
   * Code 7600 - Radio Failure
   * Note that the code 7500 (hi jack) is NOT to be used on the IVAO Network
   * Code 2000 - When entering Portuguese airspace from an adjacent
     region when no SSR code has been assigned
   * Code 7000 - When not receiving a service from an ATS unit

Speed Restrictions

Do not exceed the 250kts IAS below FL100, unless you have permission from ATC, or the classification of airspace you are flying in means you are exempt from the rule. Military aircraft may also exceed the restriction.

Particularly, for the major airports of Portugal: LPPT, LPPR and LPFR there are other speed restrictions to comply with, upon arrival:

• MAX 280 KT between FL245 & FL100
• MAX 210 KT when initiating the intermediate approach
• MAX between 200 KT & 180 KT on base leg or when

Receiving final vector to intercept the localizer

• MAX 160 KT when intercepting the glide path at FAP and
maintaining until 4 NM from Threshold.
If unable to comply with this adjustment advise ATC

QNH
Altimeter settings are in millibars and the standard setting is 1013mb (1013.25mbs to be precise).

Charts
You may find airport charts provided by IVAOPT under Resources - Charts.