Air Traffic Control

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• The primary purpose of the ATC system is to prevent a collision involving aircraft
• In addition, the ATC system also:
  • Provides a safe, orderly, and expeditious flow of air traffic
  • Supports National Security and Homeland Defense missions
• Air Traffic Control services are governed by FAA JO 7110.65, except when one or more of the following conditions exists:
  • A deviation is necessary to conform with ICAO Documents, National Rules of the Air, or special agreements where the U.S. provides air traffic control service in airspace outside the U.S. and its possessions, or;
    • Pilots are still required to abide by CFRs or other applicable regulations regardless of the application of any procedure or minima
  • Other procedures/minima are prescribed in a letter of agreement, FAA directive, or a military document, or;
  • A deviation is necessary to assist an aircraft when an emergency has been declared
• The ATC system must provide certain additional services to the extent permitted
  • The provision of additional services is not optional on the part of the controller, but rather required when the work situation permits
  • It is recognized that the provision of these services may be precluded by various factors, including, but not limited to:
    • Volume of traffic
    • Frequency congestion
    • Quality of surveillance
    • Controller workload
    • Higher priority duties
    • The physical inability to scan and detect situations falling in this category
• Services depend on the phase of flight and the associated facility:
  • FAA Weather Services
  • FAA Radar Services include Automated - Flight Service Station (AFSS) and Radar Traffic Information Service (Flight Following)
  • Radar Vectors
  • Separation Standards
  • Radio Detection And Ranging (RADAR)
  • Terminal Broadcast Services and Systems
• Air Traffic Control services are not provided for model aircraft operating at any altitude within the National Airspace System (NAS) or to any Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) operating in the NAS at or below 400ft AGL
  • This does not prohibit ATC from providing services to civil and public UAS

Air Traffic Control Facilities:

• The Federal Aviation Administration establishes facilities which serve to provide the aforementioned services
• Air Traffic Control Tower (ATCT) are found in terminal areas which have sufficient operations to necessitate their services
  • These services are three fold and include: clearance delivery, ground control, and tower control
  • These services include preflight, inflight, operational, emergency and special services

  Pilot Visits to Air Traffic Facilities:

  • Pilots are encouraged to participate in local pilot/air traffic control outreach activities to familiarize themselves with the ATC system
    • However, due to security and workload concerns, requests for air traffic facility visits may not always be approved
    • The number of persons in the group
    • The time and date of the proposed visit, and
    • The primary interest of the group

    Compliance with Air Traffic Control:

    • Clear and concise radio communications with ATC is imperative
    • When an ATC clearance has been obtained, no PIC may deviate from that clearance unless:
      • An amended clearance is obtained
      • An emergency exists
      • The deviation is in response to a traffic alert and collision avoidance system resolution advisory
      • Except in Class A airspace, a pilot may cancel an IFR flight plan if the operation is being conducted in VFR weather conditions
      • Each pilot in command who, in an emergency, or in response to a traffic alert and collision avoidance system resolution advisory, deviates from an ATC clearance or instruction shall notify ATC of that deviation as soon as possible
      • Each pilot in command who (through not deviating from a rule of this subpart) is given priority by ATC in an emergency, shall submit a detailed report of that emergency within 48 hours to the manager of that ATC facility, if requested by ATC
      • I.e., if asked to expedite climb but you cannot increase your rate, state unable to climb faster
      • I.e., if cleared to a point on your flight plan that is dramatically off, ask if the expected point is unavailable

      UAS Operations and Air Traffic Control:

      

      • Coordination and/or communication of airspace authorizations, between UAS pilots or operators and ATC, are handled within the airspace access processes (e.g., LAANC, DroneZone, CAPS). They are not coordinated extemporaneously and verbally between the UAS operator and ATC. Any requirements for coordination and/or communication between UAS operator and ATC will be contained in individual COAs, which may include operational waivers, development of LOAs, and through other application processes which allow access to controlled airspace. Any air traffic services provided to sUAS operations shall be based upon the type of airspace authorization issued, along with the mitigations and limitations included in that authorization
        • Small UAS operators should not contact ATC directly by radio or telephone for purposes of airspace access. Also, the use of an aviation radio frequency by the RPIC of a sUAS may constitute a violation of Federal Communications Commission rules. Remote pilots of larger UAS-which are usually under positive control by ATC and flying under Instrument Flight Rules-are an exception to this guideline
        • Small UAS operators are encouraged to monitor local CTAF radio traffic when operating on or near an airport, for situational awareness

