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39-573: Tokyo Area Control Center ( 東京航空交通管制部 , Tōkyō Kōkūkōtsūkanseibu , "Tokyo Air Traffic Control Center") is an air traffic control center located in the Namiki area of Tokorozawa , Saitama Prefecture , Japan in the Greater Tokyo Area . The center is north of the special wards of Tokyo . As of 2001 the center controlled airspace in the Kantō , Jōetsu , Tōhoku , Chūbu , and Hokuriku regions and

78-501: A 30-minute break. Except at quieter airports, air traffic control is a 24-hour, 365-day-a-year job where controllers usually work rotating shifts, including nights, weekends, and public holidays. These are usually set 28 days in advance. In many countries, the structure of controllers' shift patterns is regulated to allow for adequate time off. In the UK, the most common pattern is two mornings, two late afternoons, and two evenings/nights followed by

117-487: A different ICAO code. Pilots typically use high frequency radio instead of very high frequency radio to communicate with a center when flying over the ocean, because of HF's relatively greater propagation over long distances. Military aircraft, however, are typically equipped with ARC-231 SATCOMs that allow over-the-horizon communication. Area control centers (ACCs) control IFR air traffic in their flight information region (FIR). The current list of FIRs and ACCs

156-450: A first-come, first-served basis. Aircraft passing from one sector to another are handed off and requested to change frequencies to contact the next sector controller. Sector boundaries are specified by an aeronautical chart . Air traffic controllers working within a center communicate via radio with pilots of instrument flight rules ( IFR ) aircraft passing through the center's airspace. A center's communication frequencies (typically in

195-405: A four-day break. Many countries regulate work hours to ensure that controllers are able to remain focused and effective. Research has shown that when controllers remain "on position" for more than two hours without a break, performance can deteriorate rapidly, even at low traffic levels. Many national regulations, therefore, require breaks at least every two hours. Sylvia Noble Tesh documented

234-421: A history of drug abuse , among many others) almost always disqualify people from obtaining medical certification from the overseeing aviation authority without explicit testing and waivers signed by the overseeing medical authority, demonstrating that the disorder does not impact the individuals ability to do the job. Almost universally, controllers are subjected to rigid medical and mental exams to ensure safety in

273-477: A plane's arrival and intentions from its pre-filed flight plan . Some centers have ICAO-designated responsibility for airspace located over an ocean such as ZNY and ZOA, the majority of which is international airspace . Because substantial volumes of oceanic airspace lie beyond the range of ground-based radars, oceanic airspace controllers have to estimate the position of an airplane from pilot reports and computer models ( procedural control ), rather than observing

312-453: A portion of the Kansai region. On Wednesday, January 31, 2001, two Japan Airlines aircraft narrowly avoided a mid-air collision . The two airliners conflicted. Japan Airlines Flight 958, using a Douglas DC-10 , descended according to traffic collision avoidance system (TCAS) instructions. A center employee told Japan Airlines Flight 907, using a Boeing 747-400 , to descend while its TCAS told

351-481: A single misunderstanding about altitude levels or runway numbers can have tragic consequences. Controllers communicate with the pilots of aircraft using a push-to-talk radiotelephony system which has many attendant issues, such as the fact that only one transmission can be made on a frequency at a time and can either merge or block each other and become unintelligible. Although local languages are used in ATC communications,

390-459: Is due to an FAA requirement that trainees begin their training at the Academy no later than their 31st birthday, and face mandatory retirement at age 56. However, retired military air traffic controllers may qualify for appointment after reaching 31 years of age. Communication is a vital part of the job: controllers are trained to focus on the exact words that pilots and other controllers speak, because

429-630: Is maintained by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Note that the cited ICAO source gives the shapefile coordinates for each FIR, and also its page source gives a list of current ACCs in text form. The following is the alphabetic list of all ACCs and their FIRs as of October 2011 : Air traffic controller Although the media in the United States frequently refers to them as air controllers , or flight controllers , most air traffic professionals use

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468-540: Is posted to a new unit or starts work on a new sector within a particular unit, they must undergo a period of training regarding the procedures peculiar to that particular unit and/or sector. The majority of this training is done in a live position controlling real aircraft and is termed On the Job Training (OJT), with a fully qualified and trained mentor or On the Job Training Instructor (OJTI) also 'plugged into'

507-421: Is staffed by a set of controllers trained on all the sectors in that area. Sectors use distinct radio frequencies for communication with aircraft. Each sector also has secure landline communications with adjacent sectors, approach controls, areas, ARTCCs, flight service centers, and military aviation control facilities. These landline communications are shared among all sectors that need them and are available on

