IFATCA The Controller - April/June 1969

D 20418 F

IFATCA JOURNAL OF AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL

In this Issue: Management Factors in ATC Russian Story International Aeradio Ltd.

APRIL/JUNE

1969

VOLUME

8

NO.

2

IFATCA

JOURNAL

OF

AIR

TRAFFIC

CONTROL

THECONTROi.i.ER Frankfurt am Main, April/June 1969

Volume 8 • No. 2

Publisher: International Federation of Air Traffic Con• trcllers' Associations, S. C. II; 6 Frankfurt am Main N.O. 14, Bornheimer Landwehr 57a.

Officers of IFATCA:M. Cerf, President; J. R. Campbell, First Vice President; G. Atterholm, Second Vice President; G. W. Monk, Executive Secretary; H. Guddat, Honorary Secretary; B. Ruthy, Treasurer; W. H. Endlich, Editor.

Editor: Waller H. Endlich, 3, rue Roosendael,

Bruxelles-Forest, Belgique Telephone: 456248 Publishing Company, Production and Advertising Sales Office: Verlog W. Kromer & Co., 6 Frankfurt am Main NO14, Bornheimer Landwehr 570, Phone 434325,492169, Postscheck Frankfurt (M) 11727. Rote Cord Nr. 2.

Printed by: W.Kromer&Co., 6 Frankfurt am Main NO 14, Bornheimer Landwehr 570.

Subscription Role, OM 8,-

per annum (in Germany).

Contributors ore expressing their personal points of view and opinions, which must not necessarily coincide with those of the International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers' Associations (IFATCA).

IFATCA does not assume responsibility for statements mode ond opinions expressed, ii does only accept responsibility for publishing these contributions.

Contributions ore welcome as ore comments and criti•

cism. No payment can be made for manuscripts submitted for publication in "The Controller•. The Editor reserves the right to moke any editorial changes in manuscripts, which he believes will improve the material without altering the intended meaning.

Written permission by the Editor is necessary printing any part of this Journal.

for re-

CONTENTS Management Factors in reducing ATCS Stress . . . . . . . . . . . .

3

John T. Dailey, Ph. D. Russian Story

Falconry in the Air Command of the Royal Navy .........

Lt. Cdr. D. D. Fairweather Advertisers in this Issue: Elliott Space ond Weapon Automation Limited (Inside Cover); N.V. Hollandse Signaalapparalen (Back Cover); Selenia S.p.A. (Inside Back Cover); Solartran Electronic Group (2).

Picture Credit: CAWU (9); Endlich (6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18); Harrison (21, 22, 23, 24); Jeppeser. Ca. (8); Royal Navy (19, 20); Selenia S.p.A. (26, 27).

6

,..

19 21

Automatic Enroute ATC Displays

T. H. Harrison New Radar System for Austria

26

H. Brandstetter International Aeradio Limited ...........................

.

28

Thei-e may be dozens of bi ips on the rndar screen.

And inside contrnlled ...., ai1·spaceAi1·Trnffic Contrnllers have to keep track of them all.

They could each represent a hund1·ed lives.

And they're all in the Contrnlle1·'s hands.

He keeps trnck with his video map.

Accuracy is vital.

Sola1·tron video maps are certainly accurate.

For instance, at London Ai 1·port, when a plane is seven miles from touch down, they are accurnte to 150 feet 1·ight and left.

The type of accuracy you need for landings on parnllel 1·unways.

Nowadays an aircraft landing sequence is planned way back.

The Controller needs a lot of inforn,ation, p1·ecisely displayed, without clutte1·ing the rada1·picture.

That's where the high resolution of Solartron video maps is important.

Solarlt'on video maps are helping aircrnft to a1-riveon time in more than 20 counlt'ies.

Nea1·ly 200 maps are in use worldwide.

And not only for air traffic contrnl.

Many are supplied to provide positioning data for defence radars.

>

They cover every requirement-ea1·ly warning, fighte1·contrnl, missile ranges.

Solarfron video maps are highly rega1·decl, both by technicians and contrnllers.

Controlle1·s, especially, know our name well.

Many of them arn trained on our simulators.

If you' cl Ii ke to know rno1·e about Solartron in aviation, please drop us a line.