      Recording and Monitoring:

      • Calls to and between air traffic control facilities may be monitored and recorded for operational uses such as accident investigations, accident prevention, search and rescue purposes, specialist training and evaluation, and technical evaluation and repair of control and communications systems
        • Additionally, private sector services such as LiveATC.net will broadcast radio traffic

        Compliance:

        • ATC is responsible for the safety of the national airspace system, and related to recording and monitoring, they must respond to possible procedural deviations
        • A pilot may have an Air Traffic Controller provide a phone number after landing and offer the guidance that a phone call is needed due to a possible pilot deviation
        • If that is the case, don't panic, it doesn't necessarily mean you're in trouble - ATC is data gathering
        • Still, if a mistake was made, own it, file a NASA report, and do some training either with a flight instructor or through programs like FAA Wings to demonstrate you are taking corrective action
        • Actual pilot deviations take time to play out, but can be mitigated so long as you own it and take corrective action

        Operation Rain Check:

        • Operation Rain Check is a program designed and managed by local air traffic control facility management. Its purpose is to familiarize pilots and aspiring pilots with the ATC system, its functions, responsibilities and benefits

        ATC-Alert, ATC-Limited, and ATC-Zero:

        • ATC Zero is a term for a condition where ATC services has shut down and goverend by JO 1900.47
        • Reasons to move to an ATC-Zero condition have included equipment outages, emergencies and the COVID-19 pandemic
        • https://pilotworkshop.com/win-sim-ifrmastery-321
        • ATC Alerts, Limited, or Zero events are not planned, so be sure you fly with reference material such as:
          • National Airspace System Status advisories
          • Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs), to know when reduces services may be possible, and to be able to plan reserves/alternates accordingly
          • Reporting Procedures

          UAS Traffic Management (UTM):

          • UTM is predicated on layers of information sharing and data exchange amongst a range of stakeholders including UAS operators, service providers, and the FAA to achieve safe operations. Operators share their flight intent with each other and coordinate to de−conflict and safely separate trajectories. The primary means of communication and coordination between operators, the FAA, and other stakeholders is through a distributed information network, rather than between pilots and air traffic controllers via traditional voice communications. The FAA makes real−time airspace constraints available to UAS operators, who are responsible for managing their own operations safely within these constraints without receiving ATC services from the FAA. However, the FAA does have access to applicable UTM operational information as necessary. b. UAS operators not receiving ATC separation services are required to participate in UTM at some level using applicable services to meet the performance requirements of their operations. See FIG 11−4−2 for UTM in the context of Air Traffic Management operations. The number and type of services required varies based on the type and location of the intended operation and the associated communication, navigation, surveillance (CNS), and other operational needs
          • Stakeholders in UTM:
            • FAA, the federal authority over aircraft operations in all airspace, and the regulator and oversight authority for civil aircraft operations in the NAS
            • Operator, the person or entity responsible for the overall management of their operation. The operator meets regulatory responsibilities, plans flight/operations, shares operation intent information, and safely conducts operations using all available information
            • Remote pilot−in−command (RPIC), the person responsible for the safe conduct of each UAS flight. An individual may serve as both the operator and the RPIC
            • Other stakeholders (e.g., public safety and general public), can access information and/or utilize UTM services via the USS Network

          Conclusion:

          • Air traffic controllers roles and responsibilities can be found in the FAA Order JO 7110.65, Air Traffic Control, and supplemental FAA directives
            • Additional and supplemental information for pilots can be found in the current Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM), Notices to Air Missions, Advisory Circulars and aeronautical charts. Since there are many other excellent publications produced by non-government organizations, as well as other government organizations, with various updating cycles, questions concerning the latest or most current material can be resolved by cross-checking with the above mentioned documents
            • Remember, air traffic control works with and for pilots, but they never the pilot in command for the ultimate safe operation of the aircraft

            References:

            • AOPA - Training Tip: When ATC Goes to Zero
            • AOPA - Getting in When Radar is Out
            • Federal Aviation Administration - Pilot/Controller Glossary
            • Aeronautical Information Manual (4-1-6) Pilot Visits to Air Traffic Facilities
            • Aeronautical Information Manual (5-5-1) General
            • FAA Order (1600.69) FAA Facility Security Management Program
            • Federal Aviation Regulations (91.123) Compliance With ATC Clearances And Instructions
            • FAA Order JO 7210.3, Paragraph 4-2-2, Pilot Education
            • FAA Order 1600.69, FAA Facility Security Management Program