In this guide, we will discuss the importance of air traffic control for light aircraft and how ATC personnel direct flights for optimal efficiency and safety.
Every professional field has a supporting service without which the business can’t function properly. However, in the case of aviation, Air Traffic Control (ATC) is not just a support service, but the backbone of modern aviation without which air travel simply won’t be possible at the level it is today.
Air traffic control is responsible for directing and guiding all aircraft in the air. They are an essential service without which modern aviation would cease to exist.
Even when it comes to light aircraft, the services of air traffic controllers are paramount for the proper functioning of flights. Pilots are expected to communicate with the ATC for guidance if needed and for various routine tasks related to take-off and landing.
In this guide, we will discuss the importance of air traffic control for light aircraft and how ATC personnel direct flights for optimal efficiency and safety.
Air Traffic Control Basics
After the advent of light aircraft in the 1900s, there was a boom in both interest and manufacturing of light aircraft. In fact, the aviation industry already had a strong foundation within the first decade of the Wright Brother’s successful flight. It didn’t take long for multiple planes to start emerging both for recreational and commercial purposes.
Due to this influx of new aircraft and an increase in the number of flights, it became quickly apparent that there was a need for a ground-based crew to monitor and guide these aircraft for airports.
Think about it, when you are in the sky with multiple other planes, you can’t just land a plane at any airport at any given time. There are numerous aircraft in the same vicinity which can cause quite a lot of problems when some of them want to land.
For example, how would a plane know which landing strip is open for landing? Or how would they know when to land and if there is another plane that is approaching the same strip? This is where air traffic controllers come in!
Much like the traffic police on the ground that directs traffic and controls the inflow and outflow of cars on the road to avoid traffic and collisions, air traffic control personnel perform the same task but with extremely more focus, precision, and control.
Unlike ground traffic police where just one officer can manage traffic on the road, ATC requires a highly trained team where each member has a very precise job role.
ATC personnel are situated inside a tall tower at an optimal location inside the airport. The ATC is built as a circular structure with glass windows that provide full visibility of all available runways in an airport.
Inside this structure, there are several ATC personnel that look after the inflow, outflow, and guidance of planes in the vicinity. For example, one personnel would queue and log a flight and pass the information along to other personnel using a strip card.
Every strip contains information about the flight, departure time, destination, and even information about the altitude of the flight. The strip card system remains a core part of every ATC operation and is interestingly one of the few analogue tools that are still being used in the modern age.
Once a flight has been approved, the strip for the flight is printed and then sent to an ATC personnel that queues that flight accordingly. A flight can also be bumped up or down the queue depending on the emergency status of the flight.
Once a flight approaches the front of the queue, another personnel ready the pilot and directs them to taxi the plane to the appropriate runway. Once the pilot has performed their own list of pre-flight checks, they signal the ATC and request for take-off. Finally, the ATC personnel responsible for outflow traffic signals the pilot and gives them the go-ahead to take off.
In the same manner, when a flight is approaching for landing, an ATC personnel responsible for inflow traffic will guide the plane on the right path and tell them all the information they need about the current situation of the runway.
ATC Lingo and Important Practices for Light Aircraft
The universally preferred language for ATC operations is English. This way, no matter where an aircraft travels, it will always be directed in English. Communication is an incredibly important part of air traffic control operations. Without proper communication, this service will not be as efficient and may even result in disaster.
For example, instead of talking in long form, ATC personnel and pilots are familiar with shorthand lingo that is used to provide various information in the shortest way possible.
As you can imagine, a pilot’s job is to pilot the aircraft, not talk to the ground crew unnecessarily. In fact, every pilot is instructed to first aviate, navigate, and then communicate!
Aviate here means that the pilot must first operate the aircraft to the best of their ability, and then navigate the plane appropriately before communicating the status of the aircraft to the ATC. The reason for this protocol is to minimise the risk of disaster.
There have been a few cases in early aviation history where pilots were unable to pilot the plane because they were too busy or engaged in talking with ATC personnel. This type of situation is seriously frowned upon and is also grounds for serious action by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
Pilots are expected to be in full sync with the ground crew and follow all the required best practices for communicating from the aircraft cabin. Using this type of shorthand communication can greatly decrease the risk of providing the wrong information and can also help the pilot focus on the most important thing at hand: piloting the aircraft.
This is why the ATC is tasked to fully work for (not with) the pilot so that they can direct them appropriately and convey all the necessary information in a timely manner.
When it comes to light aircraft, the role and scope of ATC are the same, however, since light aircraft traffic is relatively limited compared to commercial operations, ATC personnel aren’t overly burdened by the total requests from light aircraft.
Light aircraft pilots are usually private pilots that take on flying as a hobby. Every private pilot is trained to communicate appropriately with the ATC personnel in order to get assistance. For example, a light aircraft pilot will have to communicate with the ATC to clear them for a runway. The pilot will provide all the necessary information that is also outlined in the flight plan. The ATC will then check for available runaways and direct the pilot to taxi to the nearest available runway or wait until their aircraft comes up in the queue.
Once a runway is available, the ATC will convey the availability to the pilot and approve them for take-off. On the other hand, when approaching for landing, the pilot will engage with the ATC for a clear landing.