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~=~~ ~ Aforce toreckon with The Soladrnn Electrnnic Group Ltd Farnborough Hampshir·e England Telephone 44433 2

Management Factors in Reducing ATCS Stress Presented to the international Symposium on Air Traffic Control, Morch 1969, Stockholm, Sweden

Basic Nature of the ATCS Job The air traffic control system is o man-machine system which places primary reliance on the human component, and the human operator is often the limiting factor in system output. The air traffic control system violates the first tenet of man-machine design - that is - "to design the system so the overage man with on overage amount of effort con carry out his part in the system." Unfortunately, there seems to be no feasible way to do this and so the system requires o controller who is highly selected and highly trained. The controller bears a heavy load on his memory and his ability to keep many things in his mind while arriving rapidly at well-reasoned solutions to complex problems under conditions of stress. Controlling air traffic is not necessarily o stressful activity, but in situations with a high traffic density the job of the air traffic control specialist becomes stressful because it requires pushing man's capability to its limit to maintain continuous peak performance.

A disitinctive feature of oir traffic control under heavy traffic is that the individual controller does not directly control his rote of work. The aircraft just keep coming.

With high traffic density, the controllers ore able to maintain o high performance level but, as they do, the stress

Human Factors affecting the rated Capacity of an Air Traffic Control System 1. Skill and maturity of the ATC crew or its ability to control traffic under normal conditions.

A. Aptitude.

The rated capacity or normal ability to handle traffic of on air traffic control system will be very much affected by the aptitude of the operator and his ability to move traffic swiftly but safely. This is not necessarily the some as the aptitude he expresses on tests, but is the aptitude he expresses on the job and in training by showing o high degree of ability to carry out the work of the air traffic controller. Individuals vary enormously in this sort of aptitude and some controllers con do a great deal more than others. The rated capacity of o given ATC installation will be greatly influenced by the aptitude of its crew members.

B. Experience.

Experience is a very powerful factor in this area and the ability of the air traffic controller to handle traffic increases markedly with experience for the first few years.

C. Age.

While the air traffic controller's ability to handle traffic increases with experience for o few years, eventually it levels off and at some point in time will decrease to the point where he warrants retirement.

However, this point in time is very indefinite and depends o great deal on the type of management that

by John T. Dailey, Ph. D. Special Assistant for Psychology Office of Aviation Medicine Federal Aviation Administration

level rises accordingly. Ultimately the stress level that they con safely tolerate con become the primary limiting factor on the workload that the system con handle with safety.

The system must strike o proper balance between maximum performance and stress on the controller. This is accomplished by o complex set of rules for handling traffic under various conditions and by flow control and traffic restrictions when necessary to limit the overall volume of traffic handled by the system.

The capacity of on air traffic control system to handle traffic is difficult to determine with precision. The characteristics of the hardware of the system set on upper boundary on the amount of traffic the system con handle but this level is rarely approached in practice for any sustained period of time. The capacity of the system is usually limited by the human factors and is affected by various management and staffing factors.

One cannot, of course, really speak simply of t h e controller or think of stress as ony simple type of force.

Controllers in different situations vary greatly in the workload placed on them and any stress factors imposed by the job con be greatly magnified or minimized by management factors. Efficient management of on air traffic control system must be based on on understanding of the various human factors affecting the productivity of the controller and the stress level under which he operates.

hos been exercised up to that point, and the amount of stress that hos occurred. Management factors could be monipuloted to increase greatly the oge at which the performance of on air traffic controller levels off and declines.

2. Morale.

The general level of morale of the controller and his trust in management, both for present and in the future, is o powerful factor in influencing the rated capacity of the controller to do work with safety. If his morale is high, he will be able to 9perote at o higher production level than if his morale is low, with safety factors being equal.

3. Anxiety -

fear of mistakes.

A very important stressful factor on the controller is fear of the consequences of mistakes that he is likely to make or fears that he might make. The ultimate of this, of course, is o collision with fatalities, but in many cases mistakes happen without o crash actually occurring. In many such coses, the consequences ore formal reprimands or criticisms of the controller. How the management handles these con affect the rated capacity of the system and the stress on the air traffic controllers in it. The controller hos o very special set of skills that ore reworded highly in air traffic control, but there is little market for them otherwise. Worry about premature termination of his career by loss of health or as o result of his mistakes con create o great deal of anxiety. This con become o major stress factor.

3

4. Fatigue.

A. Each operotor hos his own individual normal roted capacity for carrying out air traffic control work for a prolonged period without undue stress. He con operate at a higher capacity for short periods of time, but after fatigue begins; fte has to rest or else endure increasing stress. If staffing is inadequate in a high density installation and adequate rest schedules ore not possible, the stress on the air traffic controller is increased greatly and the capacity of the system ultimately is reduced. This will be reflected in a higher rote of flow control restrictions. Chronic fatigue con eventually reduce the roted capacity of the controller for carrying out work.

