Tim Dawson (10/5/2015)
Yes, but are they actually required?since i don't know exactly if this is required i asked this question to skyguide and they responded (and allowed me to post the answer here) as follows:
Very interesting question, the anwer is yes and no…
TMA sectors have numbers for two reasons, either because they have different lower limits or different activation times. If we take TMA Zurich as an example, we have sectors 1-15, of which 1-13 are active H24 and 14-15 only at specific times or NOTAM (soon HX).
If you intend to cross the TMA along the VOR’s WIL-TRA-SUL at FL95 (yellow route on the picture below), you don’t need to indicate the TMA numbers in the request. The request to cross the TMA at the stated flightlevel is completely sufficient.
If you fly this routing at 4500ft, you would only cross TMA sector 1. In this case, I (FIC Operator) might suggest, that you route from WIL direct to SUL, in order to avoid TMA sector 1. Normally, I might say something like: HB-XYZ, suggest to proceed from WIL direct to SUL to avoid TMA sector 1, otherwise the maximum in 25 miles is 3000ft. Mentioning TMA sector 1 is probably less complicated than describing it as “the TMA sector 25 miles ahead of you with a lower limit of 3000ft”, always assuming that the chart on board is depicting those numbers…
Another example, you just departed Zurich and are on course from S towards the southeast (green route on the picture below). If you tell me you want to climb to 7500ft but you will remain below the TMA, I might tell you, that TMA sector 14 is not active, so you can continue to climb earlier. The sector number then clearly indicates to you, which part of the TMA is not active.
So, if you give us a routing and an altitude, you do not need to indicate the numbers, we are well aware of them, but we might use the numbers to provide useful information to you.
I hope you find this answer useful, otherwise, keep asking! Feel free to post the answer in the forum. When I am not behind the radar screen, my copilots name is also skydemon ;-)so i guess the bottom line is, no, it is not really required, but it aids greatly in communicating efficiently and clearly with air traffic controllers. that's why i think it would be worth integrating it into skydemon since skydemon is already very good in providing all the necessary information at the right time, and it would fit perfectly into that philosophy to also display such nubmers in order to further assist ATC and Pilots in communicating efficiently. i really hope you can consider this to be in one of your future chart updates, at least in the title of the tma's, that would already be a huge help from where it is right now.
kind regards
Pascal