AIRMANSHIP

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AIRMANSHIP
Chapter 1 Air Traffic Control.
Chapter 2 Rules of the Air.

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 AIRMANSHIP

Chapter 1

Air Traffic Control.

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 Air Traffic Control

The Air Traffic

Control Tower
houses the people
who monitor aircraft
on the ground and in
the air in the vicinity
of the airfield.
 Air Traffic Control

The Airfield Controller

controls the movement
of both vehicles and
aircraft in the airfield’s
ground manoeuvring
area and aircraft in the
circuit.

He (or she) works in a glass walled room at the top of

the control tower.
 Air Traffic Control

Aircraft outside the

circuit, but within the
airfield’s area of
responsibility are
handled by the
Approach Controller.

They work from radar screens and control aircraft

departing and arriving, and those on instrument
appoaches.
 Air Traffic Control

Other controllers
responsible for the safety
of aircraft flying
between airfields are
located at Air Traffic
Control Centres
(ATCC’s) or Air Traffic Neither ATCC’s or
Control Radar Units ATCRU’s are necessarily
(ATCRU’s). located on airfields.
 Air Traffic Control

Busy training airfields

often have a Runway
Controller near the
touchdown point. He will
check that landing gear
is down and look for
fluid leaks on departing
aircraft.
The runway controller works from a red and white
chequered caravan similar to the one in the picture.
 Air Traffic Control

Good communication between airfield control towers,

ATCC’s and ATCRU’s are vital.

All are liked by telephone landlines known as the

Defence Fixed Telecommunication System (DFTS).
 Air Traffic Control

Helicopter landing areas

are identified with a
large letter ‘H’.
Airfield Hazards – Obstruction Markers

Stationary hazards on
airfields are marked
with a yellow three-sided
solid mounted on a pole
with a round base.
 Airfield Hazards – Bad Ground

At airfields where taxiing on the grass is permitted,

bad ground is identified by one of three methods:
 Airfield Hazards – Bad Ground

A white canvas marker

with a red band.
 Airfield Hazards – Bad Ground

A yellow and black

striped solid.
 Airfield Hazards – Bad Ground

Yellow flags on light

stakes.
 Aviation Radio Aids

RADAR, which stands for

RAdio Detection And Ranging,
is a system of locating aircraft
by transmitting a pulse of
electromagnetic energy and
picking up the small ‘echo’
reflected back from the aircraft.
 Aviation Radio Aids

DRDF stands for ‘Digital

Resolution Direction Finding’.
As a radio transmission is
received from an aircraft the
direction from which the signal
is received is displayed on a
cathode ray tube. This is passed
to the pilot as a course to steer
for the airfield.
 Aviation Radio Aids

ILS stands for

Instrument
Landing System.
Fixed transmitters
on the airfield send
out signals which
define a ‘pathway’
for the aircraft to
follow.
 Aviation Radio Aids

The ILS signals

enable the pilot to
fly down the beam
until touchdown
without assistance
from the controller.
 Aviation Radio Aids
Precision Approach Radar (PAR) gives the approach
controller a radar picture of the aircraft on final
approach. From this information he gives
instructions to the pilot to fly the correct glideslope
and runway centre line until touchdown.

For obvious reasons this procedure is called a

Ground Controlled Approach (GCA).
 Airways and Controlled Airspace

Large airfields have

‘zones’ where air
traffic is strictly
controlled. These air
traffic control zones
are linked by aerial
pathways called
‘airways’.
 Airways and Controlled Airspace

Airways are between

10 and 20 nautical
miles wide.
The centre of the
airways are marked by
navigational beacons
so that aircraft can
route along them
accurately.
 Airways and Controlled Airspace
The requirements for
using an airway are:
1. The pilot must have a
valid instrument rating.
2. The aircraft is fitted
with appropriate radio
and navigational
equipment.
3. The flight is made in
accordance with the
rules.
 Joining and Crossing Airways
Radio contact with the
appropriate Air
Traffic Control Centre
(ATCC) must be made
before joining or
crossing an airway.
 Crossing Airways

If the base of an airway

is above ground level it
is permissible to fly
underneath it.

Alternatively, a pilot
may fly through under
radar control from the
appropriate ATC
Radar Unit (ATCRU).
 AIRMANSHIP

Chapter 2

Rules of the Air.

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 Rights of Way

There are four main types of

aircraft:
Balloons
Gliders
Airships
Powered Conventional Aircraft.
 Rights of Way

Balloons cannot be steered.

They cannot be
manoeuvred to avoid a
collision.

All other types of aircraft

must give way to them.
 Rights of Way

Gliders are fairly

maneuverable but:

their airspeed is low and

they do not have engines.

Gliders have the right of

way over powered aircraft
and airships.
 Rights of Way

Airships are slow but

maneuverable.

They have the benefit of

engines to help them climb.

Airships must give way to

both gliders and balloons.
 Rights of Way

Conventional powered
aircraft are by far the most
maneuverable.

They must give way to

balloons, gliders and
airships.
 Rights of Way

When two aircraft are

approaching head on:

each must alter course to

the right.
 Rights of Way

When two aircraft are on

converging courses:

the aircraft which has the

other on its right must give
way.
 Rights of Way

An aircraft being
overtaken has right of way.

The one overtaking must

avoid the other by turning
right.
 Navigation Lights

At night aircraft carry

lights for identification.

A balloon carries one red

light below the basket.
 Navigation Lights

Aircraft, gliders and

airships carry red, green
and white lights.

Red on the port wingtip,

green on the starboard and
white on the tail.
 Avoiding Other Aircraft

Communicating accurately with other crew about

the location of other aircraft and hazards is
essential.

The ‘Clock Code’ system is recognised by all pilots.

 Avoiding Other Aircraft

12 o’clock
Imagine a clock face
around the aircraft to
specify direction.
9 o’clock 3 o’clock
High, low or level will
further clarify the location
of the other aircraft as
6 o’clock
above, below or at the
same height.
 AIRMANSHIP

Key Revision Topics

Chapters 1 and 2 completed.

 Airmanship
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