In a sense, the air traffic control specialist is a "perceptual-motor or psychomotor othlete". These athletes differ enormously in their capacity for performance just a other types of athletes do. Athletes con maintain a much higher level of performance for a short period thon they con for o longer period. If he maintains o high performance more often or longer than on optimal schedule, an athlete's fatigue mounts rapidly, stress factors increase, and eventually his performance suffers seriously. Whenever extremely high performance is required in athletics in a crucial activity - such as a relay race or pitching in a big league baseball come - the principle of the reloy team is used to maximize the rote of performance that con be expected by a team of individuals engaged in such activity as running a long roce or getting batters out in a crucial big league gome.

This principle is, of course, being used informally to some extent by many Towers and Centers, but there hos been no study of optimal schedules for this and the manning of the Stotions or Centers hos not been adjusted to enable them to use this reloy principle most effectively. Even with an overall shortage of controllers in a system, it might still be possible to allocate additional experienced personnel to a very few key High Density Centers to use the relay principle to increase the ability of the system to handle traffic with a minimum necessity for traffic restrictions.

B. 0 pt i ma I a 11o cation of operator's t i me.

How an operotor's time each week is allocated could have a marked effect on the amount of stress on him and the amount of work he is able to handle. Many studies of simi lor situations such as radar watch standers, submarines, space ships, long-range aircraft and the like, indicate that optimal work-rest schedules con do much to increase the amount of work thot con be accomplished by a given crew in a given amount of time.

It is important that we learn the best length of day and best schedules for alternation of work and rest to maintain maximum productivity of the air traffic control specialist without undue stress ond with most efficient use of personnel.

• In a bottleneck situation, such as a high density airport, it may sometimes be desirable to maximize the system's rated capacity to handle traffic. The increased capability could come from controllers working in relays with individuals being replaced at intervals for appropriate rest. This is equivolent to preventive maintenance on a system which is working at its moximum capacity and this is mode possible by replacing its tubes or other components on a regular schedule before failure. The analogy here is that a mon hos the capability to re-

4

cuperote during a rest period so that after proper rest he becomes essentially a "new tube". In the usual world of work, it is expected that the work schedule is such that man reports for work every day as essentially a "new tube" and operates at his normal rated capacity throughout the day. However, if the system is to be able to operate safely at a higher level, it is necessary to work individuals in relays. The question to be established here is the most Eiffective way of using extra stoff so rest periods during the doy con make the man essentially a new tube after each short rest period.

The exact best schedule here is as yet unknown, but interviews with air troffic controllers indicate that in most high density situations on adequate rest schedule would be o regularly scheduled lunch period and a short scheduled coffee breok twice a day. In a few ultra-high density areas, it might be necessary to go beyond this and to limit the length of the workday for individuals on the line on extremely hot spots. It is important for the rest periods to be regularly scheduled and staffing would hove to be adjusted to permit this.

5. Shift rotation pattern.

One of the distinctive choracleristics of the air traffic control system is that it is a 24-hour system where the man have to work around the clock at one time or another in shifts. In recent years it hos been found that flying across time zones or changing shifts hos a powerful effect on many of the biological or circadian rhythms of his biological functions. These functions rise to a maximum and then decrease to a minimum in a regular 24-hour pattern.

Among the things that vary on this 24-hours schedule are: A. Pulse B. Respiration C: Blood pressure D. Temperature E. Electrical skin resistance F. Excretion of: (1) Water (2) Potassium (3) Phosphorus (4) Sodium (5) Magnesium (6) Chloride (7) Numerous hormones (especially the stress hormones) G. Mental alertness and performance (including errors) H. Mood I. Motivation J. Hunger and appetite K. Quality of sleep L. Many other aspects of performance.

When the individual changes to a new doily schedule by crossing time zones or changing work shifts these biological functions begin to adjust themselves to a new 24-hour rhythm with a new starting point. However, they do so at unequal rates and so, for several days, the biological rhythms are not in proper relation to each other and this results in biological instability with too much of some functions and too little of others.

Whenever the controller changes shifts, his biological rhythms are thrown out of equilibrium and take some time to re-establish themselves in a new stable 24-hour pattern after the shift has been made. When shifting is frequent, the individual will spend a considerable proportion of his time in a condition of biological instability. There is

evidence, such as in 20-hour flight crews on long-ronge bombers, that young heolthy individuals con grow accustomed to rapid chonges of shifts and apparently function satisfactorily for some time. However, there is no information regarding the effects of many years of such rapid changing of shifts. There is much reason to believe this would be an unfovorable health factor and no grounci~ whatever for thinking it would be o fovorable health factor.

