HK AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL BLOG
Join Date: Jun 2008
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Psycho is made silent so don't ask him sensitive questions as he needs this job very much. He has young wife and ten kids to raise! This job is very important to him. Management would make him a real psycho if he did anything bad to them. The ex-ex-president of HKATCA was gunned, Psycho leant a lesson.
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Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Hong Kong
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I apologise for being absent. Lots of extra duties with IFATCA.
1. I'm still an active controller.
2. HKATCA has about 100 members, up from 30 something. Please be positive. I'm no longer president, as it is only for a two year term.
Fix your eyes forward on what you can do, not back on what you cannot change.
3. Applying for ATC you have two routes. To qualify in the Tower only initially via the Airport Authority: HKIA Staff Services Limited
Or CAD direct. ATC has 3 streams of controlling. Tower, Terminal (within 100nm roughly) and Enroute control.
Training is streamed. So after selection you would be streamed currently into CAD for one of the two radar streams. Terminal or Enroute. Tower is currently almost exclusively being fed via AA entries.
For CAD it would appear they are not recruiting at present. You'll need to view their web site for vacancies and make and application via that medium.
https://csboa1.csb.gov.hk/csboa/jve/JVE_001.action
4. Red stop bars. 100% we should all follow NEVER CROSS REDS
the stop bar lights are on timers. The timers are different for both runways. Normally we judge ahead of time when to de-select the stop bar. If you are slow in lining up, they may re-set to on. Simply advise that you have reds. Sometimes they are in the hands of the techs. In that case we'll give you a definite "I'm unable to de-select the stop bars, disregard the reds and taxi...."
1. I'm still an active controller.
2. HKATCA has about 100 members, up from 30 something. Please be positive. I'm no longer president, as it is only for a two year term.
Fix your eyes forward on what you can do, not back on what you cannot change.
3. Applying for ATC you have two routes. To qualify in the Tower only initially via the Airport Authority: HKIA Staff Services Limited
Or CAD direct. ATC has 3 streams of controlling. Tower, Terminal (within 100nm roughly) and Enroute control.
Training is streamed. So after selection you would be streamed currently into CAD for one of the two radar streams. Terminal or Enroute. Tower is currently almost exclusively being fed via AA entries.
For CAD it would appear they are not recruiting at present. You'll need to view their web site for vacancies and make and application via that medium.
https://csboa1.csb.gov.hk/csboa/jve/JVE_001.action
4. Red stop bars. 100% we should all follow NEVER CROSS REDS
the stop bar lights are on timers. The timers are different for both runways. Normally we judge ahead of time when to de-select the stop bar. If you are slow in lining up, they may re-set to on. Simply advise that you have reds. Sometimes they are in the hands of the techs. In that case we'll give you a definite "I'm unable to de-select the stop bars, disregard the reds and taxi...."
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Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Hong Kong
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Separating two arrivals north and south runway
Another question has been submitted on this topic.
In IMC or using radar separation only, Director (FAD) is permitted to reduce separation to a 2.5nm stagger between the two runways and wake turbulence separation is not a factor.
If there were catch-up and the 2.5nm were to be infringed, the radar separation can be replaced with visual separation (ICAO term: reduced separation in the vicinity of the airfield). This can be applied by the aircrew involved, by calling visual with the traffic ahead or by the tower monitoring both runway finals when VMC exists.
In IMC or using radar separation only, Director (FAD) is permitted to reduce separation to a 2.5nm stagger between the two runways and wake turbulence separation is not a factor.
If there were catch-up and the 2.5nm were to be infringed, the radar separation can be replaced with visual separation (ICAO term: reduced separation in the vicinity of the airfield). This can be applied by the aircrew involved, by calling visual with the traffic ahead or by the tower monitoring both runway finals when VMC exists.
Join Date: Feb 2002
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Just to supplement Psycho: The ICAO standard is actually 2.0 NM within 10 NM of the runway but we couldn't quite fulfill all the required criteria (Tower frequency override on the Director position), so we based the safety argument on the ICAO same-runway 2.5 NM standard.
BB
BB
Join Date: Jun 2008
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Fix your eyes forward on what you can do, not back on what you cannot change.
Can the following wipe away all your guilty??
Wing and a prayer ? Clear The Air News Blog
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Szechuan
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Please ask our new Deputy Director to pay membership fee 
WE NEED YOU
Did another Deputy Director pay membership fee? With all the problems he created for the department, charge him ten times fee.
WE NEED YOU
Did another Deputy Director pay membership fee? With all the problems he created for the department, charge him ten times fee.
Join Date: Jun 2008
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The Annual General Meeting is on 27 May, all members please pay membership fee to renew your social club membership as well as to sponsor those ...... very few ..... can join the KLAS 55th IFATCA AC. Not for you! Your role is to pay membership fee.
