Arrival frequency
 

Hi all

Have recently sat ATPL IFR Comms exam and got slightly confused with the different controller designators for approach services.

The way I understood it was:
Approach - deals with getting you from airway onto initial approach
Director (if applicable) - seperates traffic just before and on final approach/ILS
Tower - clears you to land/take-off etc.

However the notes I have been learning from mention Radar, Approach, Arrival, Tower. No-one else on my course had ever heard of anyone calling xxx Arrival. Is Arrival the ICAO equivalent of Director or something else entirely??

Thx TCXCadet

TCX, this might help you:

Approach - Doesn't use radar to separate aircraft, provides procedural service to a/c inbound to or flying in the vicinity of an airfield. May however use radar derived information to provide information to pilots on potential conflictions.

Approach RADAR - Uses radar to separate, and vector a/c into a suitable position to make an approach to an airfield orfor handover to another controller

Director - Deals with the final sequencing of a/c making an approach to an airfield


Tower - Responsible for isuing landing, and take of clearance, responsible for a/c flying in the immediate vicinity of the airfield, responsible for all movements on the runway (including vehicles)

Ground - responsible for all a/c (and sometimes vehicle) movements on the ground

Delivery - Issues departure clearances to a/c on the ground


This is just a general guide to what each position does, different units allocate different responsibilities to the approach and radar positions, but essentially it's as I've said above

AFAIK 'Arrival' and 'Departure' are callsigns used in the US where the aerodrome approach radar service is split between multiple positions.

'Arrival' is roughly equivalent to 'Director' in the UK.

The UK equivalent of 'Departure' usually has the R/T callsign 'Control' (although internally they're known as 'Departures').

This is from observation - the pros may correct.