Air Traffic Control (ATC) : A Brief Synopsis

Air Traffic Control (ATC)
A brief synopsis.
Tyler Vann
6/3/2019
Abridged 1
Copyright 1996-2001 © Dale Carnegie & Associates, Inc.
Opening
• Worried that this could be you on your next flight?
• Air Traffic Control’s job is to prevent incidents like

this.
6/3/2019
Abridged 2
Overview
• Flight Rules, IFR/VFR
• Priorities
• Separation/Facilities
• Summary
• Questions
• Resources
6/3/2019
Abridged 3
Flight Rules IFR
• IFR Stands for Instrument Flight Rules

• All Commercial and most military aircraft fly
under IFR conditions
• IFR aircraft MUST talk to Air Traffic Control
• ATC instructions for IFR Aircraft are
MANDATORY
• Can fly in fair or poor weather
6/3/2019
Abridged 4
Flight Rules VFR
• VFR stands for Visual Flight Rules
• Operate on a See and Avoid principle
• Most ATC instructions are advisory in nature
• Can fly in fair weather only, must remain
clear of clouds
• Small privately owned aircraft are often VFR
• Not generally required to talk to ATC
6/3/2019
Abridged 5
Duty Priority
• The primary job of ATC is to:

– Separate aircraft
– Provide safety alerts
6/3/2019
Abridged 6
Separation of Aircraft
• Aircraft are separated (or kept apart) in a

variety of ways depending on these
phases of flight.
– Arrival and Departure
– Ascent and Descent
– En route
6/3/2019
Abridged 7
Tower Control
• The Air Traffic Control tower is
responsible for aircraft at the airport.
• Arrival and Departure separation is
provided.
• Generally, only one aircraft can be on the
runway at a time.
• The tower will clear aircraft to land or
takeoff if the runway is clear.
• Talks to both IFR and VFR aircraft
6/3/2019
Abridged 8
Approach Control
• Provides separation using RADAR.
• Will keep aircraft at least 1000 feet vertically
separated or a minimum of 3 miles laterally.
• Sequences arrivals into an airport.
• Climbs departures to requested altitude
ensuring separation from other arrivals and
overflight traffic.
• IFR aircraft are required to
talk to Approach, VFR are not
6/3/2019
Abridged 9
En Route Center (ARTCC)
• Provides 2000 feet of vertical separation or 5 miles of
lateral separation
• Monitors aircraft flight using mosaic RADAR over a very
large area
• Responsible for high altitudes
• Has an overall “picture” of

traffic situation
• Issues restrictions if airports
become congested
• IFR are required to talk to
6/3/2019
a center, VFR are not Abridged 10
Safety Alerts
• #2 Priority
• Issued for:
– Ground/Terrain proximity
– Converging aircraft
– Obstacles such as large buildings or antennas
– Weather
– Observed abnormal conditions. Such as, erratic
flight, rapid descent, etc…
6/3/2019
Abridged 11
Operational Priority
• ATC services are provided on a “First come

first served basis.”
• There are many exceptions
• Priorities
– Arrivals
– Departures
– Over-flights
• Generally IFR have precedence over VFR

6/3/2019
Abridged 12
Special Operational Priorities
• An aircraft in distress (Emergency) has priority

over ALL other aircraft
• Then Air ambulance flights/medivacs
• Next Search and Rescue (SAR) aircraft
• Then Presidential aircraft (Air Force 1)
6/3/2019
Abridged 13
Emergencies
• ATC assists pilots to the maximum extent
possible during an emergency
• ATC gathers the following information and
passes it to emergency services
– Nature of emergency
– Pilot’s intentions
– Souls on board
– Any ordinance (Primarily military) on board
– Remaining fuel
6/3/2019
Abridged 14
Emergencies Cont.
• ATC can assists emergency aircraft by:
– Clearing all airspace around and in front of aircraft
– Ensuring the Runway is available immediately
– Alerting emergency services of inbound aircraft
– Vectoring aircraft to airport or around populations
– Tower personnel can look for damage as the aircraft
flies by
– Directing aircraft to an airport that can assist with
their emergency
6/3/2019
Abridged 15
Close
• IFR and VFR are types of ratings that
determine what services pilots are
provided.
• ATC keeps planes from hitting each other
and the ground
• ATC services are provided on a “First
Come First Served” basis
• Emergencies are assisted by air traffic
controllers
6/3/2019
Abridged 16
Why ATC is there
• Air Traffic Control is

there to make air
travel:
– Quicker
– Safer
– More cost effective
– More enjoyable
• However…..
6/3/2019
Abridged 17
In the end, there is only so much
ATC can do…
6/3/2019
Abridged 18
Questions??
6/3/2019
Abridged 19
References
• FAAO 7110.65
• www.HowStuffWorks.com
• 6 Years of military ATC experience
• Click for interesting real audio from the biggest fly-in in the world.
6/3/2019
Abridged 20

Air Traffic Control (ATC) : A Brief Synopsis

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Air Traffic Control (ATC) : A Brief Synopsis

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Air Traffic Control (ATC) : A Brief Synopsis

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Air Traffic Control (ATC)

• Air Traffic Control’s job is to prevent incidents like

• IFR Stands for Instrument Flight Rules

• The primary job of ATC is to:

• Aircraft are separated (or kept apart) in a

• Has an overall “picture” of

• ATC services are provided on a “First come

• Generally IFR have precedence over VFR

• An aircraft in distress (Emergency) has priority

• Air Traffic Control is

You might also like