Air Traffic Control Entities

    To ensure the safety of aircraft, air traffic controllers track their movements. In order to monitor the aircraft's approach to the landing area and ensure that it lands and takes off safely, they keep visual, radio, and radar contact with the aircraft. The work demands intense concentration. Pilots are continually receiving radio communications from air traffic controllers with directions, data, and counsel. To guarantee the safety of the aircraft during the approach to the airport, landing, and takeoff, as well as when circling the takeoff and landing lanes, they maintain visual and radar contact with it. Air traffic controllers alter flight paths based on atmospheric conditions and provide aircraft in their vicinity with precise directions. On this occasion, I chose to talk about Air Route Traffic Control Centers (ARTCC) and Air Traffic Control Towers (ATCTs).

    An area control center, sometimes referred to as a center or an en-route center, is a facility in air traffic control that is in charge of managing aircraft flying in the airspace of a specific flight information region between airport approaches and departures at high altitudes. They were created primarily to offer air traffic services to aircraft flying in regulated airspace according to an Instrument Flight Rule (IFR) Flight Plan. This service is primarily offered during the on-the-road phase. "There are 20 ARTCCs in the conterminous United States and each center contains between 20 to 80 sectors" (Air Traffic Control, 2020). The volume of traffic, the layout of the airways, and the workload all affect each sector's size, shape, and altitude.

    Using visual observation from the airport control tower, the air traffic control tower is the main control mechanism for the immediate airport environment. On the grounds of the airport lies the tower, a tall, windowed building. “Air traffic controllers’ primary concern is safety, but they also must direct aircraft efficiently to minimize delays” (Air Traffic Controllers, 2019). The separation and effective flow of vehicles and aircraft using the airport's taxiways and runways as well as aircraft flying close to the airport are the responsibility of air traffic controllers. Also “Transfer control of departing flights to other traffic control centers and accept control of arriving flights” (Air Traffic Controllers, 2019).

References

Air Traffic Control. (2020, February 13). American Flyers Airline and Flight Training School. https://americanflyers.com/air-traffic-control/

Air Traffic Controllers. (2019, April 12). U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/transportation-and-material-moving/air-traffic-controllers.htm