L7 - CENTER25-11-2005 | |
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L7 - CENTER25-11-2005 | |
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This lesson will provide you with some pieces of information about how to work as a center 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 : - charts of the main airfields within the center airspace, (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 (SLEC_CTR, KXFW_CTR...). See L5-Identifiers for details. However in the United States, the IATA 3-letter identifier may be used (LAX_CTR...) [FOR CENTERS ONLY]. (2) Set your Pro Controller COM on the frequency indicated into the database for center 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) Big international and some main national airfields into your area of responsability or those which will be active the day you plan to connect in case of a prepared event. Note at least the location identifiers (4 letters code like LFPG, KSFO, EHAM...), the runways directions, the position of these fields into your control sector, the main navaids (VOR, NDB, ILS). The best is to have some IAP/SID/STAR charts. You may also contact the controllers active on these airfields to get some guidelines. (5) Mmmm, the problem is that it is quite uncomfortable to work in an area which you don't know the details of. It is better to choose a center where there are fields you have charts for. If you can't find what you need on internet, you may ask the ARTCC Chief, if one is available, or use some outdated charts at the following locations : - control towers (or their Aeronautical Information Service office). - airlines desks. - aeroclubs, pilots offices.
Their charts publications are regularly updated and old charts are ususally... ...trashed. It could be interesting to be their trash, sometimes ;-)) 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 (and also other CTR controllers) :
a) Normal situation - Active APP controllers on arrival and departure airports :
On departure, you will get the traffics from the APP controller (at coordinated handoff points and/or levels usually between 8000 and 18000 ft AGL) and you will transfer them to an adjacent CTR (medium/long haul flights) or directly to another APP (short haul flights).
On Arrival, you will get the traffics from an adjacent CTR or from an APP and will transfer them to the arrival APP controller (at coordinated handoff points and/or levels usually between 8000 and 18000 ft AGL).
b) Specific case 1 - No active APP controllers on arrival and departure airports :
On departure, you will get the traffics from the TWR (usually between 2000 and 5000 ft). You get them early so your workload is increasing.
On arrival, you will transfer the trafic to the TWR (usually when established on ILS at about 10NM inbound or when over the IAF or also when in sight of the airdrome). You will transfer later than in an normal situation, so here again, your workload is increasing.
c) Specific case 2 - No active APP nor TWR/GND controllers on arrival and departure airports :
On departure, the pilot will directly contact you for the IFR departure clearance, taxiing instructions and take-off clearance. This increases again the workload but there is no coordination (because no controller is active on that field). However, you can't deal with GND nor TWR traffics accurately with a CTR Pro Controller sector. So leave the pilot starting engines and taxiing to the runway alone and at his/her own discretion. Just give the IFR departure clearance and take him/her under radar control when airborne. Note : it may happen that a pilot contacts you for the departure clearance only. Then, he/she starts engines, taxies and takes off alone on UNICOM frequency (122.80) and contacts you after he/she is airborne, complying with the clearance you delivered before.
On arrival, bring the aircraft over the IAF, or established on the ILS course at about 10 NM inbound or in sight of the airdrome and then, leave him/her continuing the flight alone (on UNICOM 122.80). For this, you need at least to know the weather for that airport to vector the aircraft to the right runway; so you also need to know which are the available runways for this airport. This is the reason why it is recommended to have some charts, at least for the main airfields located into your area of responsability.
d) Transits :
You will deal with medium/long haul IFR flights transiting into your area of responsability, coming from a CTR and to be transferred to the next CTR (at coordinated handoff points and/or levels). If the previous and/or next CTRs are not active, the pilot will use the UNICOM frequency (122.80).
You may also have to deal with VFR transits, to be transferred to a CTR or to the appropriate TWR/APP if active. If not, pilots will come from and will return to the UNICOM frequency (122.80).
Also you might be asked for arrival information, which you will get from the APP/TWR controller so that the pilot has all information on hand and is prepared for landing. It also saves time on the APP/TWR controller as he might be busy. As far as uncontrolled airfields are concerned, use the "get weather info" option of PC.
If the CTR you are activating is located into an active IVAO division, don't forget to check the relevant website. You may find some details about coordination procedures indicated into local agreement letters. Also it is recommended that you contact the adjacent active controllers to make sure the points and levels you have to use with them for handoff procedures.
It is recommended that you open a chat window dedicated to the TWR and APP controllers, one more with other CTR controllers and another one for any other chat messages if needed. Keep the TWR/APP and CTRs chat windows 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 from 20/30 NM out from an airfield, till they are handed off to another center or another approach/tower controller. You will find the appropriate phraseology to be used into L7-Phraseo. The CTR area of responsability is usually equivalent to the limit of a FIR and may be shared with an U_CTR or UP_CTR. Say XXXX_CTR from FL 120 (or 12000 ft) to FL 245 and XXXX_U_CTR (or XXX_UP_CTR) above FL 245. Another division may be applied into large areas of responsability. Several CTR controllers may be active into a single FIR. Say XXXX_E_CTR for the eastern part and XXXX_W_CTR for the western part for instance.
Here are now some guidelines :
- Create your ATIS (see L1-ATIS). Note : In real world ATC, centers do not establish any ATIS message. In Pro Controller however they have one but the message is adapted because a CTR controller can deal with the aircraft arriving to/departing from several uncontrolled airfields located into his/her area of responsibility. It is quite impossible to give details for all those airfields into a single ATIS message.
- If no APP is active, or if there is no ATC at all on an airfield, you will be responsible for delivering the IFR departure clearance which should at least be given while the aircraft is taxiing. An IFR flight can not take-off without a departure clearance which at least includes : => SID (or route to be followed or first beacon after take-off) + FL (or altitude) + SQUAWKCODE (+ next freq).
- On uncontrolled airfields, due to the size of the CTR sector file, you can't manage GND and TWR traffics. Leave people taxiing under their own responsability to the runway of their choice. Then to decide which order aircraft are going to take-off, the usual rule is : "first arrived, first served", that is to say : "first at holding point, first taking-off". However there is an exception if you are playing with departure slots (see L5-CTOT for details). You also may have to make some tactical choices (say, it is better to have a B737 to line up and depart before a C182 for instance, particularly if they are planned on the same route).
- See L7-Perf for some details about managing the traffic in a center
4 - PARTICULARITIES: In case a DEP controller is active, he/she will deal with all departures instead of APP. Subsequently, the APP controller will deal with arrivals only. See L6-DEP for details. When no GND, TWR or APP position is active, the CTR controller usually deals with all positions, and their tasks. Which means you will keep your CTR callsign and Freq but you will just do the jobs of the unmanned positions (not accurately for GND/TWR). You can find how to run these positions at L5-GND, L5-TWR and L6-APP. This makes the CTR controller's job quite hard sometimes on IVAO because of the large area covered by a center and also because of the joint tasks to be done for uncontrolled airfields located into the center area of responsibility. This increases the workload and makes it more complicated |
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