It is likely that changing shifts too often places additional stress on the already stressed air traffic controller. Over o long period of years this could be o really major factor in placing stress on the controller.

Attention should be given to ways of reducing the rapidity of shift change of air traffic controllers. One possibility is to give more choice in whether they shift or not.

Some men prefer night work because they like to golf, fish, garden or perform other daytime activities ond would prefer not to shift. To the extent this is done, the others might not hove to shift as often. It might be possible and would be highly desirable to hove the late shift staffed by semi-permanent volunteers and by men who on rore occasions stand several months duty on this shift. The remainder of the controllers could then rotate shifts without major changes in their sleeping patterns and avoid disturbing their circadian rhythms.

Very rapid shift rotation is often preferred by the controller because it helps squeeze out o few more extended periods off duty. Some extra staffing to ovoid this would be o good investment so that too rapid shift rotation might be discouraged. This should be considered o top priority at those few ultra-high traffic density installations where all of the other stress-inducing factors ore ot o maximum.

Another way to ovoid these rapid-shifts might be to hove shifts of controllers on duty on o work-rest basis for sixteen hours. The late shift requires very few people and need rotate very infrequently. There is much evidence that work os demanding os that of the controller could be carried out on o work-rest basis in 16-hour shifts with as much as 12 hours on the line and the other four hours being devoted to appropriate rest periods. Thus it would only require three days on duty to put in 36 hours on the line. Such o schedule would enable everyone to maintain o normal 24-hour routine. It should also lessen the need for stand-by time and minimize coll in. The saving in driving time of the controller could be opprecioble. Other advantages of such o shift pattern would be to permit the controller to have on active port in community offoirs, attend college classes off duty, and have regular programs of exercise.

Research is needed on how to change shifts with minimum disruption of the 24-hour Circadian rhythms. We need to know not only how often to change but also the best way to change. It would be possible to train the controller in methods of changing shifts with minimum disruption in biological stability.

4. The controller is subject to many stress-inducing factors and management practices con increase or decrease the stress to which he is exposed.

5. Stress on the controller con be reduced by increased staffing with proper allocation of rest periods during his shift on duty.

6. The present practice of rapid shift rotation is medically undesirable and should be modified.

Reducing air traffic controller stress and increasing productivity (long-range recommendations)

1. It is recommended that action should be taken to develop o set of long-range objectives to work toward in order to minimize and equalize the stresses imposed on the controller.

2. The long-range gool should be to equalize stress on the air traffic control specialists in the various installations by such means as adjusting the work to the level of activity of the facility and by rotation from one facility to another. Staffing of the high density facilities would have to be made adequate to facilitate free rotation.

Of course, a sophisticated index of activity level would need to be used for this purpose which includes weighted combinations of several of the relevant factors which are most important in establishing the true work level of the facility. Perhaps a reasonable base schedule for all air traffic controllers would be a 40-hour week with a scheduled lunch break and two short rest periods o day. This would give a net of about seven hours on line with 35 hours of active control per week. Where found necessary in high density installations, extra staffing should be provided to permit extro rest time so high productivity could be maintained at o constant and reasonable level of stress. During temporary periods of personnel shortages, the work week could be extended with adequate safety and no damage to the health of the controller, but this should be avoided as much as possible.

3. Acceptable ways of minimizing rapid shift rotation should be devised and adopted after proper trial and evaluation.

4. After taking the above steps to equalize stress and to reduce it too reasonable level, the optimal length of career for a controller could be estimated and retirement provisions adjusted as needed. It is anticipated that management changes could do much to lengthen the productive career of an air traffic controller.

The long-range goals for changes in on air traffic controller personnel system, after proper staffing and modification in coordination with employee groups might well then be adopted as o long-range set of goals to work toward minimizing the stress imposed on the controller and at the some time maximize the efficiency and productivity of the air traffic control system.

Short-range recommendations

Summary 1. The air traffic controller is o psychomotor athlete, possessing on unusually high level of development perceptual motor and decision-making abilities.

2. Like other athletes he is subject to fatigue and cannot maintain his highest level of performance indefinitely.

3. Maximum levels of safe productivity of air traffic control teoms con be achieved by working controllers in relays with optimal work-rest intervals.

