EUROPEAN ARRS INTO IAD EXPERIENCE CONFUSION WITH RTE ASSIGNMENTS.

Narrative

THERE ARE DISCREPANCIES IN THE FLT PLAN RTE FOR INTL ARRS FROM EUROPE AS COMPARED TO THE INTL ARRS FROM S AMERICA INTO WASHINGTON DULLES; WHICH IS LEADING TO CONFUSION AND AMBIGUITIES WITH POTOMAC APCH. ALL S AMERICAN ARRS ARE FILED TO FLAT ROCK (FAK) AND THE COATT FOUR ARR (COATT.COATT4). THIS LEADS THE INTL FLTS INTO THE STAR TRANSITION TO BARIN INTXN FOR THE APCH. ON EUROPEAN ARRS; THE FLTS ARE FILED TO MULRR INTXN AND THEN DIRECT ARMEL (AML). THIS IS THE PROB AS THE EUROPEAN FLTS ARE NEVER FILED AS A STAR FROM MULRR. HOWEVER; POTOMAC APCH IS UNDER THE ASSUMPTION THAT THESE FLTS ARE FILED WITH ONE OF THE ARRS SUCH AS THE PRTZL ONE (PSB.PRTZL1). AS A RESULT; WHEN ZNY HANDS THE ACFT OFF TO POTOMAC APCH ABOUT 5 MI FROM MULRR (ON A GOOD DAY); THERE IS CONFUSION AND LAST MIN PROGRAMMING TO FLY THE STAR POTOMAC APCH ASSUMES WE ARE FILED FOR. CREWS ARE ALSO PRELOADING THE FMC WITH THE STARS THEY THINK THEY WILL GET BUT ARE NOT IN THE LEGAL CLRNC. THIS IS ALSO A POTENTIAL FOR AN ERROR IF THE CREW DOES NOT VERIFY PRIOR TO MULRR WHAT POTOMAC APCH IS EXPECTING THE FLT TO FLY. I HAVE TALKED TO THE POTOMAC APCH SUPVR AND HE SAID THEY HAVE COMMUNICATED SEVERAL TIMES WITH COMPANY; BUT HAVE NOT HAD SUCCESS WITH CHANGING OUR FLT PLANNING TO INCLUDE A STAR IN THE ROUTING. HOWEVER; HIS CTLRS ARE UNDER THE ASSUMPTION ALL OF OUR FLTS ARE FILED WITH A STAR AND THEY GET SURPRISED SEVERAL TIMES A WK WHEN AN ACFT IS NOT FLYING THE STAR. ANOTHER PROB WITH THE FMS STAR ARRS INTO DULLES IS THE ALTS. THEY ARE LISTED AS HARD ALTS (CROSS AT 4000 FT) INSTEAD OF (EXPECT TO CROSS AT 4000 FT); THE LANGUAGE OF A NON FMS STAR. ON THE FMS STARS; THE (AT) IS MADE INTO AN EXPECT BY THE NOTE: FMS ASSIGNED ARRS SHALL MAINTAIN LAST ATC ASSIGNED ALT UNTIL CLRED TO 'DSND VIA' THE TRANSITION. THIS HAS CAUSED CONFUSION BECAUSE ATC USES SEVERAL DIFFERENT WAYS OF ISSUING THE DSCNT CLRNC. THEY MAY SAY; 'CLRED THE BARIN FMS TRANSITION; I WILL CALL YOUR ALT;' 'CLRED THE BARIN FMS TRANSITION; MAINTAIN...ALTS;' OR 'CLRED THE BARIN FMS TRANSITION.' ADDITIONALLY; AFTER TALKING TO POTOMAC SUPVR; HE STATED THAT 90% OF THE TIME THE CTLRS DO NOT USE THE PUBLISHED ALTS. THIS HAS CREATED A SERIOUS POTENTIAL FOR AN ALTDEV AND SHOULD BE CORRECTED. AT LEAST THE ALTS ON THESE STARS SHOULD BE CHANGED TO EXPECT AND REMOVAL OF THE NOTE SO THESE STARS MATCH THE NON-FMS STAR ARRS. THIS WOULD WATCH HOW THE POTOMAC CTLRS USE THESE STARS.