Air Traffic Control

Question 1

What two centres does NATS operate from?

Answer 1

Swanwick

Prestwick

Question 2

What airspace does NATS manage?

Answer 2

14 UK airports

All upper airspace in the UK

Also provides services worldwide

Question 3

What is the role of RAF(U) Swanwick?

Answer 3

Provides services to both military and civil aircraft operating outside controlled airspace

Alerts emergency services and the SAR organisation when req.

Notifies aircraft movements to the air defence organisation

Question 4

How many FIRs is UK airspace divided in to, and where are the respective area control centres?

Answer 4

2 - London FIR and Scottish FIR

London ACC (Swanwick)
Scottish ACC (Prestwick)

Question 5

What comprises NATS Swanwick?

Answer 5

London Area Control Centre (LACC)

London Terminal Control Centre (LTCC)

Military Air Traffic Control (ATC)

Question 6

What is the LACC responsible for?

Answer 6

Manages en-route traffic in the London FIR (airspace over England and Scotland up to the Scottish FIR border)

Question 7

What is the LTCC responsible for?

Answer 7

Handles traffic below 24,500ft flying out of London’s airports and extending towards Bristol and Birmingham.

Question 8

What are the callsigns of the civilian element of the London ACC and RAF(U) Swanwick?

Answer 8

‘London Control’

‘Swanwick Military’

Question 9

What comprises NATS Prestwick?

Answer 9

Scottish Area Control Centre (ScACC)

Manchester Area Control Centre (MACC)

Oceanic Area Control Centre (OACC)

Question 10

What is the ScACC responsible for?

Answer 10

Handles aircraft over Scotland, Northern Ireland, Northern England and the North Sea from 2500ft up to 66,000ft

Question 11

What is the MACC responsible for?

Answer 11

Controls much of Northern England, the Midlands and N Wales from 2500ft up to 28,500ft.

Question 12

What is the OACC responsible for?

Answer 12

Controls the Shanwick FIR, the airspace over the Eastern half of the Atlantic from the Azores up to Iceland.

Question 13

Where does the Military ATCC for UK airspace operate from?

Answer 13

NATS Swanwick

Question 14

What are the three divisions of the Military ATCC at NATS Swanwick and what are they responsible for?

Answer 14

North Bank - Controls the Scottish FIR (North and North West)

East Bank - Controls to the East of a line roughly from Carlisle to London (East and North East)

West Bank - Controls the South West, West, Central and South East

These are further broken down in to sectors

Question 15

Within CAS, what air traffic service is normally mandatory?

Answer 15

Radar Control

You must not deviate from ATC instructions, they are mandatory

Question 16

To whom can a Radar Control Service be provided?

Answer 16

IFR flights in classes A to E

VFR flights in C and D class airspace

Special VFR flights

All aerodrome traffic at controlled aerodromes

Question 17

What services can be provided to civilian and military aircraft outside CAS (Class G airspace)?

Answer 17

Basic
Traffic
Deconfliction (must request hdg and height changes)
Procedural

This suite of services comprises the UK Flight Information Services (FIS)

Question 18

What is a FISO, what restrictions apply to and service provided by a FISO, and what suffix will their callsign have?

Answer 18

Flight Information Service Officers

They are validates for each aerodrome or ACC at which they work.

They are NOT licensed to provide traffic, deconfliction or procedural services. Basic service only.

The callsign of a FISO will be suffixed with ‘Information’, e.g. ‘London Information’.

Question 19

Where is the UK Distress and Diversion (D&D) Cell based and what channels do they operate on?

Answer 19

RAF(U) Swanwick

VHF - 121.500
UHF - 243.000

Question 20

What do UK D&D provide?

Answer 20

Emergency and position fixing services to aircraft on the UHF and VHF International Aeronautical Emergency Frequencies.

Activation of Temporary Danger Areas (TDAs) to provide protection to SAR helicopters at the scene of an incident.

Note - Position fixing available over most of the UK above 3000ft

Question 21

To whom is LARS available and what can they provide?

Answer 21

All aircraft operating in Class G airspace up to FL100, within approx. 30nm of each participating unit.

Provide Radar Service - (NOT) radar control - i.e. Traffic, Deconfliction or Procedural

Can also provide Basic service to transiting aircraft

Question 22

What are the vertical boundaries of the UKLFS?

Answer 22

SFC to 2000ft