GROUND
CONTROL STUDY GUIDE
Issue No. 003
23 June 2003
Richard
Durocher, VATCAN Director
Steve Talmadge, VATCAN
Training Director
Not for real-world training
SECTION
1 – INITIAL CONTACT AND POSITION DETERMINATION
SECTION
2 – COORDINATION, ADVISORIES, AND OBSERVED ABNORMALITIES
SECTION
3 – GROUND TRAFFIC MOVEMENT
SECTION
4 – TAXI AND GROUND MOVEMENT OPERATIONS
SECTION
5 – DEPARTURE INFORMATION AND DEPARTURE DELAYS
INTRODUCTION
This
Ground Control Study Guide is designed to provide you with the basic
information necessary to work the Ground Control position. It builds and expands on the information you
have already learned in the Basic Study Guide.
In real-life, Ground Control and Local Control (TWR) are located next to
each other in the Tower Cab. They can
communicate by visual signals or simply speaking to each other. They control aircraft based primarily on
what they see out the windows. In PC,
it is a bit more complicated. You can’t
see when TWR points to an aircraft, chatboxes aren’t nearly as quick as
speaking, and you can’t throw the flight strip for the next departure at TWR to
get his attention. Neither of you can
actually see the aircraft holding short or exiting the runway. Therefore, some accommodations have to be
made. These will be discussed as the
need arises.
SECTION
1 – INITIAL CONTACT AND POSITION DETERMINATION
a)
Provide airport traffic control service based on known or
observed conditions. This is more
difficult in PC than in real-life. Even
with a specific Ground Control sector file aircraft positions may not be
exact. Greater reliance must be put on
aircraft position reports.
b)
The Movement Area consists of the runways, taxiways, and
other areas used for taxiing, takeoff, and landing of aircraft. It does not include loading ramps and
parking areas. ATC is only responsible for and only has control over operations
on the Movement Area. Movement of aircraft or vehicles on non-movement areas is
at the discretion of and is the responsibility of the pilot, the aircraft
owner, or airport management.
c)
Before you begin controlling an aircraft, you must know
where it is. It could be on the other
side of the airport from where you think, in someone else’s airspace, or even
at whole different airport! Issuing
control instructions in these cases could easily create a conflict.
d)
When an aircraft calls you first look for a data block with
its callsign. If all you see is a code
and altitude, and don’t have a flight strip for the aircraft, ask the pilot to
resend his flight plan. If you have a
flight strip but all you see is a “/” or “V” you have several options.
·
Tell the aircraft to “SQUAWK NORMAL.” That means to uncheck “Squawk Standby” in
the SB menu. Then the full data block
should appear.
·
Select the flightstrip for the aircraft. The “/” or “V” of that aircraft will change
color.
·
Tell the aircraft to “IDENT.” The “/” or “V” will momentarily change to a stack of three
horizontal lines.
e)
If you still can’t find the aircraft, just ask the pilot to
“SAY LOCATION.” Once in a great while even these techniques don’t work. The only solution is for the aircraft to log
off and back on.
f)
If you find it necessary to reduce clutter around the
airport, have all aircraft not taxiing and those going directly to parking
“Squawk Standby.”
SECTION
2 – COORDINATION, ADVISORIES, AND OBSERVED ABNORMALITIES
a)
In addition to the general concept of coordination covered
in the Basic Study Guide, Ground Control has specific areas you should know.
b)
You must obtain approval from Tower before authorizing an
aircraft or vehicle to enter any part of an active runway. In real-life, each instance must be
individually coordinated. In PC, it
isn’t unusual for TWR to grant a blanket approval to cross when GND sees it’s
safe to do so. You should coordinate
with TWR to determine the method he wants to use when you first sign on.
c)
TWR will coordinate with you before using any runway not
previously designated as active. This
allows you to taxi aircraft on or across any inactive runways without coordination.
d)
If you are working Ground combined with Clearance Delivery
you should coordinate with the controller performing the Departure
function. This may be DEP, APP, or
CTR. Determine any preferred routes or
initial altitude restrictions to be included in IFR clearances and what
departure frequency and squawks to assign.
e)
You must notify TWR anytime you taxi an aircraft to any
runway other than the active or to a runway intersection for departure.
f)
When coordinating with another controller or responding to
requests from aircraft use the following terms:
·
To grant permission for the requested operation, state the
operation and the word “APPROVED”, e.g. “ENGINE START AND PUSHBACK APPROVED” or
simply state “APPROVED AS REQUESTED.”
