Maximum number of a/с on the FQ

[cancel_mayday]

Hi, guys!

Do you have any specified limits on this? Beyond which you can say: hold them somewhere else.

[Dan Dare]

Every position will have different sensible limits, which will differ for each individal and weather conditions and complexity on the day. I doubt that an individual can give undivided attention to more than 10 different flights doing different things, but procedures can be in place to simplify things so that you are not controlling individual flights so much as working a system.

You can have 40ish in the ATZ and further traffic joining without holding them off, but there is no way you could control each flight individually as there is not sufficient RTF time.

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

What is the "FQ" please?

[cancel_mayday]

Thanks, Dan. We used to have the limits. Now we only have a certain number of planes for an hour, not that of a/c which are in the sector at the same time.

*FQ is my interpretation of 'frequency'. Sorry.

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

OK thanks. There are so many variables. At a training airfield where I once worked it was not unusual to have 6-8 in the circuit with several joining, all talking to the Tower controller. They were all VFR so they were basically looking out for themselves. However, try 8-10 IFR on the frequency when you are going for 2.5 to 3nm final approach spacing. That can be busy. However, in controlled airspace IFR flights are usually following strict procedures with highly professional pilots which helps considerably. I believe the RAF had rules about how many aircraft could be handled at once but when I worked in UK Civil ATC no such rules applied.

[cancel_mayday]

Understood. Thank you, Director.

[Hippy]

In reply to Heathrow Director:
You were right! When I was at LATCC (Mil), we had an (almost) strict '3 a/c per console' policy. But, as you point out, these were VFR & IFR mixed, some were over the North Sea doing whatever they wanted. Some had to be thread, like a needle, through the Ambers. Sometimes 5 aircraft was boring, sometimes 1 was enough to make you cry!
In answer to the OP:
Yes, an ATCO can normally specify a limit. A Tower controller can instruct Approach to 'hold off' and a sector controller can hope that Flow Control will keep him sane. In between, most units will have some sort of policy. Some times it works, sometimes it doesn't, but I think most will agree that ATC work nowadays is a lot safer for all concerned than it was in the 60s & 70s when you just did your best with whatever was thrown at you, eh Bren?

[cancel_mayday]

You stopped what we continue to do in Moscow in 60s. This is an unbridgeable gap...

[chevvron]

Farnborough LARS East using the Pease Pottage radar can see aircraft down to touchdown on runway 21.

[Lon More]

World's Busiest Control Tower conversations - YouTube

[Dan Dare]

Busiest? Almost certainly.
Most difficult? Nah, that is not really full air traffic control separating traffic, it is VFR "see and avoid" with lots of options open and procedures in place to move the traffic.
I expect the most difficlut would be any busy TMA when weather avoidance starts during an already busy delayed period and no place to go. How many would be on frequency then? I don't know, but it will feel like too many.

[Talkdownman]

Sounds like the Liddington Hold...

[chevvron]

At a subsequent PFA Rally at Cranfield, at one time I had 7 on the hard runway and another 14 on final all on my frequency. Course there were almsot as many on the parallel grass runway but that was using a different frequency

[Lon More]

I more than had my hands full one night with two 737s inbound to EDDH. They ended up in, then East Germany, both at FL 290, and in formation. Neither felt in a position to do anything else and I was being kept busy by Air Defense screaming in one ear and the Supervisor screaming in the other. Both were telling me to do something, but neither had any ideas what. Eventually wegot somebody in E. Germany on the landline and he just said, "What aircraft. I am not looking at the radar. " :D

[Vercingetorix]

Lon
you sure he was E German and not French!

[Lon More]

Sounded a bit of a dog; maybe an Alsatian?