Air Traffic Control

Air Traffic Control• There are different types of air traffic controllers who communicate with

pilots from the time the pilot calls for a clearance to taxi and takeoff through landing.

– Ground Control: To move from parking to the runway at controlled airports, the pilot must contact the ground controller and request to taxi to the runway.

– Tower Controller: This position generally controls the airspace up to 2,500 feet above the airport with a typical radius of 5 statute miles around the airport.

– Approach/Departure Controller: At some airports, there is an approach and departure controller who handles movement of aircraft in and out of congested areas using radar.

– Center Controller: The Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC or "center") controller handles a larger area than other controllers.

Other Services• Automated Terminal Information Service (ATIS), Automated Surface Observation

System (ASOS), and the Automated Weather Observation System (AWOS):

– Recorded messages that broadcast important airport and weather information at selected airports.

• Clearance Delivery: After a pilot files a flight plan, the first controller contacted is clearance delivery. This controller will read a clearance that defines the destination, route, altitudes, and any special instructions ATC is expecting the pilot to follow during flight.

• Nontowered Operations (Uncontrolled Airports): Airports that are not equipped with control facilities (ground, tower, approach, or departure) are called nontowered, or uncontrolled, airports. Pilots operating on or around these airports use a Common Traffic Advisory Frequency or CTAF (pronounced "see-taff") to announce their intentions to other aircraft in the area.

Air Traffic Control

Radar Display

RADAR

• RAdio Detection And Ranging

– Designed shortly before World War II, its primary purpose was to detect the presence of aircraft.

– Principle of using radio waves to detect the presence of objects

Radar PrincipleRadar antenna rotates 360 0 sending out radio waves or electromagnetic pulses that are invisible to humans.

Radar Principle

Electromagnetic Pulse sent

Pulse reflected back to radar

Since the pulse’s speed is known,the time between the pulse being sent and it’s reflected return to the radar antenna determines the airplane’s range/distance

Distance = Speed x Time

The electromagnetic pulses strike an object and are reflected back to the antenna.

Radar Principle

With the distance of the aircraft known, the angle of the radar antenna is used to determine the height (altitude) of the aircraft

Ground Distance

Angle in degreesSlant Range Dista

nce

RADAR

• Play “How Radar Works” video

How Radar Works

Radar Screen

RADAR SCREEN CONTROLS

The Radar Screen is configured and controlled via the Radar Options panel.

RADAR SYMBOLOGY

Aircraft callsign ACFT: (Aircraft type) DEST: (Destination ID if a flight plan is created) ALT: (Altitude in feet above mean sea level) SPD: (Groundspeed in knots)

Radar “return” with history trails

Data “Tag” with flight information

Transponder: A device on the aircraft that sends an identifying signal with encoded information in response to a signal received from radar.

SESSION INFORMATION

The Session Information panel provides you with a list of all the aircraft displayed on the radar, as well as details about each aircraft.

The list is sorted by distance from the control station, with the closest aircraft at the top of the list.

DETERMINING DIRECTION0 /360 degrees

90 degrees

180 degrees

270 degrees

Phonetic Alphabet/Common Terms Alpha Oscar Bravo Papa Charlie Quebec (kuh-BEK) Delta Romeo Echo Sierra Foxtrot Tango Golf Uniform Hotel Victor I ndia Whiskey J uliet X-ray Kilo Yankee Lima (LEE-muh) Zulu Mike 9 Niner November 0 Zero

Radio Term Message Meaning

Roger I understand Wilco (think "will comply") Yes, I 'll do that Say Again Didn't understand, repeat Unable No, I can't do that Affirmative Yes Negative No Vector/Vectoring Assigned headings to fly

Comm Link

Airplane Clock Positions

Airplane Clock Positions

• How many degrees are there between “clock positions”?

Airplane Clock Positions

• How many degrees are there between “clock positions”?

1. There are 360 degrees in a circle.

Airplane Clock Positions

• How many degrees are there between “clock positions”?

1. There are 360 degrees in a circle.2. There are 12 clock positions.

Airplane Clock Positions

• How many degrees are there between “clock positions”?

1. There are 360 degrees in a circle.2. There are 12 clock positions.3. Therefore, 360 degrees/12 positions =

Airplane Clock Positions

• How many degrees are there between “clock positions”?

1. There are 360 degrees in a circle.2. There are 12 clock positions.3. Therefore, 360 degrees/12 positions =

30 Degrees between clock positions

COMMUNICATIONS

• Your radio transmissions will have three parts:

WHO YOU ARE CALLING, WHO YOU ARE, and the MESSAGE

• To transmit, press and hold “Transmit” button– Allow about 1 second before speaking– Speak in a normal tone and rate

• After transmitting, release “Transmit” button and listen

SAMPLE TRANSMISSIONSAircrew - Tower (requesting permission to land):

• Crew initiates – “Tower, Baron Two Three Lima, request landing.”

• Tower replies – “Baron Two Three Lima, Tower, winds are calm, check landing gear down, cleared to land.”

• Crew confirms – “Baron Two Three Lima, landing gear down, cleared to land.”

Airplane Clock Positions

Airplane Clock Positions

A clock position is the relative direction of an object described using the analogy of a 12-hour clock. Imagine a clock face lying flat in front of you.

Airplane Clock Positions

• Using this analogy, 12 o'clock means ahead,3 o'clock means to the right,6 o'clock means behind, and 9 o'clock means to the left

• The other eight hours refer to directions that are not directly in line with the four major directions.

Airplane Clock Positions

• As an Air Traffic Controller, how would you alert the pilot (call sign Cessna 33V) that the airport is 6 miles ahead and slightly to the right of the aircraft?

Airplane Clock Positions

• “Cessna Three Three Victor, the airport is at your 1 o'clock and 6 miles.”

Questions?