546-676: The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). In some cases, the function of an area control center and a terminal control center are combined in a single facility. For example, NATS combines the London Terminal Control Centre (LTCC) and London Area Control Centre (LACC) in Swanwick, Hampshire . The United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) defines an ARTCC as: [a] facility established to provide air traffic control service to aircraft operating on IFR flight plans within controlled airspace, principally during

585-512: The very high frequency aviation bands , using amplitude modulation (AM) 118 MHz to 137 MHz, for overland control) are published in aeronautical charts and manuals, and are also announced to a pilot by the previous controller during a hand-off. Most VHF radio assignments also have a UHF (225 to 380 MHz) paired frequency used for military flights. In addition to radios to communicate with aircraft, center controllers have access to communication links with other centers and TRACONs . In

624-721: The R-side Area controller. This can be done with or without the use of radar: radar allows a sector to handle much more traffic; however, procedural control is used in many areas where traffic levels do not justify radar or the installation of radar is not feasible, such as over oceans. In the United States, en-route controllers work at air route traffic control centers or ARTCCs. In other countries, area controllers work in area control centers , controlling high-level en-route aircraft, or terminal control centers , which control aircraft climbing from or descending to major groups of airports. Aerodrome or Tower controllers control aircraft within

663-458: The US, "center" controllers. Area controllers are responsible for specific sectors of 3D blocks of airspace with defined dimensions. Each sector is managed by at least one area controller, known as an "R-side" (Radar) controller that handles radio communications. During busier times of traffic, there may also be a second area controller, known as a "D-side" (Data), assigned to the same area in order to assist

702-446: The US, such a center is referred to as an air route traffic control center ( ARTCC ). A center typically accepts traffic from — and ultimately passes traffic to — the control of a terminal control center or another center. Most centers are operated by the national governments of the countries in which they are located. The general operations of centers worldwide, and the boundaries of the airspace each center controls, are governed by

741-903: The United States, centers are electronically linked through the National Airspace System , which allows nationwide coordination of traffic flow to manage congestion. Centers in the United States also have electronic access to nationwide radar data. Controllers use radar to monitor the progress of flights and instruct aircraft to perform course adjustments as needed to maintain separation from other aircraft. Aircraft with center contact can be readily distinguished by their transponders . Pilots may request altitude adjustments or course changes for reasons including avoidance of turbulence or adverse weather conditions. Controllers can assign routing relative to location fixes derived from latitude and longitude , or from radionavigation beacons such as VORs . Typically, centers have advance notice of

780-598: The United States, with some speculating it was due to too many white males being hired over minorities. The FAA says it "is blind on the issue of diversity". At the same time, the FAA also stopped giving preference to applicants who were military veterans with aviation experience. In addition, group of external experts appointed by the Federal Aviation Administration emphasized the need for immediate action on Wednesday, November 15, 2023, to address safety concerns in

819-550: The ability to maintain their composure under pressure, and an excellent short-term memory . Through numerous studies throughout the decades, it has been demonstrated that traffic controllers usually have a superior visual memory , and in addition, studies have shown that air traffic controllers generally have a degree of situational awareness that is significantly better than the population average. In 'games' involving short-term memory, peer-induced stresses, and real-time risk analysis, air traffic control specialists scored better than

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858-625: The air traffic system. In the United States, for example, all air traffic controllers are required to take and pass a Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory before being hired by the Federal Aviation Administration . Conditions such as hypertension , while not disqualifying, are taken seriously and must be monitored with medical examinations by certified doctors. Controllers must take precautions to remain healthy and avoid certain medications that are banned for them; all medications, even over-the-counter drugs , must be reported to

897-683: The completion of academic training, the graduating student will be granted an Air Traffic Control license, which will include one or more Ratings. These are sub-qualifications denoting the air traffic control discipline or disciplines in which the person has been trained. ICAO defines five such ratings: Area (procedural), Area Radar, Approach (procedural), Approach Radar, and Aerodrome. In the United States, controllers may train in several similar specialties: Tower, Ground-Controlled Approach (GCA), Terminal Radar Control, or En route Control (both radar and non-radar). This phase of training takes between six months and several years. Whenever an air traffic controller

936-408: The computers, rather than being automated out of existence altogether. However, there are problems envisaged with technology that normally takes the controller out of the decision loop but requires the controller to step back in to control exceptional situations: air traffic control is a skill that has to be kept current by regular practice. This in itself may prove to be the largest stumbling block to

975-498: The control group in every experiment . Excellent hearing and speaking skills are a requirement, and trainees undergo rigorous physical and psychological testing. Moreover, the position of the air traffic controller requires some of the strictest physical and mental health requirements for any profession in the world; conditions such as diabetes , epilepsy , heart disease , and many psychiatric disorders (e.g., clinical depression , ADHD , bipolar disorder , personality disorders ,

