TWR providing APP control
Several airports have been doing it for some years usually with 'light' traffic, but only when there is an Aerodrome Traffic Monitor (ATM) and the controller is current on both TWR and APS but I'm not sure what other 'conditions' are required by SARG.
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In the UK SARG has granted units authorisations to provide combined ADI and APS using an ATM on the basis of the local procedure passing through the unit SMS and then being subjected to SARG for approval. There usually are quite severe constraints on the level of traffic (in all its senses) that could present during the period that the procedure is in use. Ergo, units proposing to adopt these procedures need to convince the regulator that there is minimal possibility of unforeseen traffic overloading the ATCO.
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This is standard procedure in all smaller airports in Sweden, and even in some bigger ones at certain times. Typically there is only one position that handles both TWR and APS, as well as ground vehicles and the random phone call as well. It's fun but sometimes a bit hectic when you are vectoring multiple aircraft and doing all TWR things at the same time.
And why does the procedure get considered by the unit SMS in the first place? The perceived need to save on staffing and money. So the required end result is known before engineering the justification.
Interesting that MATS Pt 1 now specifies that Aerodrome controllers shall maintain as far as practicable, a continuous watch by visual observation on all flight operations on and in the vicinity of an aerodrome as well as vehicles and personnel on the manoeuvring area.
2 s
Interesting that MATS Pt 1 now specifies that Aerodrome controllers shall maintain as far as practicable, a continuous watch by visual observation on all flight operations on and in the vicinity of an aerodrome as well as vehicles and personnel on the manoeuvring area.
2 s
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The introduction of these procedures are not always financially driven. They make sense if you are a remote airport that is waiting for your last returning flight prior to close of play, when the only movements likely to occur around the airport are associated with that flight, and you can use the ATM to vector, the ATM usually being driven by the same RDPS as the main radar displays. It saves having excess staff hanging around late when they could be in the bar. By devising a procedure, auditing it against the SMS, gaining regulatory approval, conducting appropriate training, and subjecting it to post-implementation operational QC, you legitimise what might have possibly been going on before.....
Interesting that MATS Pt 1 now specifies that Aerodrome controllers shall maintain as far as practicable, a continuous watch by visual observation on all flight operations on and in the vicinity of an aerodrome as well as vehicles and personnel on the manoeuvring area.
2 s
2 s
Come on chevvron, you know how the system works, if there's something in the MATS Pt 2 it can vary the Pt 1 rules. But what's the problem, remote tower technology means that direct observation by the controller is not possible, but a significant degree of visual observation, to the extent available with the technology, is entirely practicable.
Does that still apply at London City where the controllers cannot maintain a continuous watch by visual observation of the aerodrome, vehicles and personnel.
Anything is now possible, given appropriate weasel words, SMS justification and regulatory approval (i.e. letting the ANSP carry the can).
2 s
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It is 'observation', but not in the traditional sense. I am taken with the idea of having traffic I'm managing from a traditional or virtual VCR labelled with flight callsign and height readout. Having seen some in-service systems and others demonstrated at ATS events, the only thing that I might be slightly uncertain about is managing the visual circuit, especially if the virtual VCR is not wrap around 360° . If you just have instrument arrivals and departures, a combination of the ATM, SMR, and virtual reality in a location that is not necessarily a traditional VCR could be good, especially if it closer to the airport confectionery outlet, or even in your spare bedroom at home and a resilient broadband service...... oh
