Tweet
Air Traffic Control Group Flight!
17th of May Starting at 1800z (1900 UK, 1400 Eastern) on Steam.
ALL PILOTS AND CONTROLLERS ARE VERY WELCOME.
The more controllers that can attend, the more Airports can be open.
But there's no point having lots of controllers if we have nothing to control.
So..
Lots of pilots are also needed both experienced and not so experienced or even no experience.
The type of service you receive will depend on how well you know Air Traffic procedures so don't be scared to contact ATC.
We Controllers are friendly folk so if your unsure what to say just tell us in plain English what you would like to do.
And if your unsure of what we have asked you to do, again just ask us what we mean in plain English.
The Session...
I'm planning this as a UK session with hopefully airports in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. (Controllers dependent).
As more controllers join more Airports will open as follows:
Manchester EGCC
Glasgow EGPF
Scottish Control FIR
Dublin EIDW
Heathrow EGLL
Cardiff EGFF
London Control FIR
There will be no Ground or Radar controllers (unless an airport gets very busy) and Tower will control everything below 7000ft.
Anything above 7000ft will be controlled by the FIR if available.
Comms/Radio:
Comms will be using the MSFlights Teamspeak 3 server only (no FSX Comms).
All Teamspeak Air traffic Control Channels will have the frequency of the controller within its name.
When asked to contact the next controller either find the frequency you were given (or the name of the controller) in Teamspeak and switch channels.
Anybody with the SIMCOM Plugin will be able to use it in this session for a more realistic ATC Experience.
But SIMCOM is not needed and those without will be able to switch channels as normal.
I hope to see (well hear) as many people as possible on the day.
Get the Flight Plans here!
Any Pilots looking to use a realistic Callsign can get a callsign list from this post.
EXTRA INFO:
Remember this session is open to pilots and ATC of ALL ability, so if you don't understand anything below don't worry, you don't NEED to and your still welcome to join in.
Each Airport has an Arrival point and a Departure Point as below.
Arrival Departure
Glasgow TLA - ELBAN FENIK - DCS
Heathrow BNN CPT
Manchester NANTI DAYNE(South) or SONEX - POL North or SONEX - WAL (West)
Dublin LIFFY LORKO
Cardiff BCN TAMEL
All IFR pilots can expect to arrive and depart on the waypoints above.
So for example an Aircraft flying from Glasgow to Heathrow will take off and fly towards FENIK and then DCS.
The last waypoint on it's Flight Plan would be BNN.
The Glasgow controller will direct the aircraft to FENIK after takeoff and then hand the aircraft over to Scottish Control.
When the Aircraft is approaching Heathrow it will be directed towards BNN and then passed to the Heathrow Controller who will provide vectors to the active runway.
SQUAWKS:
All IFR departures will be given a squawk relevant to their destination as below.
Any controller then looking at an aircraft on their screen will then know the destination of that aircraft.
Any Aircraft flying to....
Glasgow Will fly on a Squawk starting with 2 (ie 2354) with the second digit anything other than 6.
Dublin Will fly on a Squawk starting with 3 (ie 3354) with the second digit anything other than 6.
Manchester Will fly on a Squawk starting with 4 (ie 4354) with the second digit anything other than 6.
Cardiff Will fly on a Squawk starting with 5 (ie 5354) with the second digit anything other than 6.
Heathrow Will fly on a Squawk starting with 6 (ie 6354) with the second digit anything other than 6.
If the Aircraft is VFR and talking to ATC then the second digit of the Squawk will be 6 as below...
VFR Aircraft talking to.....
Scottish Control FIR Will Squawk 1601
Glasgow Will Squawk 2601
Dublin Will Squawk 3601
Manchester Will Squawk 4601
Cardiff Will Squawk 5601
Heathrow Will Squawk 6601
London Control FIR Will Squawk 7601
VFR Aircraft Not talking to air traffic will squawk 7000 and stay below 7000ft.
If VFR traffic want to fly higher than 7000ft they will need to speak to a controller above and squawk their code.
VFR PILOTS
If flying VFR without a flight plan you can ignore the waypoints above as you are flying under your own navigation.
The controller at your departure airport will give you a way to turn out and at the arrival airport an instruction on how to join.
Example: N1234 After departure left turn out, VFR, not above altitude 3000feet, squawk 1234.
You take off turning left and proceed to your destination.
If you would like to fly higher you request you would like higher after departure.
IFR PILOTS
I have included flight plans below which you can download and use during your flights.
The Arrival and Departure points are included in the flight plans so it's a case of loading the plan and following your GPS unless instructed otherwise.
Each controller will give you an assigned altitude and issue instructions such as "Continue direct BCN" or "turn heading 120 degrees".
If your told to resume own navigation just let the autopilot follow the flight plan.
Get the Flight Plans here!
CONTROLLERS
Depending on how realistic and how much work you would like to create for your self you can follow the pointers below.
All altitudes above 6000ft will be a Flight Level.
So FL70 not 7000ft.
And 5000ft not FL50.
TOWER CONTROLLERS:
You will control both Ground, Tower and Radar.
All Clearances will be given to aircraft on the ground by you.
Any aircraft which will pass above 7000ft will be given to the FIR controller.
Anything flying under 7000ft will be given to you.
Use the lists above to find which squawks you need and your arrival Departure points.
Departing aircraft should be given a heading to pass over your departure point before being transferred to the FIR.
Arriving aircraft do not need to fly all the way to your arrival points and you can vector them when you see fit.
IFR aircraft can either be vectored to the approach departure points or told to "route direct".
Fictional SID's can also be created ie a CPT5. This would be to fly direct to CPT on departure climbing to 5000ft.
A departure clearance might be "N1234 After departure cleared to join controlled airspace on a Compton(CPT) 5 DEPARTURE, SQUAWK 5223 and the next frequency when instructed will be London Control 122.450".
Try and keep any aircraft you are controlling within the section of airspace around your airport.
Trickier than you think.
Try and vector all aircraft for a 10nm final so that they intercept the localizer at 10miles slightly below the glidepath.
Aircraft should really have at least 1000feet and 3nm separation.
Aircraft flying on a flight level should have the standard pressure setting set 1013 or 29.92.
FIR or CENTER CONTROLLERS:
You will control all aircraft above 7000ft and give them altitude changes and headings (vectors) towards their destination.
Once the aircraft is close to it's destination (50 -40nm) you will give it a heading towards the airports Arrival Point, descend it to below 7000ft and give it to the Tower Controller to vector in.
Aim to have it at 7000ft at the Arrival Point.
As your job is slightly easier you have a bigger area to cover.
The Scottish FIR (Callsign SCOTTISH CONTROL) will cover all aircraft north of Manchester EGCC a good airport to open for Radar would be EGNH.
The London FIR (Callsign LONDON CONTROL) will control all aircraft south of Manchester a good airport for London FIR would be EGBE.
Although the FIR controller would not control EGNH or EGBE, it would be in the center of you airspace so you could see all your traffic.
So an aircraft travelling from Glasgow To Heathrow would contact Scottish Control and as it passes over Manchester would be told to contact London Control.
As Dublin is south of Manchester, a Dublin to Manchester aircraft would contact London Control after getting airbourne and then as it gets north of Manchester would then be passed to Scottish Control.
IFR aircraft can either be vectored to the approach departure points or told to "route direct".
ie: "BIGJET123 Route Direct TNT"
VFR Traffic will not need headings or altitudes from you but you will need to ask them to contact the Tower controller once they are close to their destination and below 7000ft.
In real life an FIR controller wouldn't speak to VFR as they wouldn't be in Class A airspace.
Happy Flying.
Comment