This lesson will provide you with some pieces of information about how to work as a ground controller, considering the fact that you already know how to use the Pro Controller software (if not, you'd better see THIS before).

1 - MATERIAL :

Basically you need :

- a chart (airport diagram) of the airfield (real or made for simulation purposes only).

- the proper sector file for Pro Controller.

Here is what to do, step by step :

(1) Remember you have to log with the ICAO 4-letter identifier (KORD_GND, EBBR_GND...). See L5-Identifiers for details.

(2) Set your Pro Controller COM on the frequency indicated into the database for ground control (even if otherwise indicated on your charts - the database is the reference for all IVAO simmers).

(3) If you already have a sector file, disregard this. If not, a sector can be created with the IVAO sector file creator system which can be accessed directly from the database page showing your airfield details.

(4) This is the ultimate solution. If you really don't find any charts for your airfield, launch FS, select an aerial view of the airfield, use the slew mode (Y) to place yourself near the center of it, press the space bar to be oriented northbound. Then, press ALT+PRINT SCREEN. Open any graphic software (paintshop, photoshop, MSpaint...) and press CTRL+V. You have now a printable picture of the field as it is into FS; you can add some of the details you can see into the IVAO database; this is better than no charts at all.

2 - COORDINATION :

When online, check if the other controllers are connected too, particularly the TWR and APP controllers because they are those you will mainly work with :

a) Normal situation - Active TWR and APP controllers on your airfield :

On departure, you will transfer the departing traffics to TWR (at the holding point, before entering the runway).

On arrival, you will get traffics from TWR (after vacating the runway).

You will ask APP the IFR departure clearance. See L5-Coordination §4.2 and §6.1.

b) Specific case 1 - No TWR controller active on your airfield :

You deal with both GND/TWR control. See §4 below.

c) Specific case 2 - No APP controller active but CTR controller active :

You will ask CTR the IFR departure clearance.

Traffics are to be transfered directly to the CTR frequency when airborne.

d) Specific case 3 - No APP nor CTR controller active :

You choose the IFR departure clearance (usually as filed by the pilot into the flightplan).

Traffics are to be switched to UNICOM frequency 122.80 when  airborne.

It is recommended that you open a chat window dedicated to the TWR and APP controllers and another one for any other chat messages.

Keep the TWR/APP chat window free for your traffic coordinations only. See L5-Coordination for details.

3 - WHAT DOES THE JOB CONSIST OF :

Your job is to manage the traffic on the ground. 

Don't forget that :

- A runway is the only part of the ground that DOES NOT belong to the ground controller.

- You can't taxi on a runway without prior permission from the tower controller, even if you just want to cross it.

Everywhere else, you manage the ground traffic yourself in order the aircraft to taxi safely and regularly. You will find the appropriate phraseology to be used into files L5-Phraseo1 and L5-Phraseo2.

Also don't forget that you do not choose yourself the IFR departure clearance. You have to ask for it to the approach controller (see L5-Coordination, paragraph 4.2). However, you are the one who relays this clearance to the pilot. So do not mix up with deciding of the clearance and telling it the pilot. As far as IFR departure clearances, APP decides and tells you what you have to tell the pilot.

Here are now some guidelines :

- Create your ATIS (see L1-ATIS). The main factor to choose the runway(s) in use is the wind. Aircraft take off and land with headwind. However, some other factors (pattern, geographic environment, noise abatment procedures...) may influence the choice of the runway(s) in use. Don't forget to match your ATIS with those of TWR and APP. Particularly, be sure you all indicate the same runway(s) in use.

Note : a pilot can request to use another runway than the one in use if he/she finds it is more convenient for him/her. Unless this causes troubles in the traffic, there is no reason to refuse such a request (of course, this has to be coordinated with TWR and APP).

- To decide which order aircraft are going to taxi, the usual rule is : "first arrived, first served", that is to say : "first calling, first taxiing". However there is an exception if you are playing with departure slots (see L5-CTOT for details). You also may be given some instructions from the TWR or APP controllers (say, they would prefer the B737 to line up and depart before the C182 for instance). At last, departing traffics usually have priority on arriving traffics.

- If needed, an aircraft can taxi via a runway; in such a case, the pilot must contact the TWR controller. If you just need to cross a runway, the pilot remains on the GND frequency but the crossing has to be coordinated with the TWR controller (because he/she is the one who authorizes the aircraft to land on the runway, or to take-off from it).

- The IFR departure clearance should at least be given while the aircraft is taxiing (unless you have a DEL position active, see L5-Clearances). An IFR flight can not take-off without a departure clearance; so your job is to get it from APP and relay it to the pilot before he/she reaches the holding point. An IFR departure clearance at least includes :

=> SID (or route to be followed or first beacon after take-off) + FL (or altitude) + SQUAWKCODE (+ next freq).

A clearance shouldn't be requested more than 3 or 4 mn before take-off for things can change a lot in a very short time in APP. If the pilot is too long, the best is at least to confirm the clearance or to get a new one.
Note : when a clearance delivery is active, the traffic is managed with a minimum 30 mins time projection making things a little bit different. Though DEL is rarely active in IVAO, most people think they have to give the clearance before the aircraft taxi, or even before it starts up. But we have not a traffic flow management system as in real and clearance may be revised before take-off.

- On big airfields, you may have to help the pilots finding the right way (using taxiway names).

- The QNH should be given to all flights (VFR/IFR) at least when they start to taxi.

- The maximum taxi speed is usually 25 kt.

4 - PARTICULARITY :

It is quite unusual to activate the GND position only if no TWR controller is available. In such a case, it is recommended that you activate both GND and TWR controls. This involves you have to work with a TWR callsign, on the TWR frequency (even for GND control) and with the TWR sector file loaded into Pro Controller. Details about how to work as a TWR controller can be found in L5-TWR. 

Experienced people may also cumulate GND+TWR+APP, using this time APP callsign, frequency and sector. Details about how to work as an APP controller can be found in L6-APP.

In case a DEP controller is active, all departures have to be coordinated with him/her. The APP controller will only deal with arrivals. See L6-DEP for details.

BACK TO MAIN MENU

Warning: include() [function.include]: URL file-access is disabled in the server configuration in C:\Inetpub\vhosts\ivao.org\httpdocs\training\tutorials\Ipack\Files\L5-GND.php on line 218

Warning: include(http://www.ivao.org/training/copyright.htm) [function.include]: failed to open stream: no suitable wrapper could be found in C:\Inetpub\vhosts\ivao.org\httpdocs\training\tutorials\Ipack\Files\L5-GND.php on line 218

Warning: include() [function.include]: Failed opening 'http://www.ivao.org/training/copyright.htm' for inclusion (include_path='.;./includes;./pear') in C:\Inetpub\vhosts\ivao.org\httpdocs\training\tutorials\Ipack\Files\L5-GND.php on line 218