The ATC personnel may provide additional information about the weather, visibility, wind speed, and other related factors that may affect the landing of the aircraft. Once the aircraft is approved for landing, only then will the pilot approach for the final descent.
Role of Air Traffic Control for Light Aircraft
Here is a summary of all the roles of Air Traffic Control:
Ensuring Safety
The reason why travelling via air is considered to be the safest form of transportation is because of the number of redundancies and restrictions placed for the sake of ensuring safety. If you think about it, there are several things that can go wrong when flying a plane, and unlike other forms of transportation, there are several risk factors attached to flying passengers high up in the air.
One of the biggest unpredictable factors is the weather. Even with modern technology, we still struggle to predict the fickleness of weather. Don’t get us wrong, modern meteorology practices make predictions extremely accurate, but there is always some room for error, especially when so many variables are involved. However, there is another line of defence that ensures the safety of aircraft: ATC operations.
The role of ATC is to direct aircraft in various conditions. This includes directing light and commercial aircraft in bad weather conditions or even in severe emergency conditions. ATC pilots work for the pilot and help them in whatever way they can so that the pilots can fully engage with the plane. They can be seen as invisible co-pilots inside the cockpit that only provide important information when needed.
Orchestrating the Sky
As you can imagine, the role of ATC is to orchestrate all the flights in the sky. This is an incredibly important task because every plane has to be on a separate route that does not overlap with other aircraft.
ATC personnel do this by adjusting the altitude and direction of the aircraft. While there are several onboard instruments that can help pilots in this regard as well, the role of ATC is to minimise the workload of the pilot so that they can focus on navigating the aircraft safely. The ATC holds all the available traffic information in the vicinity and can even communicate with other ATC towers in the area for further confirmation or notifications.
ATC personnel also play an important role in conveying information about airspace restrictions. Following airspace restrictions is extremely important for the safety of the aircraft which is why the ATC carefully monitors and directs aircraft away from restricted airspaces. Providing this information in a timely manner allows the pilots to take quick and informed decisions. The information provided by the ATC also provides pilots with a high level of situational awareness.
Emergency Support
As mentioned above, the ATC is more than equipped to help pilots out when they face emergencies. For example, in the case of engine failure, the pilot may want to find the nearest airport or landing strip for a smooth touchdown.
In this case, the ATC will devote all their attention to the pilot and help them navigate to the airport. It is important to note, however, that the ATC personnel will only convey directional and navigational support to the pilot, and they will not interfere with the pilot's decision-making while in the situation.
The pilot will only communicate with the ATC after they make an appropriate decision for the aircraft. The ATC will then respond to the pilot’s request and adjust their navigational information accordingly. The ATC personnel may also notify nearby ATC towers about the current situation of an aircraft, if necessary so that they can help the pilot land in the safest and quickest way possible.
Role of Flight Schools
Flight schools play a pivotal role in teaching young pilots about the appropriate communication lingo when conversing with ATC personnel. This includes general training about how to use communication equipment and the best practices for how to convey various flight-related information in the most effective way possible.
Top-tier flight schools, like Sherburn Aero Club, have highly trained faculty that are experienced with all forms of pilot communications. Please make sure that you enrol in a flight school that provides comprehensive training that goes beyond the typical training modules. This type of hands-on and informative training can immensely help pilots in various situations while in the sky and can even help them progress much faster in their training programme.
As we have outlined above, pilots and ATC personnel are on the same team and two sides of the same coin. They need to be always in full sync and work together to solve problems if need be. Air Traffic Control has enabled aviation to be where it is today, and it will continue to provide its crucial services to keep the skies safe for everyone.
WHY CHOOSE SHERBURN AERO CLUB
Sherburn Aero Club, which has been operational since 1964, is the ideal place for most of your training and flying needs. It is one of the largest flying clubs in the North of England and also one of the largest in the country.
If you wish to begin your career in aviation or wish to take to the skies as a hobby, Sherburn’s flight training school offers private and commercial licences, along with pilot medicals to ensure a smooth journey going forward.
For those who wish to experience the thrill of a flight for fun or to help fuel their aviation dreams, Sherburn offers experience flights for the newbie, as well as the veteran in various types of light aircraft.
The flight experience option is also available for people who wish to take to the skies for special occasions, even if they aren’t into aviation in the long run.
With a large fleet of new aircraft and an airfield refurbishment with new runways, hangars, and an extended clubhouse, we cater to brand-new flyers who have just started their journey to the skies, as well as seasoned flyers who have been operating aircraft for decades.
Sherburn offers a dedicated day-long Flight Radiotelephony Operator’s Licence (FRTOL) course for those wishing to get the certification, running the first Sunday of every month.
In addition to that, if you are looking for a hangarage for your own aircraft, need servicing or repairs, want to buy a new aircraft or aviation equipment, or are just looking to enjoy and watch the aircraft, Sherburn Aero Club is the place to be.
Call us at 01977 682 674, email us at flightdesk@sherburnaeroclub.com, or message us via our online contact form for more information on pilot communication training, light aircraft, training requirements, licencing procedures, as well as experience flights and pilot training at Sherburn.
Photo by Nigel Cohen on Unsplash