1. Top priority action should be token to experiment with bolsterring one or more ultra-high traffic density installations with more experienced top-quality controllers in order to see to what extent this enables them to handle more nearly the volume of traffic possible within the limits established by the hardware of the system.

2. Air traffic controllers should be mode aware of the undesirability of ropid shift rotation in order that they might take advantage of any present opportunities to slow down the pace of rotation.

5

RussianStory Impressions from a visit to the Soviet Union

Introduction

Following on invitotion by V. K. Mishinkin, President of the Soviet C.A.W.U., on IFATCA Delegation visited the Soviet Union from 15th to 25th September, 1968, to study the Russians ATS system.

After o 31/, hour flight with llushin 62, collsign CCCP 86661, IFATCA Presiden Mou rice Cerf, Treosurer Bernhard Ruthy ond Editor Wolter Endlich arrived ot Moscow Sheremetjevo airport. President Mishinkin ond some of his immediate staff hod come out to the airport to welcome the delegation ond - big surprise - waiting with them on the tormoc wos the opporently "omnipresent" Herbert Brandstetter, former Honorary Secretary of IFATCA and now Consultant to SELENIA, one of IFATCA's Corporation Members. Herbert happened to be in Moscow at the time, representing his company at the ltolion industrial exhibition.

V. K. Mishinkin

(left), M. Cerf (centre), B. Riithy (right)

CAWU The Russian ATC staff do not have an Air Troffic Controllers Associotion as such. They ore all members of the Civil Aviotion Workers Union (CAWU), together with pilots, navigotors, stewardesses, meteorologists, mointenonce personnel ond oll the other staff engaged in aviation.

The CA WU hos about 450.000 members, o "Central Committee" ond regional branches. The present Central Committee was elected ot the 1967 CAWU Congress. It consists of 92 members, 17 of which ore Aeroflot pilots.

About one third of the C.C. members ore women.

The Central Committee elects o Boord of 9 Officers (the "Presidium"), i.e. o President, o Secretary ond the Heads of the following seven deportments: The Lomonossov University

Crowd quening at the Red Square to visit the Lenin Mausoleum

6

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Management; Salaries; Professional and technical matters, safety regulations, etc.; Cultural affairs, education, sporting activities; International relations; Social Security; Living accomodation, housing projects.

The emphasis of the program was on a visit of the ATS facilities at Moscow Wnukovo airport, supplemented by trips to Leningrad and to Sachi on the Block Sea, where working sessions with local ATS staff were held.

Quite frequently these working sessions started at breakfast, when the IFATCA delegates were joined by the airport commandant or his deputy, or the chief controller of the ATC facility. Over the evening meal shop talk would still go on.

Between the meetings no time was wasted either. Our Russian hosts had worked out a clever itinerary which, on the way to the various ATS facilities and offices, brought us close to many monuments, places of historical events, museums, etc. Thus we obtained, more or less "en passant" a condensed lecture of Russian history and culture. Highlights of this "spin off" were a visit to the Hermitage at Leningrade and a performance of "Sadko" in the Kremlin Th eater.

Further on in the program were visits to social institu• lions. At Wnukovo, for instance, we saw a camp of the "Young Pioneers", which is supported by the civil eviction workers, at Leningrad we were invited to visit the airport Kindergarten and al the Black Seo, Lubov Kalachova, the Foreign Department Manoger of the "Sochi regional council for the administration of the trade union health resorts" provided the IFATCA delegation with o thorough introduction to this Russian recreation area.

One could write a book about these "side activities" alone, but as we must stay within the terms of reference of the IFATCA magazine, we have to confine our report to Air Traffic Control which wos, in any case, the objective of the study tour.

Strolling

The Bolshoij Theatre

-

The schedule of the tour President Mishinkin, fatherly host to the IFATCA delegation, had prepared a very comprehensive program.

Despite of his many other commitments, he mode it a point personally to accompany his visitors on their study tour whenever this was possible. In these endeavours he was very effectively assisted by the Secretary of the CA WU Presidium, D. I. Tiourine, by Eugenia S. Voitenka, charming Secretary for International Relations, by Andre lvanovitch Plouzhnikov, and by the untiring, multilingual interpreter Valerie.

about the Red Square

7

MOSCOW AREA

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REVISlO 6 JUN 67

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Moscow Area Chert (With kind permission of Jeppesen & Co.)

Moscow Four airports are serving the Moscow area: Sheremetjevo, Wnukovo, Domodjedovo and Bilkova.

