Air Traffic Control

 

Air Traffic Control Entities


The Air Traffic Control (ATC) system is an essential management infrastructure that provides traffic advisories and increases aviation safety throughout the world by using several monitoring techniques and technologies. By managing separations of aircraft and air traffic flow, the ATC system plays an important role in the safety and productivity of airline services and the accessibility of airline services for passengers and freight. (Arblaster, 2018).

Air Traffic Controller

Since the Air Traffic Control system has multiple and heavy responsibilities over managing high volumes of traffic throughout different locations and sectors, the entire comprehensive infrastructure was built under several entities that allow ATC agencies to specialize in particular fields and provide better traffic management services in all phases of flight, from pushback from the gate until reaching the parking spot at the destination.
FAA Terminal Radar Control Facility


The most vulnerable phases in flight exist mainly before and after reaching the cruising level, hence, on departures, when operating within airports or in the vicinity of the airport within relatively congested airspace, and when approaching into the destination airport, when operating the flight again in low proximity with other approaching traffic.  

 

The Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) is a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) facility that house air traffic controllers who use radar displays and radios to guide aircraft approaching and departing airports generally within 30-50 Nautical Miles (NM) radius up to 10,000 feet, as well as aircraft that may be flying over that airspace. (FAA, 2006).

 

The TRACON controllers manage climbing or descending traffic that is handed over from the airport tower control or the FAA En-route Centers. Also, they ensure standard vertical and horizontal separation is maintained between traffic, either by complying with standard departure or arrival procedures (SID/STAR) or by providing navigation instructions to pilots such as radar vectors, altitude changes, holding patterns, and others. Also, a TRACON controller is considered an "extra pair of eyes" for the pilots and provides crewmembers traffic and weather advisories, a vital resource in the risk management process to eliminate any potential risks.

 

Air Traffic Control Tower


While TRACON controllers monitor the airborne traffic, the Air Traffic Control Tower (ATCT) is responsible for managing outbound and inbound traffic that was handed over from Ground Control or Approach Control (TRACON) accordingly. In addition, the control tower monitors taxiways in the vicinity of active runways and is the final authority to provide a takeoff or a landing clearance after ensuring that the runway is no longer occupied by other aircraft.

Also, the control tower is the inner circle of the controlled airspace around the airport and provides the initial flight instruction for departing traffic in coordination with the departure control.

Over the history of aviation, fatal airplane accidents occurred on the ground due to runway incursions that ended up in a collision of two airplanes, killing hundreds of people. In contrast to the TRACON controllers in a dark closed room, the tower controllers can integrate visual and ground-radar surveillance to ensure safe and regular operation.

A good example that shows the significance of the tower controller in preventing runway incursions may be found in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b26NcJCLZl4  

 

References:

Arblaster, M. (2018). Air traffic management : economics, regulation and governance. Amsterdam, Netherlands: Elsevier. Retrieved from https://ebookcentral-proquest-com.ezproxy.libproxy.db.erau.edu/lib/erau/reader.action?docID=5266167

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). (2006). Fact Sheet – Co-Located TRACONS (TERMINAL RADAR APPROACH CONTROL). Department of Transportation. Retrieved from https://www.faa.gov/news/fact_sheets/news_story.cfm?contentkey=4009

 

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