farnborough air traffic control and lars

1. Farnborough Air Traffic Control and LARS Tuesday 19 April 2004 RAF Odiham

3. Farnborough Airport

4. Flying on the site since 1905 RFC ? RAE ? DERA ? ? ? ? ?

5. 99 year lease signed and in 2003 obtained civil licence £80m plus invested in airfield, including…...

6. New control tower….

7. Resurfaced runway…..

8. New lighting and ILS for both runways…..

9. New primary radar…..

10. All privately owned or operated business aircraft No scheduled, fare-paying passenger or cargo services Mainly jets and turbo-props, such as….. Aircraft Types

11. Beech King Air

16. 2004 - 19,000 Airfield movements 74,500 LARS movements Planning permission for up to 28,000 airfield movements annually Weekend restrictions on number of movements ? weekdays tend to be busier

17. Airfield: 7am - 10pm weekdays 8am - 8pm weekends and bank holidays Closed Christmas Day & Boxing Day LARS: 8am - 8pm everyday Closed Christmas Day & Boxing Day

18. No controlled airspace Create a known traffic environment Controllers and facilities required anyway, for Approach Improves liaison with local airfields Limited state funding

19. Organisation of ATCat Farnborough

20. 15 controllers split across 3 Watches 9 day cycle split into 3 early shifts, 3 late shifts, 3 days off All controllers train and work in both Radar and Tower 6 air traffic assistants (ATIS 128.4)

21. Tower responsible for all airfield movements, arrivals and departures

22. Radar has two separate positions, Approach & LARS

23. Approach Frequency 134.35 MHz, callsign ‘Farnborough Radar’ Provides a service to traffic using the airfield IFR traffic generally receives a Radar Advisory Service No defined area of responsibility

24. Highest level of service outside controlled airspace IFR flights only, irrespective of met. conditions Assume pilots can accept IMC Aim to achieve minimum separation of: 3nm horizontally/1000ft vertically against known traffic, otherwise 5nm horizontally Use of vectors, levels and avoiding action Minimum terrain safe levels below which service will not be given Pilots under no obligation to comply, but then become responsible for own separation

25. From north: via Compton, towards Odiham (Odimi) descending to 5000ft on silent handover From south: via Goodwood or Southampton, towards Odimi with a co-ordinated level (normally 4000ft) IFR outbounds route towards CPT, GWC or Hazel. Noise abatement procedures for both Runways 24 and 06 No clearance into controlled airspace, so they climb to the base Transit traffic results in vectoring or vertical restrictions

26. LARSLower Airspace Radar Service Frequency 125.25 MHz, callsign ‘Farnborough Radar’ Opening hours 8am-8pm every day except Christmas and Boxing Day No defined area of coverage but radar and r/t coverage is poor at low levels beyond 20 miles SSR equipped aircraft will generally be asked to squawk: 0430-0467 available; 0447 used for EGLK departures, 0457 for EGTF departures Aircraft can expect a Flight Information Service unless they request otherwise

27. Area of coverage

28. Area of coverage

29. Types of service RAS - IFR only and given if workload permits RIS - Any aircraft; given if workload permits FIS - No obligation to provide traffic information, even if aircraft is squawking and identified.

30. Any aircraft; given if workload permits Traffic information passed in clock-code format, range and track No avoiding action offered - pilot’s responsibility to avoid traffic Level below which service will be limited or not given, for terrain clearance and radar performance reasons. Generally 1900ft within 20 miles, 2400ft beyond this Pilot to advise before changing level or route Vectors may be provided for tactical planning - pilot to advise if unable to accept, e.g. cloud

31. Limitations to service = late or no warning of traffic Radar performance: Poor low-level coverage Spurious primary returns Controller workload: (Too busy to monitor aircraft) Number of aircraft on frequency or Number of aircraft under a RIS Approach and LARS task combined

32. Squawk usually given, but not if very busy and aircraft on periphery of radar cover Although identified when squawking, no implication of radar service No obligation to give traffic information Generic traffic info. may be given or specific info. if tracks converging, using cardinal points and range Expect only FIS on busy VFR day Expect to “report passing” on busy day Aircraft may be asked for particular routeing or level to ensure separation from IFR traffic

33. If on a FIS expect “freecall and squawk 7000” RIS traffic may be handed-over to next radar unit if workload permits; or a freecall with “advise squawk on first contact” Going into circuit at local airfields, expect to be told to “squawk standby” - saves lots of 7000s garbling on the screen ‘Freecall’ = next unit has no details on you ‘Contact’ = next unit has details and may have you identified

34. MATZ belongs to Odiham, NOT Farnborough Civil aircraft do not require permission to transit a MATZ but it is good airmanship to do so Farnborough only has an ATZ, active H24 Odiham ATZ is also active H24. When Odiham air traffic closed, Farnborough avoids the ATZ. It gets busy with winch-launch and aero-tow gliders Odiham delegate ATZ to Farnborough when they are manned but no flying is taking place. If not delegated, Farnborough will co-ordinate ATZ crossers cont/d…

35. Odiham advise of all instrument departures/arrivals and request co-ordination if necessary Aircraft under a FIS cannot be co-ordinated as such, but are asked to “report before…..” For aircraft transiting the MATZ but remaining clear of the Odiham ATZ, Farnborough will provide traffic information. Farnborough-Basingstoke railway line a useful transit feature. 2400ft provides 500ft separation above Odiham instrument circuit

36. Do call in good time if transiting within 10 miles of Farnborough, to ensure separation with inbounds/outbounds Do use standard phraseology Do provide the following information: Callsign - Type - From/To - Position - Altitude Other useful information: Non-squawker, unusual routeing, solo student, persons on board, etc. Do listen out before transmitting Don’t leave frequency without saying goodbye Don’t provide life-story cont/d...

37. Don’t report overhead Farnborough unless requested Don’t call if not routeing within core area of coverage, e.g. Blackbushe northbound, Fairoaks eastbound, Popham westbound, White Waltham northbound, Chilbolton to Hungerford etc. Do visit us if you get the chance