Join Date: Feb 2002
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3NM in the APP/DEP airspace. (2.5NM between adjacent final approaches within 10NM)
5NM in the remainder of the TMA.
Currently 10NM in ADS-B airspace but likely to reduce to 5NM later this year.
5NM in the remainder of the TMA.
Currently 10NM in ADS-B airspace but likely to reduce to 5NM later this year.
Join Date: Oct 2008
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The Hong Kong Squeeze. SCMP 080717
Join Date: May 2014
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Update on Post # 111
[QUOTE=psychohk;8529928]1. During busy periods when HK Director (119.5) is in use, it seems implied that we check in with our call sign only (no altitude, speed, heading). Is this officially published anywhere or is it simply local knowledge?
The HK AIP doesn’t differentiate between checking in on Director as opposed to any other HK sector; ie., AIP ENR 1.1.2 requires: callsign, level and cleared level in all cases. Operational FAD controllers are in favour of the change to callsign only and it was recommended some years ago but was not taken forward. The HKATCA will approach the officer in charge for his consideration.
Please note:
As from 27 MAR 2017 HK AIP Sup A03/17:
Approach Control will use the following phraseology when instructing a frequency change to Director; “(Callsign) contact Hong Kong Director 119.5 MHz with callsign only”. The pilot on first communication with Hong Kong Director shall state callsign only.
[QUOTE=psychohk;8529928]1. During busy periods when HK Director (119.5) is in use, it seems implied that we check in with our call sign only (no altitude, speed, heading). Is this officially published anywhere or is it simply local knowledge?
The HK AIP doesn’t differentiate between checking in on Director as opposed to any other HK sector; ie., AIP ENR 1.1.2 requires: callsign, level and cleared level in all cases. Operational FAD controllers are in favour of the change to callsign only and it was recommended some years ago but was not taken forward. The HKATCA will approach the officer in charge for his consideration.
Please note:
As from 27 MAR 2017 HK AIP Sup A03/17:
Approach Control will use the following phraseology when instructing a frequency change to Director; “(Callsign) contact Hong Kong Director 119.5 MHz with callsign only”. The pilot on first communication with Hong Kong Director shall state callsign only.
Last edited by Zual; 25th Jul 2017 at 23:27.
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I guess you fly around Asia most of the time. When switched to Director in most parts of the world you can just check in with call sign only. Giving your life history when checking in just wastes their time. They are extremely busy ( that's why they have a Director) and only want to know you are on frequency. By looking at their radar they know your altitude, heading and speed so why give it to them all again. But there again most pilots like to hear their own voices
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I guess you fly around Asia most of the time. When switched to Director in most parts of the world you can just check in with call sign only. Giving your life history when checking in just wastes their time. They are extremely busy ( that's why they have a Director) and only want to know you are on frequency. By looking at their radar they know your altitude, heading and speed so why give it to them all again. But there again most pilots like to hear their own voices
I do wish controllers would omit duplicate clearances when checking in though. That does waste time, congests the frequency, and could introduce confusion.
For example, when checking in with departure you announce climbing to 5000ft. If the clearance is correct then departure should just say "Roger, or radar contact". Don't now clear me to the same altitude I checked in with (i.e., to climb to 5000ft). That now requires me to read it back. Not to mention it introduces another opportunity to misunderstand for a further climb, which is the next expected altitude clearance.
With the congestion over TD you can see the holes in the Swiss cheese coming into alignment. This practice does not enhance safety. If as a controller you are unsure about the transmission from the pilot then do as we do (or at least should do), and simply say "say again".
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Why all the micro-managing as soon as one enters HKG airspace?
eg SABNO, NOMAN, ELATO..ie... descend NOW reach "too low, too far out" in 1 minute etc etc..... Slow down to Min clean speed, Turn to HDG xxx for spacing etc etc......and THEN get us to HOLD???
Why can the system not allow putting everybody in the Hold and sorting all from there? There is far too much talking, missed calls, over-transmitting, stressed controllers and pilots, not to mention the mono-syllabic grunts on 121.5 from our southern friends to add to the distraction.
Workload for everybody can be shed somehow, surely.
eg SABNO, NOMAN, ELATO..ie... descend NOW reach "too low, too far out" in 1 minute etc etc..... Slow down to Min clean speed, Turn to HDG xxx for spacing etc etc......and THEN get us to HOLD???
Why can the system not allow putting everybody in the Hold and sorting all from there? There is far too much talking, missed calls, over-transmitting, stressed controllers and pilots, not to mention the mono-syllabic grunts on 121.5 from our southern friends to add to the distraction.
Workload for everybody can be shed somehow, surely.