Sheremetjevo is mainly used by international flights and by flights ta the Northern part of the USSR. Domadjedovo handles traffic ta the Sautheast and to the East.

Bilkovo is the airport for General Aviation. Smaller type aircraft such as the AN2, AN24~·1Ll4 operate from here.

Wnukovo is the oldest of the Moscow airports. Domestic flights to the Southern holiday resorts, to the Moldavia region and to the Ukraine originate from here. Occasionally there is alsa some traffic to the Northern and Eastern parts of the Soviet Union, and finally, Wnukovo is the gateway for all government delegations.

In the future Wnukovo will probably mainly be used by flights to the Southern holiday resorts. This category of traffic is steadily increasing. Traffic from Wnukovo to Sochi, for instance, has gone up about 25% during the past year.

Currently the daily movements average 400.

Wnukovo is the home of Moscow Approach Control and Moscow Area Control.

8

The Approach Control Area has a diametre of about 200 kms, with no upper limit. It is sub-divided into the Sectors North/West, South, South-East and East.

The Wnukovo CTR extends fram GND to 1200 mfrs. It is of irregular shape, the horizontal dimension varying between abt. 30 and 60 kms.

The jurisdiction of the "ACC" extends to approximately 500-700 kms around Wnukovo, the entire area being subdivided into 9 sectors. Each Sector is accomodated in a separate room. This segregation would reduce the noise level in the operations room we were told. Sector to Sector coordination would, in any case, be effected by telephone, so that there would not be an urgent reason for grouping all Sectors together in one big operations room. In most Sectors the work is shared between an "Upper" and a "Lower" controller. The dividing line between their respective areas of responsibility is at 4,500 m.

Remote R/f and radar stations provide for the coverage of the comparatively large area. Attempting to compare these units with a similar Western facility, one would probably think of a Forward Radar Station. They have direct

Reception at the Office port Commandant

af the Wnukovo

Air-

communication links with the "ACC" and, in addition to monitoring position reports and relaying clearances, they provide radar separation to selected traffic, if so requested by the ACC. The responsibility for the setor, however, if so requested by the ACC. The responsibility for the sector, however, rests with the ACC controller.

Moscow Centre moves an impressive amount of traffic.

About 1800 operations ore controlled per day out of which some 1500 ore arrivals and departures for the 4 Moscow airports, the rest ore overflights.

Unlike their Western Colleagues the Russian Air Traffic Controllers utilise a distance-time graph as a traffic display. It consists of something like a small plotting table of about 50 x 50 ems., across which a bond of paper con be moved.

The reporting points are list.eel.on the horizontal axis of the display, the vertical axis carries the time, in 5-minute intervals. Each movement is represented by a diagonal line along which ore written details of the flightpion. As time passes the controller moves the bond of paper across the plotting table with o thumbwheel.

We hod some doubts os to the suitability of such a display system in o Western European environment with the rather complicated route network and the high percentage of climbing and descending traffic.

In the Soviet Union with its vast distances, however, the system seemed to work quite well. Its application is further facilitated by the fact that all domestic flights in the USSR are bound to operate in accordance with a very strict schedule. Precise flight plans are notified well in advance to the units concerned and a central coordinator assigns an appropriate slot to each flight. The pilot who misses his slot, for instance by not taking off ot the prescribed departure time, might as well cancel his flight until a new slot is assigned to him.

Naturally we were curious how international flights fitted into that system. Ai:;porently these flights do not present any problem. First of all they only constitute a small percentage of the overall traffic. Furthermore, the aviation administration can regulate the approximate arrival and departure times when issuing the diplomatic clearances. Should, however, an international flight ever clash with o domestic operation, our Russian colleagues do not hesitate to delay or even divert the domestic flight.

Radar is heavily used both in Approach and in Area Control. It was interesting to notice that the entire rodor equipment is available in duplicate, from the antenna to the scope.

ACC Sector with distance-time

graph

Distance-time graph, blow-up

Wnukovo Airport Commandant W. Tschernjakov (left) and IFATCA President M. Cerf (right)

9

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The Wnukovo "Flight Pion" with 5-rninule-slots

Separation minima hove been said to be 20 kms "on approach" ond 50 kms "en-route".

The Aircraft approach minima are slightly higher than most of the Western minima. For the pilots with the highest qualifications (Rating I) they ore Turbojet 120 m (400 feet) ceiling 1500 m visibility 1500 m Turboprop 80 m (260 feet)

Central Flight Pion Coordinator

10

Position

Toke-off minimum, for instance for the IL 18, is 700 m RVR, and 1500 m for the TU 104.

