Navigating flights between US mainland & Hawaii: Procedures & challenges

The distance between San Francisco and Honolulu is about 2,100 nautical miles, nearly equal to that between San Francisco and Washington, DC. Flying between the mainland and Hawaii equates to flying from the East Coast to the West Coast without any airports in between. San Francisco is typically designated as the mainland ETOPS alternate in case of a diversion.

Calculating the equal time point (ETP) is essential for dispatchers and pilots. From a dispatching perspective, they must plan for worst-case scenarios such as cabin pressurization loss near the ETP. There must be enough fuel onboard to descend to 10,000 feet and either continue to Hawaii or return to San Francisco.

Flight plans for crossing from the mainland to Hawaii are constructed using CEP tracks, which are more like airways defined by waypoints that do not change. For example, airway R464 consists of waypoints named BAART, BARAZ, BILLO, BEKME, BOARD, and BITTA.

Pilots transition from CEP system routes to arrivals at their respective airports approximately 230 nautical miles from landing when contact with Honolulu Control is established.

Oakland's oceanic control center manages a vast amount of airspace in the Pacific. Pilots primarily use CPDLC (Controller Pilot Data Link Comms) similar to text messaging for communication with Oakland Oceanic Control Center. Voice communications are minimal; pilots test their HF radios upon entering oceanic airspace but otherwise use SELCAL pings if controllers need voice communication.

During approximately four hours out of radio contact with ATC, pilots monitor guard frequency (121.5) and frequency 123.45 for peer-to-peer communication about turbulence or weather conditions.

Overall, flying between the US mainland and Hawaii involves extensive planning but relatively straightforward execution compared to other oceanic routes due to its purely domestic nature requiring only a single clearance.