Questions tagged [air-traffic-control]
Air Traffic Control (ATC) is a service of ground-based controllers that directs and coordinates aircraft to improve safety and efficiency.
990
questions
2
votes
1answer
765 views
Is altitude and heading your discretion when you are cleared visual approach?
If I'm north of KSAN heading east and the controller clears me for the visual approach for runway 27, can I descend and turn the plane at my discretion so that I can get ready for landing?
Also, ...
1
vote
1answer
345 views
What phraseology does ATC use with jet fighter pilots? [closed]
What do they usually say or ask when the fighter pilot wants to take off, when it's in the air, and what is the reply from the fighter pilot?
3
votes
2answers
250 views
How do I translate this propeller start procedure into English?
I'm translating a documentary from Hungarian to English. There is a scene where the pilot of an aeroplane with a propeller is preparing for take-off.
He says (seemingly into a 2-way radio) two short ...
1
vote
0answers
178 views
pre-departure sequence, how to increase number of flights in the sequence
If I have number of flights ready to depart (valid TOBT) if I want to increase the number of flights in the queue by adding flights in the gaps between any 2 flights whats the minimum seperation that ...
6
votes
1answer
326 views
What are the helicopter frequencies on the LA heli charts used for?
The LA heli charts list frequencies for the different heli routes in LA:
Are the frequencies used as a "CTAF" for helicopters, or is there an air traffic controller on that frequency telling ...
2
votes
5answers
434 views
ATC calling out regional airlines in traffic advisories: phonetic or “aircraft paint” airline used?
When ATC points out traffic that is a regional airline (e.g. Compass, Envoy, SkyWest, etc.), do they use the phonetic callsign of the airline, or do they use the callsign of the airline that they are ...
7
votes
1answer
386 views
Who manages air traffic during Red Bull air races?
I'll preface this by saying I'm not a pilot so I don't know much about Air Traffic Control.
How does Air Traffic Control work for Red Bull air races? Does:
(1) each plane taking off need to contact ...
1
vote
4answers
382 views
Phoenix Area Helicopter ATC: What is “Hee-lah” (Gila?) One, and what is the 101 transition?
I've been listening to the Phoenix Tower LiveATC feed, and I hear references to "Hee-lah" (Gila?) One and the 101 transition with helicopters (see audio files below):
Angel-Five
TV-3
TV-15
Does ...
7
votes
1answer
266 views
Why would ATC issue a takeoff clearance and also tell the same aircraft to maintain visual separation at the same time?
I heard this from the Phoenix Sky Harbor airport tower years ago on a sunny and hot day.
Is it because the controller is able to take off aircraft more quickly by putting the responsibility on pilots ...
7
votes
2answers
821 views
What does “<aircraft type> X miles in trail, runway 25R cleared to land” mean?
I was listening to the LiveATC Phoenix North Tower feed as he was clearing aircraft to land. He said something like "Southwest fifteen sixty five, Phoenix Tower, (aircraft type), X miles in trail, ...
6
votes
1answer
498 views
Can two opposite localizers to a single runway be on simultaneously?
In case of a single runway with two separate ILS systems (one in each end, facing localizers) operating on two different frequencies, can both localizers be on and transmitting at the same time, or ...
0
votes
2answers
3k views
When is 'heavy' used in callsign?
I have heared at ATC communication that some aircraft uses a heavy word in the call sign.
What does heavy means?
When it is used?
Is it used when aircraft is heavier than 200-300 tons?
6
votes
4answers
766 views
Why do heavy departures wait 5-10 minutes on the runway at ZRH?
I'm frequently travelling to Zürich for business and I usually make my schedule so that I have at least an hour to do some planespotting and photographing at the ZRH airport.
Whenever I came to the ...
3
votes
0answers
273 views
Where can I find US ARTCC sector boundary coordinates?
For an academic purpose, I would like to map US airspace using GIS tools with coordinates. I found the airspace boundary coordinates from the eNASR, but no luck with the sector boundaries.
Any ...
2
votes
1answer
106 views
Which pilot (pilot flying, pilot monitoring) handles CPDLC (operates CPDLC interface)?
This question relates to commercial flights, typical two-pilot crew: In some airspaces, e.g. North Atlantic, pilots and Air Traffic Control use Controller Pilot Data Link Communication (CPDLC, ...
3
votes
3answers
342 views
How could so many drones establish contact with ATC?
India has brought out best set of drone regulations on the basis of No Permission No Take-off (NPNT).