Small aircraft are not allowed at Wnukovo, except helicopter toxi operations.

TMA Approach Control Sector; Rodar scope, Communication altitude/level table

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Altitude/level

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Approach Control Operations Room. PAR working positions in the background of the upper right hand picture

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11

Greose penci I traffic patterns on APP scope

PAR control unit

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Operations Room

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Date-time indicator

12

associated with PAR scopes for recording

purposes

Automatic comeros for recording approaches off the PAR scopes

Training The very timely subject of Controller training seems to be given due attention in the Soviet Union.

Our guides told us that the central school for air traffic controllers is somewhere in the Ukraine, but there ore also local training establishments at the larger airports. The Aeroflot training centre at Wnukovo, for instance, provides extensive facilities far the indoctrination of pilots, navigators, radio and radar operators, stewardesses, maintenance personnel and air traffic controllers.

Each classroom is equipped for one particular subject.

There are for instance, individual laboratories for the various types of aircraft engines, ground and airborne radar installations, radio equipment, novoids, aerodynamics meteorology, cabin crew, air traffic control, etc.

We were quite impressed by the extensive use of highquality teaching aids, such as full size turbo engines, assembled and apart or cut into various cross-sections; a whole range of radar sets; a complete cockpit mounted to the outside of the building and connecting through a hole in the wall to one of the training rooms; and on abundance of large-scale, multicolour training posters, flip charts and diagrams.

..

Diagram of Wnukovo movement area

◄

Wnukovo Tower

Wnukovo Tower, parking position indicator

A big simulator room with, inter alia, a TU 104 simulator is also accomodated in the building, which is already getting too small for all the training activities. This is not surprising, for the school has a considerable turnover. In addition to providing basic and advanced training, refresher courses are frequently held at the school. We were told that even the fully qualified pilots must have at least one month refresher training per year; an important subject of this training is the discussion and evaluation of recent aircraft accidents.

Construction work is in progress to provide for additional accomodation.

The ACC training suite is an exact replica of one of the Moscow Sectors. Radar information is live, video-linked from the Wnukovo radar. Training in such on environment is probably very realistic. On the other hand it must be

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far more expensive than radar simulator training, and the operation of the target aircraft requires close coordination with the local ATC units.

Until recently controllers have been selected from former Aeroflot pilots, but ta an increasing extent Controller Cadets ore now recruited from high school graduates. The entry age is between 17 and 24 years. A thorough medical check is compulsory upon entry. The candidates ore mainly selected on the basis of their academic qualifications. Aptitude tests are not used. The ob initio training lasts three years, the greater part of which ore spent ot the central A TC School mentioned above.

This school must hove on extremely good record; our Russian colleagues said there had been only one or two failures among the 300 students who hove been trained recently.

After completion of the theoretical training, the future controllers are assigned to field units for on-the-job training. OJT successfully completed, controllers ore issued a licence which entitles them to exercise their task. All controllers are employed by Aeroflot. During their training they ore for o certain time assigned to o flight crew and must extensively fly throughout the region within which they ore expected to work after their training.

Lecture room "Turbo Engines"

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Lecture room "Radionavigation"

TU 104 Simulator

14

TU 104 Simulator;

flight recorder with chart of Moscow area

In order to maintain the knowledge thus gained on the flight deck rated controllers are required to make frequent route experience flights.

Every two years each controller must go back to the school for about three weeks refresher training.

Controller status and working conditions In the Soviet Union Air Traffic Controllers enjoy a considerable status. When we asked for o standard of comparison it was sugested to compare a controller with a well-experienced electronics engineer holding a university degree.

This recognition is reflected in the controller's salary, which was said to be about 30-40% higher than that of a doctor or o high school teacher.

The average controller wages ore outlined below.

Lecture room "Communications"

High density facility

Medium density facility

Controller First Class

160 Rubels

140 Rubels

Controller Second Closs

150 Rubels

130 Rubels

Controller Third Closs

140 Rubels

120 Rubels

In addition to their basic salary, Soviet controllers are entitled to certain allowances.

40% of the basic salary may be granted as on additional bonus if o controller hos not been involved in any accident or incident. A 13th month' salary may also be paid.

At Moscow and Leningrad controllers obtain a 100/o facility bonus.

In the Eastern USSR an allowance of 50-100% of the basic salary is granted because of the difficult working conditions.

