Radar tracking at TWR level

[Jonathan Cox]

I've heard of some ARTCCs that have their tower controllers actually radar track aircraft, like overflights through the airspace. Others don't.  Supposedly, we can't teach S2s the procedure since it's not part of the official VATUSA training, meaning we'd only be able to do it at designated major airports. Is that correct? Also, I'm curious what the reasons are for and against tower controllers using radar tracking.

Thanks!

[Harold Rutila]

I've heard of some ARTCCs that have their tower controllers actually radar track aircraft, like overflights through the airspace. Others don't.  Supposedly, we can't teach S2s the procedure since it's not part of the official VATUSA training, meaning we'd only be able to do it at designated major airports. Is that correct? Also, I'm curious what the reasons are for and against tower controllers using radar tracking.

Thanks!

Hey Jonathan,

First, there is no official VATUSA training. There are, however, official rating training standards in the GRP.

The only legitimate reason I would not allow an S2 to track any aircraft is if they don't know the concepts of radar. If they're midway through S3 training and/or know how to apply radar separation AND they understand the concepts of vertical and lateral airspace boundaries (ie. the tower's airspace boundaries), then more power to them. For me, it's based on what they know, not what rating they have.

Real world local control positions that track aircraft are known as LRACs -- limited radar approach controls. In these cases the overlying TRACON has delegated to local control airpsace in which it can apply radar separation using approved equipment, as opposed to being limited to applying only visual separation or time-based separation between aircraft. It is important to have tower airspace boundaries outlined in an SOP to most effectively use this procedure. Tower should already know what airspace it owns to begin with, but a lot of controllers don't realize that this is the case.

[Tim Farrell]

Jonathan,

Harold has got it right. However, on Vatsim some ARTCC's use (for lack of a better term) a radar hand-off at the TWR level. Most TWR facilities in the real world would not have this capability, but as far as Vatsim, it is what it is. The TWR track on Vatsim is really not a TWR radar track. It is some ARTCC's way of performing IFR releases (different from the IFR clearance) between the TWR and Tracon controller.

An IFR clearance lets the pilot know he is cleared on the route. But he cannot takeoff without an IFR release as well in most cases. This is simulated on Vatsim with the TWR tagging said aircraft. When the Tracon controller accepts the hand-off, the Tracon controller has more or less let the TWR know that said aircraft is okay to be released.

Some ARTCC's use this method, others do not. Hope this helps clear up some confusion.

Remember, the Tower for the most part is a visual entity. In the real world. bigger airports may have ground survellience radar, but other than that, a good set of binoculars is what many tower operators use.

Cheers!

[Daniel Hawton]

Most TWR facilities in the real world would not have this capability,

Most towers actually do have this capability.  All they need is a certified TDW/DBRITE and the FAA is pushing them to even class D airspaces.  Now, many towers have them but aren't certified radar controllers... but you'd be surprised how many towers are and actually do radar handoffs between approach/departure and themselves.

Remember too, not all terminal radar environments are TRACONs.  Some facilities are combined with a tower, so they're an ATCT that provides TRACON services but they're not called TRACONs.  TRACONs are dedicated, separate facilities with their own designations (I90, P31).  Without their own designation and facility, they're part of an ATCT.  So a lot of these facilities will use radar handoffs with the tower guys because they are up/down and the guys upstairs also work downstairs and vice versa.  That is how P31 and PNS did handoffs, and when they split into a dedicated TRACON facility, they kept it going.  You'll see smaller TRACONs that split off from the tower for reduction in levels where the FAA found they could save some money since in an up/down, the traffic counts are combined (everything approach/departure talks to is counted with the number of operations at the airport to determine the facility level for everyone vice just approach/departure and tower separately).