lower and upper airspace
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lower and upper airspace
can someone tell me where lower airspace finishes and where upper airspace starts?
in my current job, upper air is at and above FL245, my NATS paperwork said the upper air started at FL290 and my ATC book says the split is to be FL190 from 2006 onwards?
At work we use RAS below 245 and radar control above 245,being the upper air?
i am confused as this was one of my questions at the NATS exam!
can anyone help? and please, no sarcastic replies!!!
in my current job, upper air is at and above FL245, my NATS paperwork said the upper air started at FL290 and my ATC book says the split is to be FL190 from 2006 onwards?
At work we use RAS below 245 and radar control above 245,being the upper air?
i am confused as this was one of my questions at the NATS exam!
can anyone help? and please, no sarcastic replies!!!
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why is not 2,000 seperation until FL290+??
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The present position in the UK is that FL245 is the level that separates Upper and Lower airspace.
Somewhere between November 2006 and March 2007 (I believe the date has not yet been decided) the FL will be reduced to FL195 in line with most of Europe. All European airspace will eventually be the same, with FL195 being the point between Upper and Lower aispace.
Re FL290, this was the level at which vertical separation of 1,000 changed to 2,000 ie 1,000 feet below FL290, 2,000 feet above.
This, of course, has been superceded by RVSM.
Finally, Class B upper airspace has now been replaced by Class C, again this is to bring the UK into line with mainland Europe.
Somewhere between November 2006 and March 2007 (I believe the date has not yet been decided) the FL will be reduced to FL195 in line with most of Europe. All European airspace will eventually be the same, with FL195 being the point between Upper and Lower aispace.
Re FL290, this was the level at which vertical separation of 1,000 changed to 2,000 ie 1,000 feet below FL290, 2,000 feet above.
This, of course, has been superceded by RVSM.
Finally, Class B upper airspace has now been replaced by Class C, again this is to bring the UK into line with mainland Europe.
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Future atco asks : can someone tell me where lower airspace finishes and where upper airspace starts?
This question pops up periodically, and not surprisingly always by students and in relation to exams. Upper and Lower airspaces are administrative entities, without an operational meaning. So, who cares, except for the wondering student. Its only importance is in the schoolbooks and of course at some administrative desks.
Operationally important is Terminal vs Area airspace, airspace with 1000 vs2000 feet vertical separation or RVSM vs non-RVSM, airspace boundaries between sectors in a Control Facility, airspace boundaries between ATC-units, be it Upper ATC units or Lower ATC Units.
But the notion of upper and lower airpaces as such is a remnant of the past, dating back from the times that jet aircraft entered the skies and were analysed to merit a different atc regime with only a few supranational Upper ATC centres in Europe. Maastricht UAC is the only survivor of this philosophy. When the UK and France opted out, for sovereignty reasons, the make-believe of a division line between upper and lower airspace was created and has puzzled students who have the good habit of asking fundamental questions, until the day of today.
My advice to students however is to provide the answer as given in the book. No point in arguing the case with the teacher. Upper and lower airspaces figure on maps, are not harmful, give a job to a handful of administrative people around ATC and therefor will continue to be cast in stone for the foreseeable future is my guess.
This question pops up periodically, and not surprisingly always by students and in relation to exams. Upper and Lower airspaces are administrative entities, without an operational meaning. So, who cares, except for the wondering student. Its only importance is in the schoolbooks and of course at some administrative desks.
Operationally important is Terminal vs Area airspace, airspace with 1000 vs2000 feet vertical separation or RVSM vs non-RVSM, airspace boundaries between sectors in a Control Facility, airspace boundaries between ATC-units, be it Upper ATC units or Lower ATC Units.
But the notion of upper and lower airpaces as such is a remnant of the past, dating back from the times that jet aircraft entered the skies and were analysed to merit a different atc regime with only a few supranational Upper ATC centres in Europe. Maastricht UAC is the only survivor of this philosophy. When the UK and France opted out, for sovereignty reasons, the make-believe of a division line between upper and lower airspace was created and has puzzled students who have the good habit of asking fundamental questions, until the day of today.
My advice to students however is to provide the answer as given in the book. No point in arguing the case with the teacher. Upper and lower airspaces figure on maps, are not harmful, give a job to a handful of administrative people around ATC and therefor will continue to be cast in stone for the foreseeable future is my guess.
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There is a very important difference between upper and lower airspace.
In upper airspace the whole area is subject to radar control, which means that ATC can route traffic anywhere without the need to follow specific routes.
In lower airspace, radar control only applies in defined "airways" which are usually 10 miles in width, and in Terminal control areas.
Outside these airways or TC's, traffic cannot be given a full control service.
In upper airspace the whole area is subject to radar control, which means that ATC can route traffic anywhere without the need to follow specific routes.
In lower airspace, radar control only applies in defined "airways" which are usually 10 miles in width, and in Terminal control areas.
Outside these airways or TC's, traffic cannot be given a full control service.
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Originally Posted by GrahamDuke
There is a very important difference between upper and lower airspace.
In upper airspace the whole area is subject to radar control, which means that ATC can route traffic anywhere without the need to follow specific routes.
In lower airspace, radar control only applies in defined "airways" which are usually 10 miles in width, and in Terminal control areas.
Outside these airways or TC's, traffic cannot be given a full control service.
In upper airspace the whole area is subject to radar control, which means that ATC can route traffic anywhere without the need to follow specific routes.
In lower airspace, radar control only applies in defined "airways" which are usually 10 miles in width, and in Terminal control areas.
Outside these airways or TC's, traffic cannot be given a full control service.
The UIR will contain the Upper Control Area (UTA). This usually extends from the base of the UIR to FL660. There are no airways in the UTA simply ATS routes.
Traffic above FL660 is just like traffic in the open FIR - uncontrolled. So while there may be very few aircraft up there, they do not require an ATC clearance.
FL195 is closen by many countries for the boundary between the lower and upper airspace. This is the logical level to have the division because it is that this level that for ATS design purposes the maximum radius of turn changes from 15nm (lower airspace) to 25nm (upper airspace).
Thus it makes sense to have the airspace boundary coincident with the level at which the design of ATS routes has to change.
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For Future Atco
2000 feet separation above FL245 is not provided because of the RVSM, or Reduced Vertical Separation Minima which provides 1000 feet separation for all aircraft that are RVSM approved up to FL410!!!
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Well, that was the nominal vertical spearation of 1000 feet bellow FL290 and 2000 feet above FL290, before RVSM was implemented, now 1000 feet is provided up to FL410 and 2000 above FL410!!! This solution was logical after the airspace became too crowded, and in that time TCAS became mandatory in all controlled airspace in order to keep it safe and efficient!!!
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Mancboy... for eyars 1000' vertical seperation F245 - F290 was standard, and 2000' applied above F290. This was based on (as said above somewhere) an almost arbitrary decision that clockwork, pressure driven altimeters lost accuracy with increasing level... so at F290 someone decided to build in a bit extra for the wife and kids...
Now some might suggest RVSM is the result of better equipment, others might say its a way to cramm more aircraft into the airspace... I think it's probably a bit of both, but with the imperrative definitely coming from the latter.
It's not unusual for operational pressure to be relieved by relaxing the rules!!!
Now some might suggest RVSM is the result of better equipment, others might say its a way to cramm more aircraft into the airspace... I think it's probably a bit of both, but with the imperrative definitely coming from the latter.
It's not unusual for operational pressure to be relieved by relaxing the rules!!!
