Chapter 13 A i,.

Traffic Control Services

Area Control Service

An area control service is provided to aircraft in CAS within CTAs, fl ying along airways or
transiting the upper airspace. It is primarily procedural control but generally uses radar. An area
control centre (ACC) has an RTF callsign containing the suffix 'control' or 'centre' (i.e. London
Control or Miami Centre). The service is provided by:

» An area control centre (ACC); or

» The unit providing approach control service in a CTR/CTA of limited extent which is
designated for the provision of approach control service and where no ACC is
established.

Approach Control Service

Approach control is provided to all IFR flights and controlled VFR flights departing from and
arriving at controlled aerodromes within CTRs. The service is procedural but generally uses
radar. A radar approach controller may be utilised to provide radar vectoring within a defined
rada r vectoring area to separate arriving and departing traffic and to provide guidance for arriving
traffic during the initial stages of an instrument approach. The RTF callsign of the unit providing
approach control is given the suffix 'approach' or in the case of radar approach 'radar' or 'director'
(i.e. 'Birmingham Approach'; 'Bristol Radar' or 'Gatwick Director'). The service is provided by:

» An aerodrome control tower or area control centre when it is necessary or desirable to

combine under the responsibility of one unit the functions of the approach control service
with those of the aerodrome control service or the area control service ; or
» An approach control when it is necessary or desirable to establish a separate unit.

Note: The provision of approach control at aerodromes outside of CTRs is advisory only. At
some busy aerodromes, the aerodrome authority has established approach control , the use
of which is not mandatory. Example aerodromes are Oxford and Cambridge . It may not be
sensible to ignore the service offered .

Aerodrome Control Service

The aerodrome control service provides ATS to aircraft on the ground and flying in the vicinity of
the aerodrome. The level of service provided depends upon the class of airspace that contains
the aerodrome. At all controlled aerodromes, an aerodrome traffic zone (ATZ) is established . The
class of airspace of the ATZ is that of the surrounding airspace. If the aerodrome is with in a class
D CTR, then the ATZ is class D. If there is no CTR then the ATZ is class G. The RTF callsign of
the aerodrome controller is the aerodrome name, or the name suffixed wi th 'tower' . The service is
provided by an aerodrome control tower.

Note: The task of providing specified services on the apron may be assigned to an
aerodrome control tower or to a separate unit known as the Apron Management Service .

Procedural Control
Modern ATC systems use radar in almost all ATC situations . With radar includi ng SSR , the ATCO
probably knows where the aircraft is better than the pilot does when flying in IMC. However, the
basic ATC system uses procedural control where the pilot tells the ATCO where the aircraft is
and what altitude it is at. Based on this information and the ATCO's knowledge of the positions
and altitude of other aircraft, the ATCO issues a clearance to the aircraft. Procedural control is
based on time for horizontal separation . The specific standard s will be detailed under Area
Control. Throughout the chapters dealing with Approach Control and Area Control , the underlying
provision of service is through procedural control : For this reason, the proced ures may seem
cumbersome and outmoded in today's radar environment. Radar control , where separati on is
based on distance, is discussed in the chapter dealing wi th Radar.

13-2 Air Law