1014-595: The default language of aviation worldwide is Aviation English . Controllers who do not speak English as a first language are generally expected to show a certain minimum level of competency. Area controllers are responsible for the safety of aircraft at higher altitudes, in the en-route phase of their flight surrounding busier airports and airspace. Area controllers may also handle aircraft at lower altitudes as well as air traffic around small airports that do not have their own towers or approach controllers. In most nations, they are known as "area", "en route", or, colloquially in

1053-430: The en-route phase of flight. When equipment capabilities and controller workload permit, certain advisory/assistance services may be provided to VFR aircraft. An ARTCC is the U.S. equivalent of an area control center (ACC). There are 22 ARTCCs located in nineteen states. The flight information region controlled by a center may be further administratively subdivided into areas comprising two to nine sectors. Each area

1092-428: The immediate vicinity of the airport and use visual observation from the airport tower. The tower's airspace is often a 5-nautical-mile (9.3 km) radius around the airport, but can vary greatly in size and shape depending on traffic configuration and volume. The tower positions are typically split into many different positions such as Flight Data/Clearance Delivery, Ground Control, and Local Control (known as Tower by

1131-436: The introduction of highly automated air traffic control systems. User acceptance or willingness to use such technology is another important consideration air service providers need to consider prior to implementing any new technology. In a recent study with over 500 air traffic controllers from around the world, Bekier and colleagues found that once the focus of decision-making shifts from the air traffic controller, support for

1170-477: The job. Despite years of effort and billions of dollars spent on computer software designed to assist air traffic control, success has been largely limited to improving the tools at the disposal of the controllers, such as computer-enhanced radar. It is likely that in the next few decades, future technology will make the controller more of a systems manager overseeing decisions made by automated systems and manually intervening to resolve situations not handled well by

1209-477: The medical authority, and failure to do so can result in a revocation of medical certification. Numerous drugs approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are either banned or would require an air traffic controller to apply for a Special Consideration Medical Certificate and undergo stringent and continuous monitoring of the underlying medical condition. Almost universally, trainee controllers begin work in their twenties and retire in their fifties. This

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1248-467: The pilots to climb. 35°48′3.6″N 139°28′40.5″E  /  35.801000°N 139.477917°E  / 35.801000; 139.477917 Area control center In air traffic control , an area control center ( ACC ), also known as a center or en-route center , is a facility responsible for controlling aircraft flying in the airspace of a given flight information region (FIR) at high altitudes between airport approaches and departures. In

1287-621: The pilots); at busier facilities, a limited radar approach control position may be needed. The roles of the positions are: Most countries' armed forces employ air traffic controllers, often in most if not all branches of the forces. Although actual terms vary from country to country, controllers are usually enlisted. In some countries, all air traffic control is performed by the military. In other countries, military controllers are responsible solely for military airspace and airbases; civilian controllers maintain airspace for civilian traffic and civilian airports. Historically, in most countries, this

1326-515: The position directly ( radar control , also known as positive control). Pilots flying over an ocean can determine their own positions accurately using the Global Positioning System or other means, and can supply periodic updates to a center. A center's control service for an oceanic flight information region may be operationally distinct from its service for one over land, employing different communications frequencies, controllers, and

1365-399: The position to give guidance and ready to immediately take over should it become necessary. The length of this phase of training varies from a matter of months to years, depending on the complexity of the sector. Only once a person has passed all these training stages they will be allowed to control a position alone. Typically, controllers work "on position" for 90 to 120 minutes followed by

1404-468: The stresses and challenges faced by air traffic controllers in her 1984 study "The politics of stress: the case of air traffic control." published in the International journal of health services. In a study which compared stress in the general population and in this kind of systems markedly showed more stress level for controllers. This variation can be explained, at least in part, by the characteristics of

1443-429: The technology dramatically decreases. Unsurprisingly, they also found that air traffic controllers enjoy the core tasks of their role: namely, conflict detection and resolution. In 2014, it was reported that in the United States, the Federal Aviation Administration had stopped giving preferential treatment to air-traffic controller applicants who had passed classes from the 36 FAA-approved college aviation programs across

1482-421: The term air traffic controllers , ATCOs , or controllers . For a more detailed article on the job itself, see air traffic control . Air traffic controllers are generally individuals who possess superior situational awareness , spatial awareness , and are well organized. Other skills that are essential include a fast processing of numeric computations and mathematics, assertive and firm decision-making skills,

1521-596: Was part of the government and controllers were civil servants. However, many countries have partly or wholly privatized their air traffic control systems; others are looking to do the same. Civilian Air Traffic Controllers' licensing is standardized by international agreement through ICAO . Many countries have Air Traffic Control schools, academies or colleges, often operated by the incumbent provider of air traffic services in that country, but sometimes privately. These institutions are structured to provide training to individuals without any prior air traffic control experience. At

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