Section 1, Chapter 22 - Military Operations Flashcards
What are some locally based military RTF callsigns and their corresponding aircraft?
- ‘ASCOT/MINX’: RAF Fixed Wing Shadow aircraft
- ‘RESCUE’: Any aircraft involved in SAR Ops
- ‘RUSHTON’: Draken Aero aircraft
- ‘UNIFORM ALPHA INDIA’: NIUAS aircraft
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ - RAF Fixed Wing: ASCOT XX - XXXX
- NIUAS / 13 AEF Tutors: UAI01 - 50 (may be shortened to “Uniform” after first contact)
- Draken Aero: FRA01 - 99
What is the layout and parking procedure for Bravo Dispersal at Aldergrove?
Parking Area:
- 18 parking spots (lettered A-U)
- Yellow taxi line
- Helicopter Parking Preference: Spots G and F
Parking Arrangements:
- Flexible and may change daily
- Contact Aldergrove FS Ops for advice
Procedure for Visiting Military Fixed Wing Aircraft:
- Handled by Aldergrove FS Ops
- Estimate telephoned to Aldergrove FS Ops
- Aircraft allocated a bay number
- Normal Parking: Echo Apron
- VIP Aircraft: Spots A and B
Sub-charter Civil Aircraft:
- Check with Aldergrove FS Ops to confirm if the flight is a military charter if not expected by BIAL or civil handling agencies
What are the key procedures and agreements related to Echo Apron at Aldergrove?
Parking on Echo Apron:
- ATC is informed by Aldergrove FS Ops about the pan for parking
- Aircraft up to Airbus A330/340 can vacate runway 17/35 at Echo turnoff
- Larger aircraft park on combined pans 9 and 11
- Smaller aircraft (C130 Hercules size and below) may use other pans
Agreement between FS Aldergrove and NATS Belfast:
- Echo Apron extends from runway 17/35 holding point to eastern end of Pan 6
- Personnel and vehicles operate at their discretion
- ATC responsible for separation of moving aircraft (fixed and rotary wing)
- Helicopters may operate on any part of the Apron with no clearance account for persons/vehicles in the area
- Visiting helicopters not familiar with arrangements must be informed ATC has no knowledge of vehicle activity
- Generally not used by civil aircraft unless approved by BIAL ADM and Aldergrove FS Ops
Sweeping of Echo and Foxtrot Taxiway:
- Echo Apron and lead on areas to Runway 17/35 are swept by Aldergrove FS Ops
- Callsign: “Sweeper” (or “Blacktop” during snow clearing)
- Vehicles on Foxtrot taxiway transferred to ADC and escorted by BIAL Ops beyond Echo or F1 holding Point
What are the parking procedures for VIP aircraft at Aldergrove?
Fixed Wing VIP Aircraft:
- Normally park on Spots ‘A’ / ‘B’
- Can accommodate up to BA146 size
- Parked by marshallers nominated by Aldergrove FS Ops
- Enter/exit Bravo dispersal via Foxtrot 1
Rotary Wing VIP Aircraft:
- Park on Spots ‘A’ or ‘B’ if free of Fixed Wing Aircraft
- Park on Spots ‘C’ or ‘V’ if ‘A’ and ‘B’ are occupied
Additional Parking:
- Any spot not covered above can be used if no VIP movements are planned
- Preferred area for large helicopters (e.g., Chinook, Merlin) is Echo dispersal
- Must ground taxi to/from the spot on entering the Bravo dispersal area
- Pans adjacent to Echo Apron may be used with approval from Aldergrove FS Ops
Which spots at Aldergrove can be used for rotors running refuelling, and which are excluded?
Spots available for rotors running refuelling:
- All spots except M, L, K, J, G, P, and R
What are the taxi procedures for Echo Apron at Aldergrove, including night taxiing?
Echo Apron Taxi Procedures:
- Fixed wing aircraft taxi to Echo or Foxtrot 1 holding points.
- Ground taxi past any other aircraft parked on adjacent bays.
- Aircraft are not to land on Echo apron east of Pan 6 (Chinook parking area).
- Helicopters should avoid maneuvering over Echo Apron east of Pan 6 below 50ft.
- Entry and exit to Pan 6 via Echo Apron.
- Aircraft approaching Pan 6 must consider aircraft downwash and only hover taxi when clear of all other aircraft.
- Large helicopters should ground taxi past all other parked aircraft on adjacent bays.
Night Taxiing Procedures:
- Exercise caution and use landing lamps when ground taxiing at night due to uneven lighting levels.
- Green center line lights are available from runway 17 Echo holding point eastwards along Echo into Bravo dispersal.
- To select the entire length of taxiway lights, both Echo and Pan 8 must be selected on the lighting panel.
What are the procedures for Foxtrot 1 operations at Aldergrove, including departures, arrivals, and safety precautions?
Foxtrot 1 Operations:
Departures:
- All aircraft must ground taxi under ATC instruction from Spots to either Foxtrot 1 or Echo Apron prior to departure.
- If a helicopter is at the Foxtrot 1 holding point, no other aircraft movement is allowed through this point.
Arrivals:
- Helicopters should approach Foxtrot 1, Heli East, or Echo Apron, then ground/air taxi to the Spots.
- If Foxtrot 1 is occupied, inbound aircraft must hold over Echo Apron near Pans 10-12 until the outbound aircraft vacates Foxtrot 1.
- Outbound helicopters are given priority.
- When runway 17/35 is in use, helicopters at Foxtrot 1 infringe the runway transitional surface. They may ground/air taxi to Foxtrot 1 only and can hover only when no aircraft are landing or departing on runway 17/35.
