Air Traffic Control Entities

 


The main purpose of the air traffic control (ATC) system is to prevent a collision between aircraft operating in the system and organize and expedite the flow of traffic (PHAK, 2016). I will be comparing and contrasting ground air traffic control and tower air traffic control entities. A ground controller’s job is to be responsible for traffic moving on the ground along the taxiways. A tower controller is responsible for the runways, along with traffic landing and taking off or in the air in the immediate vicinity of the airport (Metzger et al., 2001). Both of these roles are similar in that they are equally important in providing air operations safety. Some air traffic controllers work just one of these positions if at a larger airport. While others at a small airport, may presume the role of both ground controller and tower controller. These roles are also decided sometimes by the traffic of the airport. For instance, the airport may require two separate controllers for ground and tower during the day, but only need one controller for both positions at night. At LAX, United, Delta, American, and Alaska, the ATC control the movement on their own aircraft near the gate. The tower controllers are located pretty far away from the gates in order to be able to oversee aircraft pulling in and out of the gates (Metzger et al., 2001). The job of air traffic controllers is a high-stress position due to the high level of responsibility it carries, however it is essential for the safety of aircraft.

Word Count: 258

References

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). (2016). Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (PHAK).

            Retrieved https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/aviation/phak/

 

Metzger, U., & Parasuraman, R. (2001). The role of the air traffic controller in future air traffic

            Management: An empirical study of active control versus passive monitoring. Human factors,

            43(4), 519-528.


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