·
To deny permission use the word “UNABLE” and when possible
give the reason, e.g. ‘UNABLE DEPARTURE OFF RUNWAY 36 DUE TO NOISE ABATEMENT.”
·
If you aren’t able to respond to a request right away, use
the word “STANDBY.” This is neither an
approval nor denial; just that you have received the request and will respond
later.
g)
Issue information about the airport necessary for an
aircraft's safe operation in time for it to be useful to the pilot. Aircraft parked on the movement area is the
only one likely to occur in PC/SB. Other
information would include construction, less than normal braking action, or
other pertinent airport conditions.
h)
Issue information about other aircraft, vehicles, or
personnel in an easy to understand manner such as “AIRBUS TO YOUR RIGHT” or
“L-1011 AHEAD OF YOU” or “FIRE TRUCK LEFT OF RUNWAY 27.”
i)
When describing any observed abnormal aircraft condition,
always use the term “APPEARS”, e.g. “IT APPEARS YOU HAVE TAXIED PAST THE RUNWAY
END.”
SECTION
3 – GROUND TRAFFIC MOVEMENT
a)
Issue specific instructions which approve or disapprove the
movement of aircraft or vehicles on the movement area. It isn’t likely you will control many
vehicles in PC but if the situation comes up you should apply these procedures.
b)
Do not issue conditional instructions that are dependent
upon the movement of an arriving aircraft on or approaching the runway or a
departing aircraft established on takeoff roll. Do not say, "TAXI INTO
POSITION AND HOLD BEHIND LANDING TRAFFIC" or "TAXI ACROSS RUNWAY 36
BEHIND DEPARTING JETSTAR." You may however, issue instructions to follow
another aircraft on the movement area operating in accordance with an ATC
instruction e.g. “FOLLOW THE 737 TAXIING AHEAD OF YOU.”
c)
Do not use the word "CLEARED" to authorize an
aircraft to taxi or for vehicle operations. Use the words "TAXI"
"PROCEED" or "HOLD" for aircraft and "PROCEED" or
"HOLD" for vehicles.
d)
When taxiing helicopters you may use standard phraseology or
the following special phraseology.
·
For a helicopter to proceed at a slow speed above the
surface, normally below 20 knots and in ground effect use the term “HOVER TAXI”
e.g. “HOVER TAXI TO HELIPAD BRAVO.”
·
For a helicopter to proceed expeditiously from one point to
another, normally below 100 AGL and at airspeeds above 20 knots use the term
“AIR TAXI” e.g. “AIR TAXI TO THE HOSPITAL PAD.”
e)
Avoid clearances which require heavy jet aircraft to use
greater than normal taxiing power or small aircraft or helicopters to taxi in
close proximity to taxiing or hover-taxiing helicopters.
f)
Sometimes it is more efficient for an aircraft to depart
from a runway intersection instead of going all the way to the end. Issue the
estimated distance from the intersection to the runway end to any pilot who
requests it and to all military aircraft e.g. “RUNWAY 36 INTERSECTION DEPARTURE
ESTIMATED 4000 FEET AVAILABLE.”
g)
Be careful about initiating or approving pilot requests for
intersection departures. Depending on
aircraft weight categories an intersection departure may incur a greater delay
due to wake turbulence separation or the aircraft may block landing aircraft
from exiting the runway.