But how can the ATC establish contact with so many drones that will be unpredictably asking for ...
3
votes
2answers
2k views
Does ATC use True Course or Ground Track?
Reading the practice questions for PAR, I came accross this
ATC advises, "traffic 12 o`clock." This advisory is relative to your
A) true course
B) ground track
C) magnetic heading
I was ...
0
votes
0answers
138 views
How much does it cost the airline if an aircraft makes a missed approach? [duplicate]
aircraft go around due to variety of reasons viz. Bad weather (inevitable), unstable approach, ATC errors etc.
knowing the cost implications will help in educating the stakeholders.
4
votes
1answer
1k views
What steps are needed to communicate with ATC on an A320?
In the description to this video, Captain Joe says that it took this inexperienced person 20 minutes to establish radio contact with ATC (in an A320 simulator).
This seems like an awful lot of time ...
6
votes
1answer
380 views
Why doesn't a radar-equipped Tower say “radar contact”?
Most/all of the control towers in my area have radar displays, and I know from visits that it shows all the same things as in TRACON miles away--even aircraft on the ground. I hear them occasionally ...
3
votes
2answers
226 views
Why are waypoints not named uniquely?
Waypoint names are not unique. Why ?
This is unnecessary (it would be possible to use unique names only).
It introduces potential for confusion.
So why are duplicate waypoint names permissible and ...
0
votes
2answers
182 views
If all aircraft were TCAS-equipped, how would this change ATC routines?
« The primary purpose of ATC worldwide is to prevent
collisions, organize and expedite the flow of air traffic, and
provide information and other support for pilots. » (source)
If all aircraft ...
2
votes
2answers
380 views
Why are both ATC and TCAS tasked to prevent collisions although TCAS takes precedence anyway?
« The primary purpose of ATC worldwide is to prevent collisions
[...] Many aircraft also have collision avoidance systems, which
provide additional safety by warning pilots when other aircraft get
...
0
votes
1answer
441 views
What’s service does ATC service include?
As I’ve studied on ATC service and airspace class by referring to ICAO Annex, I have some doubts on ATC service.
According to ICAO Annex 11, Class D airspace is defined as “IFR and VFR flights are ...
6
votes
3answers
2k views
Can pilots choose runway and landing direction?
Pilots normally receive landing clearance for a specific runway assigned by ATC. Absent an emergency, can pilots of commercial flights (depending on the wind conditions for example) choose
a ...
-1
votes
1answer
110 views
When flying commercial a/c form US to Latin America by GPS which agency controls the flight? [duplicate]
When flying internationally from the US to Latin America, the use of GPS is common. What agency or agencies control the flight and how?
4
votes
4answers
727 views
What would happen if I exceeded mach 1 over a regulated area?
What would happen if I exceeded mach 1 over a regulated area? Are there any penalties in place for this violation?
Would ATC actually know I’m flying supersonic or would they have to go out of ...
6
votes
3answers
656 views
Can ATC terminate flight following AND approve (arbitrary) frequency change while still inside Class C airspace?
Unusual (for me) event inside Class C. Can ATC terminate flight following inside Class C and approve frequency change.
Background: Requested and received VFR FF at 6500 msl prior to approaching ONT ...
3
votes
4answers
166 views
Will Tower repeat an initial heading if it's part of my IFR clearance?
If I get an initial heading to fly in my clearance from Clearance Delivery, but the Tower controller does not repeat the heading to fly in my takeoff clearance and I stay on runway heading, can the ...
5
votes
2answers
623 views
Heard on LiveATC that ATC wants to “cancel” something. What did the ATC mean by that?
Just heard this on LiveATC:
ATC has cleared the pilot for an ILS approach
ATC then said something to the pilot, to which the pilot replied, "Roger, will cancel with you on the ground, call sign."
...
7
votes
2answers
1k views
How unusual were MH370's final ATC exchanges?
There are 2 noteworthy occurrences in the ATC radio transcript within just minutes of a 3rd noteworthy, quite unprecedented occurrence in aviation history:
At 01:07:55 MH370 unnecessarily reported ...
0
votes
1answer
85 views
Restore air traffic controllers' instructions from aircraft tracks
Is it possible to understand what commands had been given to an aircraft if you look at its track containing information about lat, lon, altitude, speed and course? Is there anyone who has already ...
3
votes
2answers
339 views
What emergencies or failures should I report to ATC? [duplicate]
During a flight, what kinds of emergencies or failures should I report to ATC immediately? For what kind of emergencies or failures am I not required to report them?
