Air Traffic Control Organization Lesson

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Air Traffic Control OrganizationLesson 3
ATC System Command Center 624
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Overview

• Basic ATC organization
• Who is responsible for separation of air traffic?
• Overview of ATC coordination
• Description of each type of ATC facility
• Special ATC procedures

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Basic ATC Organization

• Air Route Traffic Control Centers (ARTCC)
• Air Traffic Control Towers (ATCT)
• Flight Service Stations (FSS)
• Air Traffic Control System Command Center (ATCSCC)

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FAA
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Who is Responsible for Separation of Air Traffic
in the U.S.A?

• Federal Aviation Administration
• By Act of Congress
• Air route traffic control centers (ARTCC)
• The controllers in each Center are ultimately
  responsible for separation of all IFR traffic

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ARTCCs Are Responsible for Separating Air Traffic
in the U.S.
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ARTCCs can Delegate Separation Responsibilities
to Local ATC Facilities

• Letter of Agreement (LOA)

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Space Assigned to ATC Facilities
CENTER A
CENTER C
CENTER B
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Overview of ATC Coordination

• Pre-established coordination Letters of
  Agreement (LOA) and Facility Directives (FD)
• Delegation of separation
• Airspace boundaries
• Transfer of air traffic across boundaries

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• On-the-fly coordination between controllers
• Special pilot requests
• Weather deviations, etc.

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Air Route Traffic Control Center(ARTCC)

• Locations and boundaries
• Responsibilities
• Coordination
• Controller positions

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ARTCC Locations and Boundaries
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Low Altitude ARTCC Sectors
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ARTCC Responsibilities

• Process IFR flight plans
• Issue IFR clearances
• Separate all IFR traffic in controlled airspace
• Delegate IFR separation around busy airports

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ARTCC Coordination

• Facility directives and LOAs
• Sectors
• Handoff procedures
• Preferential route system (preferred IFR routes)
• Approval requests and coordination (APPREQ)

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Fort Worth ARTCC Sectors
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Handoff
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Preferential Route System
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Airport Facilities Directory (A/FD)
Fig 5-8, p. 212
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ARTCC Controller Positions

• Flight data
• Radar
• Radar associate (non-radar)

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Flight data

• 1st job at center
• Assist other controllers
• Effect comm and passes info to other sectors

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Radar

• Issue altitude,heading, and airspeed changes to
  provide seperation

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Radar associate (non-radar)

• Assist radar controller with aircraft that do not
  show up on scope.

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Air Traffic Control Towers

• Responsibilities
• Types of ATC towers
• Controller positions

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ATCT Responsibilities

• Separate all traffic using runways for takeoff
  and landing
• Relay IFR clearances
• If delegated by ARTCC, separate IFR traffic
  within a given area around airport
• Within 40-mile radius of airport
• From surface to 5,000-17,000 feet

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Types of ATC Towers

• VFR control tower (e.g. PKB)
• Most class D airports
• IFR approach and separation provided by another
  facility
• Non-radar approach control tower
• Few class D airports
• Non-radar IFR separation within delegated
  airspace
• Radar approach control tower (e.g. CMH)
• All class B C airports
• Radar IFR separation within delegated airspace

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ATCT Positions

• Flight data
• Clearance delivery
• Ground control
• Local control (tower)
• Approach/departure
• Tower cab
• TRACON facility next to tower

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Location of ATC Facilities

• Flight data

• Radar

Control Tower

• Flight data

• Associate

• Clearance delivery

• Approach
• Departure

• Ground

• Local

Airport
Middle of nowhere
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Flight Service Stations

• Responsibilities
• Specialist positions

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FSS Responsibilities

• Weather observations
• Pilot weather briefings
• Filing IFR/VFR flight plans
• Disseminating NOTAMs
• Broadcasting weather information
• Relay ATC clearances
• Emergency assistance

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FSS Positions

• Preflight briefing
• In-flight
• Flight watch (122.0) - EFAS
• Flight data
• NOTAM
• Broadcast

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Air Traffic Control System Command Center

• Responsibilities
• Offices

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ATCSCC Responsibilities

• Modify air traffic flow when weather or other
  conditions place stress on the NAS
• Cooperate with airline personnel and other ATC
  facilities
• ATCSCC does not directly control any air traffic

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ATCSCC Offices

• Airport reservation
• Central altitude reservation
• Flight inspection liaison
• International operations and procedures
• National operations control center
• NOTAM
• Severe weather unit

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Special ATC Procedures

• Coordination with DOD at air traffic control
  facilities
• Military use of civilian airspace (MARSA)
• Air defense identification zones (ADIZ)
• Foreign ATC services
• Non-federal control towers (NFCT)

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Summary of ATC Facilities
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Topics for Remainder of Course
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Next

• Chapter 6 Control Tower Procedures