SECTION
4 – TAXI AND GROUND MOVEMENT OPERATIONS
a)
It usually isn’t necessary to issue taxi route or progressive
taxi information. If you choose to
do so, issue it in concise and easy to understand terms e.g. “TAXI STRAIGHT
AHEAD, TURN LEFT AT THE NEXT INTERSECTION.” This is particularly important in
PC because many SB pilots don’t have airport diagrams and most FS airports
don’t have taxiway markings.
b)
There are two basic types of taxi instructions: Without Hold Short Instructions and With
Hold Short Instructions.
c)
When you instruct an aircraft to taxi or proceed to any point
other than an assigned takeoff runway, if you don’t issue any hold short
instructions the aircraft may cross all taxiways and runways that intersect the
taxi route, including the active runway. If you want the aircraft to hold short
at any point along the taxi route you must issue specific hold short
instructions. For example, “TAXI TO
PARKING” allows the aircraft to go directly to parking crossing any runways or
taxiways along the way. “TAXI VIA xxx,
HOLD SHORT OF RUNWAY 36” also allows the aircraft to go towards parking but now it must
hold short of Runway 36 and obtain approval before crossing.
d)
Use the phrase ‘TAXI TO” when instructing an aircraft to
taxi to an assigned takeoff runway without hold short instructions. This
authorizes the aircraft to cross all runways and taxiways which intersect the
taxi route except the assigned takeoff runway at any point. For example “TAXI
TO RUNWAY 36” allows the aircraft to taxi directly to the runway hold line at
end of Runway 36 but it may not cross or enter Runway 36 at any point. Therefore, it is not necessary to tell the aircraft to “TAXI TO RUNWAY 36 AND
HOLD SHORT.” He is required to hold
short of the active runway without being told.
e)
DO NOT use the phrase “TAXI TO” if hold short instructions
will be issued. Simply state the runway for departure, any necessary taxi
instructions, and the hold short instructions.
For example TAXI VIA THE INNER TAXIWAY, HOLD SHORT OF RUNWAY 27” allows
the aircraft to proceed to the end of Runway 36 but it must hold short of
Runway 27 and obtain permission to cross along the way.
f)
If the pilot does not read back the hold short instructions
or any other time you feel it necessary ask him to do so e.g. “READ BACK HOLD
INSTRUCTION.”
g)
If the pilot does not readback the runway when you issue
taxi instructions confirm he has the correct runway assignment e.g. “CONFIRM
TAXIING TO RUNWAY 33L.”
h)
When you want to speed up a taxiing aircraft or vehicle use
the term “WITHOUT DELAY.”
SECTION
5 – DEPARTURE INFORMATION AND DEPARTURE DELAYS
a)
Before an aircraft departs you must provide current
departure information. This is normally
done when the aircraft calls for taxi.
b)
Departure information contained in the ATIS broadcast may be
omitted if the pilot states the appropriate ATIS code.
c)
Departure information consists of:
1)
Runway in use.
2)
Surface wind.
3)
Altimeter setting.
4)
Ceiling and visibility when below VFR conditions.
5)
Taxi information. You need not issue taxi route information unless
specifically requested.
6)
Time (UTC), when requested.
7)
Braking action reports any time braking action is reported
as “POOR” or “NIL.”
d)
Put together, various combinations of taxi instructions and
departure information would look like this:
“TAXI TO RUNWAY 36, WIND 360 AT 4,
ALTIMETER 2992.”
“RUNWAY 27 , WIND 300 AT 5, ALTIMETER
2988, CEILING 800 VISIBILITY 2, TAXI SHORT OF RUNWAY 36,
“RUNWAY 21 , WIND 200 AT 10, ALTIMETER
2979, TAXI SHORT OF RUNWAY 18, BRAKING ACTION REPORTED AS POOR.”
e)
When gate-hold procedures are in effect, advise departing
aircraft of the time they can expect to receive engine startup approval. “GATE
HOLD PROCEDURES ARE IN EFFECT. EXPECT ENGINE START AT (TIME).” In PC, these procedures are occasionally
used to cope with the very heavy traffic associated with fly-ins.
f)
Advise departing aircraft when to start engines and to
advise when ready to taxi, e.g. “START ENGINES AT YOUR DISCRETION, ADVISE READY
TO TAXI.”
g)
If the pilot requests to start anyway and hold in parking,
approve his request if space and traffic conditions permit.
h)
Advise all aircraft when gate hold procedures are
terminated, e.g. “GATE HOLD PROCEDURES NO LONGER IN EFFECT.”