What is the general rule? Could I ...
4
votes
2answers
781 views
On a flight with short stops, do you terminate flight following at each stop?
On a cross-country trip, is it normal to terminate FF at each stop and reacquire it (potentially just a few minutes later) for the next leg, or would ATC prefer that you advise them it'll be a short ...
2
votes
2answers
357 views
Is the whole world's airspace covered by ATC? [closed]
I'm an enthusiast and have only flown flight/atc simulators (on the VATSIM network). Obviously sometimes the airspace you are flying in is not covered by any ATC (so I have to set my frequency to ...
47
votes
6answers
10k views
Can ATC handle a flight as emergency although the pilots have not declared an emergency?
The preliminary report for the LNI610 crash shows how much distractive conversation there was between ATC and LIN610 at a time when the pilots clearly didn't have the aircraft under control – as ...
0
votes
2answers
406 views
How long can ATC operate for without main power? [closed]
This question pertains to large towers at large airports. I'm assuming there is backup power in case of a power cut / power failure. But how long does a typical reserve generator / unit supply power ...
3
votes
5answers
2k views
Why can’t air traffic control radars determine the altitudes of primary targets?
There are two types of returns that show up on an air traffic controller’s radar screen:
Secondary returns are not, strictly-speaking, radar “returns” at all, but, rather, signals automatically ...
8
votes
3answers
4k views
Are there any publically available recordings of conversations between ATC and pilots?
It can be either audio or transcription.
It would be perfect if it also contains aircraft tracks.
4
votes
1answer
713 views
When flying in uncontrolled airspace, which ATC frequency should I contact if I have an emergency?
Question 1: If I am flying in uncontrolled airspace and I have an emergency, should I report on 121.5MHz if no ATC is within line of sight communication (which means I cannot hear the ATC and the ATC ...
3
votes
2answers
2k views
Please explain real-world procedures behind this “ATC joke”
One of the well-known kind of the "ATC jokes" (funny excerpts from real or invented communication between pilots and air traffic controllers) has recently caught my eye.
I can't seem to understand ...
3
votes
3answers
569 views
When an emergency happens, why do pilots need to stay on the current ATC frequency?
Per the below order, I need to stay with the initial ATC frequency during an emergency, what is the benefit to do so? What if the aircraft entered into the airspace controlled by anther ATC or the ...
0
votes
0answers
276 views
What is DPI? How is it Useful? And How does it work?
I have heard of DPI (departure planning information) status for a flight. I wanted to know what is this Status for? How is it computed or determined? What are the different status for it if any and ...
3
votes
1answer
338 views
What if the tower Is obstructed by clouds?
I know towers use radar to watch aircraft, obviously. But what about ground controllers? What if their view is obstructed by a low cloud level/fog?
Is there such a thing as ground-based traffic ...
2
votes
1answer
112 views
Does a subsequent crossing restriction supersede earlier crossing restrictions?
Does a subsequent crossing restriction supersede earlier crossing restrictions?
Here's an example.
While flying the MIP4 arrival into KLGA, you receive the expected instruction to cross MARRC at ...
4
votes
3answers
999 views
Can paragliders in the US communicate with ATC?
I am a private pilot looking to get into paragliding. After talking to some of my friends who do paragliding in the San Francisco Bay area and watching YouTube videos I noticed some fly through places ...
8
votes
3answers
2k views
Reasons for significantly lower than normal approach
Not sure if this is going to be answerable to be honest, as I'm sort of asking for a bit of retroactive mind-reading! But here goes anyway!
I was driving along Clifton Drive North, Lytham Saint Annes,...
0
votes
0answers
26 views
how to simulate the performance parameters wand EGT parameter?where can i get the data? [duplicate]
I went through a lot of research papers and (kind of) understood the parameters needed for Engine Condition Trend Monitoring. From what I've understood, I need N1speed,N2 speed, Pitch, AOA, Exhaust ...
2
votes
2answers
328 views
Is the Tower (Local) Controller responsible for “separating” VFR traffic in the pattern in the U.S. in Class D airspace?
For example, in U.S. Class D airspace, if an inbound aircraft operating VFR is instructed by the Control Tower to "enter left downwind for runway 18, report entering downwind," is the controller ...
8
votes
1answer
257 views
Is there a serious effort underway to move from a highways-in-the-sky approach to a mesh-network approach?
As far as I'm aware, there are certain "motorways" or corridors which air traffic uses, rather than navigating more directly from origin to destination.
I remember listening to a documentary which ...
