Handoff Policy

[IVAOGB-AOC]

Hi All,

First of all, I will introduce myself. My name is Gareth Richardson and I am the GB ATC Operations Coordinator from the IVAO Online ATC organistation. I am currently in the process of resectorizing the UK airspace to fit closely to the real world procedures. I have been doing lots of research but cannot find the answer to the question I have.

I wondered if anyone could explain to what the NATS Radar Handoff Policy is. I have been looking around for such a policy, and can not seem to find one anywhere. Perhaps it doesn't exist? I know a guy who controls in Canada, and over there, they use a specific written Radar Handoff Policy, does something similar exist for the UK?

Thanks for your time

Kind Regards,

Gareth Richardson
IVAOGB-AOC

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

Why would you wish to resectorise UK airspace? If you do it will not be true to life any more...

[IVAOGB-AOC]

perhaps you misunderstood me ;) I am resectoring it from the way we have it now (nothing like real world) to how it is sectored in the real world ;)

[Someone_Else]

What do you mean by "radar handoff"?

[IVAOGB-AOC]

Handoff's between the various sectors, is there a certain procedure that one follows? Ie, call the relevant ATC sector in advance, tell them the aircraft that is about to enter the sector. Or is it done on the radar, like with the Simulator London Control, whereby aircraft about to enter your sector appear in an "Offered bay", that sorta thing.

[Scott Voigt]

Unlike Europe, in the US and I believe in Canada, we have a hand off or contain rule... We must either through automation or through a land line call, ensure that we make a radar handoff to the next sector so that they will accept that aircraft into their sector.

regards

Scott

[Lock n' Load]

A handoff, as it's called in North America, is a handover in the UK.
A radar handover is a transfer of ident, as in identifying an aircraft to another controller, based on radar derived information. Usually that means either a position which can be determined on each controller's radar display, or a discreet transponder code.
I haven't worked in the UK for almost 2 years, but when I did things happened as follows. When an IFR aircraft started up, its transponder code was obtained by phone from the centre. When it departed, the departure time was passed to the centre by phone. Thus, the controller who would be working it at the centre already knew its squawk and departure time when it appeared on his screen. A "silent handover" then took place, whereby he had the ident and knew that the aircraft would follow the standard instrument departure unless otherwise co-ordinated, and all he/she needed to do was ask it to squawk ident to confirm the identity once it had been transferred to his/her frequency. Not having worked in a UK centre, I can only assume that an estimate was then passed to the next sector and then it would be handed over at or climbing to an agreed altitude/flight level and on the anticipated route, with another silent handover, and this time with no need to squawk ident as they identification had already taken place on radar.
For each new sector the aircraft would enter, an estimate would be passed ahead of time along with the squawk if not already known, so unless the aircraft left airways or was transferred to, say, an RAF controller, silent handovers would be the rule.

[chevvron]

Perhaps you'd like to tell us all what IVAO stands for, and how an 18 year old with no practical experience can have such an impressive job?

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

Chevvy.. From what I can derive using Google it's another simulator type game.

IVA, etc, etc..... In the UK many handovers are now silent. I.e. no liaison takes place prior to the change of frequency. For example, an aircraft can take off from Gatwick and fly to Glasgow with no spoken co-ordination taking place. There is no prior-departure clearance request and no spoken handovers between the Control sectors. Even the old "warning in" to the Tower has now gone. Everything is on SSR and all concerned controllers receive prior warning of their traffic plus there are various letters of agreement between sectors/ centres/ airfields regarding the way traffic will be handed over. When I retired 3 years ago TMA sectors were still telephoning inbound releases to Approach but I guess that might disappear soon. Howevere, that said, in a very busy TMA environment there will be many aircraft which, for a variety of reasons, cannot be handled by the "standard" procedures so these will be subject to telephone co-ordination between the ATC units.

Hope that helps.