Q on scottish airspace control/ATC

[mjtibbs]

Hi,

I dont know much about the formalities of airspace control & ATC workings in general so pls bare with me.

I've heard of scottish "FIS" but I dont really know what it means. Am i correct in thinking that they control the airspace over central scotland inbetween the airports, then pass off the pilots onto thier desired airport's ATC approach controller?

I live about 20 miles away from EDI and wondered if anyone could tell me the frequences that the FIS people use as I can pick up the EDI approach comms on my scanner & wondered if I could pick up these "FIS" comms.

if someone could clarify this for me and/or tell me if im talking complete balls, it would be most appreciated.

thanks

--tibbz

[Lock n' Load]

FIS is flight information service. It's one of the services offered by approach control but is also offered by a FIS unit at Scottish Centre. It is NOT a control service and, as the name implies it provides only information. Stuff like regional pressure settings (for altimeters), runways in use and frequencies. It is a non-radar service so traffic information is given only on known traffic and based on pilot position reports and estimates. Scottish information, at least in southern Scotland, is on 119.87.
They control no airspace at all; they just offer information for aircraft flying outside controlled airspace.

[mjtibbs]

ahh ok,

so who are the people that actually "control" airspace and have the radar access over the majority of scottish airspace to make sure planes are on course and going were there supposed to be?

[Lock n' Load]

Back to basics....
There are three main types of air traffic control - aerodrome, approach and area - though in other parts of the world they can have different names.
Aerodrome (callsign Tower and, if there is a separate position for ground movments, Ground) controllers control the taxiways and runways at an aerodrome, and the airspace "in and in the vicinity of the aerodrome traffic zone". In reality, that's airspace below 3,000 ft and out to 10 miles or so from the airfield. This is only at airfields with the traffic to warrant having a control tower. Smaller airfields may have an advisory and information service with no control authority, or they may have no one at all.
Approach (callsign Approach or, if using radar, Radar) controllers control inbound traffic out to 40 miles from the airfield and sequence them on to final approach, at which point they will be handed over to Tower. They will also control overflights operating at levels which will conflict with their traffic and departing traffic if it will conflict with arrivals. They can also give a service to aircraft outside controlled airspace within 40 miles of their airfield.
Area control (callsign Centre) control departing traffic from a few miles out from the runway IF it does not conflict with arriving traffic being controlled by Approach/Radar, and they control en-route aircraft.

In central Scotland, there are towers with on-site approach radar at Edinburgh, Glasgow and Prestwick (and RAF Leuchars who give a service entirely outside controlled airspace). Dundee tower does non-radar approach control as well as tower control.

[mjtibbs]

hi,

ok it makes a bit more sense now :)

thanks for explaining, i find it quite interesting..... can u recommend any sites with this sort of basic ATC info?

just another Q, if an aircraft is halfway through a transatlantic flight, say LHR to JFK, and its slap bang over the middle of the atlantic... who (if they need to) would they communicate with in that area, seeing as there arn't any airports around for a few hundred miles any direction?

cheers

[Lock n' Load]

As I mentioned, area controllers are responsible for aircraft en route. They work in ATC centres, the Scottish one being near Prestwick Airport. An adjunct of area control is oceanic control, using HF radio which has longer range than VHF or UHF, and utilising procedural separation (non-radar, based on position reports and estimates, i.e. one aircraft passes a point at a given time, the next aircraft at the same level and speed cannot cross that point for 10 minutes). There are other technologies available for communication but since I don't and never have worked oceanic, I won't presume to say what they are. The eastern half of the north Atlantic is a shared resonsibility between the UK and Ireland, called Shanwick Oceanic, but in practice the controlling is done at the Scottish Centre. The western half is controlled from Gander in Newfoundland.

[BDiONU]

http://www.nats.co.uk/services/soacc1.html

[mjtibbs]

thanks for the help guys!

-tibbz

[Someone_Else]

Just to add on to the back of Lock 'n Load, Oceanic are using data link quite heavily now. This is were the planes Flight Management Computer is connected to Ground stations and messages are transmitted electronically by the controller instead of voice by the radio guys at shannon.

More than 60% of communication is now done through this method (Previously voice on HF).

SE

[tug3]

Further to SE's comments, if you're particulary interested in the technology that's replacing H/F voice comms over the Atlantic , you can try your fav search engine to check out:

Automated Dependent Surveillance (ADS)

Future Air Navigation Systems (FANS)

Controller-Pilot Data Link Communications (CPDLC)

Oceanic Route Clearance Authorization (ORCA)

ARINC ('Aeronautical Radio Inc.')

International Society of Aeronautic Communications (SITA)

Rgds

T3

[SirToppamHat]

(and RAF Leuchars who give a service entirely outside controlled airspace)

Though I believe they can and do transit aircraft under Radar Control through the P600 (Class A CAS).

CRC Boulmer also provides all radar and non-radar services (except Procedural) to military aircraft pretty much throughout the UK. Under normal circumstances, we rely on our Mil ATC colleagues at ScACC, LATCC and Swanwick to transit ac through certain parts of the UK Airways structure and Class D airspace on our behalf.

STH