Safety Precautions:
General:
- Avoid overflying other aircraft on the ground.
- Avoid overflying hangars or buildings unless necessary for flight safety.
Visiting Aircraft:
- Use ground marshallers for parking on Aldergrove FS Ops Bravo dispersal.
Foxtrot Taxiway Deconfliction (at night or when visibility < 1000m):
- Only one Fixed Wing aircraft is permitted to taxi onto Foxtrot taxiway at a time.
- The second Fixed Wing aircraft must wait until the first has vacated Foxtrot taxiway (and runway 17/35 if active).
- Rotary wing departures continue as usual. Rotary wings taxiing to Foxtrot taxiway must observe Stop Bars and follow the Fixed Wing procedure above.
What are the IFR procedures for military aircraft at Belfast International, including FM immunity and radar monitoring?
IFR Procedures:
- Standard IFR separations apply within controlled airspace.
- Military aircraft must follow published instrument approach procedures.
IFR Departure Procedures:
- Confirm the requested departure direction and level with the pilot.
- Obtain an IFR departure clearance, including squawk, from APC.
- Pass the IFR departure clearance to the aircraft prior to taxi.
- Obtain a release from Radar when the aircraft is ready for departure.
FM Immunity - Radar Monitoring of Military Aircraft Instrument Approaches:
- Military aircraft using VOR/ILS for instrument approaches may face interference.
- All such aircraft should be radar monitored to ensure adherence to the standard published approach profile.
- Aircraft requiring radar monitoring must be positively identified beforehand.
- If interference prevents maintaining the correct profile, the approach should be terminated, and the aircraft should be assisted in making a VFR recovery or an alternative instrument approach.
What are the procedures for military operations over Lough Neagh?
RAF/SAR Helicopters:
- Operate over Lough Neagh at 700ft QNH or below.
- Remain in the NW sector.
- Do not affect fixed wing arrivals and departures.
Other Military Helicopters:
- Provide their own separation when cleared in or out of the relevant sector.
- ATC clearance includes the proviso: “Subject to traffic operating over Lough Neagh you are cleared…”.
Non-Military Aircraft:
- Normal separation procedures apply.
What is the procedure for locally based military aircraft conducting flying training outside controlled airspace?
Operational Airspace:
* Locally based military aircraft will use specific areas annotated on a designated map for flying training outside controlled airspace.
What are the procedures for handling military aircraft emergencies at Aldergrove?
Co-ordination with Aldergrove FS Ops:
- Inform Aldergrove FS Ops immediately upon knowing of any emergencies.
- If a helicopter might shut down on a runway, the Duty Ops Manager will arrange an aircraft recovery party to meet at the BIAL Fire Station forecourt.
- After landing, the recovery party will be escorted to the aircraft by an RFFS vehicle, which will maintain communication throughout the removal.
Requests for Information:
- Direct requests (e.g., failing to report zone boundary) to Aldergrove FS Ops at 07971 927704 or OOH 07971 926338.
What are the procedures for conducting practice emergencies for military aircraft at Aldergrove?
Practice Emergencies:
* May be conducted if authorized.
* Require prior agreement between Aldergrove FS Ops and the ATC Watch Manager.
What are the procedures for NIUAS practice turnbacks at Aldergrove?
Requesting Practice Turnbacks:
- NIUAS pilots must annotate the request in the remarks field of the electronic flight plan.
- The request should also be made on RT during first contact.
Conducting Practice Turnbacks:
- Turnbacks are only carried out on the non-duty cross runway in compliance with the “Use of the non-duty runway” MATS 2 procedure.
- Routing instructions are given to the pilot immediately before take-off clearance.
- Approval for the turnback is provided with the take-off clearance, considering the prevailing traffic situation.
Execution of the Turnback:
- After take-off, the NIUAS aircraft climbs to 700ft AAL.
- The aircraft then performs a 180-degree turn to position for an approach to the reciprocal runway.
- During the turnback, the aircraft descends to no lower than 200ft AAL before climbing away.
Safety Note:
- During the manoeuvre, the aircraft strip remains in the runway bay.
- No other movements are allowed on any runway until the pilot reports climbing away.
What is the procedure for opening the Runway 35 access gate at Aldergrove?
Procedure Steps:
Initial Contact:
- Aldergrove FS Ops contacts ATC to check if runway 17/35 is in use by calling ext 028 9448 4281.
If Runway 17/35 is Not in Use:
- ATC advises AAW Ops that they may open the gate and obtains an emergency contact number.
- ADC places the ‘RUNWAY 17/35 CLOSED’ strip in their traffic display and informs APR that the runway is closed.
- The ‘Rwy 17/35 closed’ message is put on ATIS.
- Remove 17/35 FAT from Radar Display.
If Runway 17/35 is in Use:
- AWW Ops coordinates with ATC to determine an appropriate time to open the gate.
Completion of Task:
- Once the task is finished and the gate is secured, AWW Ops phones ATC to confirm they have vacated the area.
What is the call-out procedure for Aldergrove FS during an aircraft incident?
Emergency Call Response:
* Aldergrove FS contacts ATC on ext. 4281 and then CAPITA Fire and Rescue.
If ATC Line is Engaged:
- Contact BIAL Control Centre on 4401/4402 and relay the incident details.
BIAL Control Centre’s Role:
- Contact ATC on the emergency line and inform them of the aircraft incident details.
ATC’s Response:
- Call the RFFS following normal emergency operating procedures.