Fringe benefits include free flights with Aeroflot and very reasonable roles at the CAWU sanoloria in the Southern holiday resorts.

Although o controller's salary compares handsomely whit that earned in many other professions in the Soviet Union, applying Western standards he will still find it difficult to make ends meet.

To obtain on impession of what o controller can buy for his salary, we were given the following approximate prices for food and other necessaries of life. kg butter kg bread kg meat kg potatoes dress coot car (Wolga}

-

In the Moscow area controllers ore usually working three shifts from 14.30-22.00, from 08.00-14.30 and from 22.00-08.00, followed by o rest period of 56 hours. During the shifts breaks of 20 to 30 minutes ore granted every 1½ hours.

Controllers ore entitled to at least 24 days annual leave; in the Eastern and Northeastern regions this is increased to 30-36 days per year.

Except for young staff who have just completed their ATC training controllers may choose the facility at which they would like to work. Young controllers must serve three years at the unit to which they are assigned before they are permitted to transfer.

The earliest retirement age for controllers is 55 years, provided they ore working with radar. A controller can, of course, be compulsory retired al an earlier age for medical reasons. Staff not medically fit for air traffic control work may be assigned administrative tasks.

A controller's pension depends upon the number of years in service. Maximum is 600/oof the lost salary plus up to 100/ofor specific professional qualifications.

Aeroflot crew hostels Air Traffic Controllers are also entitled to use the recreation facilities established at all Russian airports for Aeroflot pilots.

I

31/, Rubels 14 to 16 Copecks 2 to 3½ Rubels 10 Copecks 50-100 Rubels 100-150 Rubels 5000-6000 Rubels (?}

The rates for gas, water, electricity and rent appear to be rather low.

The rent is colcu loted on the basis of 13 Co pecks per square meter.

Living accomodation is still a bottleneck. The "plan" foresees 9 m2 per person. Standard apartments for a family of three or four persons are now constructed in large numbers. The surface area of these apartments is 30 square metres and the rent approximately 420 Copecks.

Lecture room "Air Traffic Control"

15

-·

Reception ot the Leningrod stotion. ground

"Krosnoja

At Wnukovo we were invited to visit one of these recreation centres. It is a mixture between hotel and sanatorium, managed by a woman doctor. The Wnukovo hostel has sleeping accomodation for 450 people, gymnastics hall, library and reading room, billard, hobby shop, etc.

All Aeroflot crews away from base live in these crew hostels and even the local flying pilots have to check in before they depart on a flight.

There are usually 4 to 5 beds in one room to accomodate one flight crew; a special wing of the building is reserved for the stewardesses.

This is a very healthy environment. No alcohol, no smoking, and before each flight all crew members hove to take a thorough medical check.

Crew members ore not permitted to fly if they did not hove at least 8 hours sleep within a reasonable period of time before the flight.

Another interesting feature: duty rosters ore prepared so as to allow pilots to alternate between destinations in the North and in the South of the Soviet Union.

Strelo" train in the back-

Leningrad

Leningrad, monument of Peter the Great

Leningrad, view from the modern "Sovietskojo"

16

hotel

There is a saying that a visit to Russia is not complete without a ride on the "Krosnojo Strela".

The journey from Moscow to Leningrad in this fast and comfortable train is, indeed, very pleasant. Frillies, thick upholstery and the humming of the Samovar create a cozy atmosphere.

We boarded the "Red Arrow" at midnight and some seven and half hour later we arrived at Leningrad, on a beautiful, crisp and sunny morning.

There is, alas, not enough space in the context of this article to describe the beauty of this city on the Neva, to which we were so expertly introduced by our kind hosts.

Leningrad is the second busiest airport in the Soviet Union. The last count indicated 1.6 million passengers per year, transit passengers not included.

100 controllers in four shift are moving about 220-250 flights per day; the rush hours are between 08.00-10.00, 15.00-18.00 and 22.00-23.00, during which approach intervals ore two to three minutes. Two IFR runways are available.

Leningrad connects to all big cities in the Soviet Union.

To Moscow alone there are 15 flights per day. About half that number are doily shuttling between Leningrad and Sochi.

The international quota of traffic is steadily increasing.

Leningrad has regular services to Amsterdam, Landon, East Berlin, Prague, Warshaw, Helsinki, Stockholm and Copenhagen.

In addition to the normal passenger flights, a number of special flying activities originate from Leningrad, for instance geodetic surveys, fishing survey and fish transport, agricultural flights and helicopter operations. The integration of these movements into the normal traffic does not cause any difficulties. Anyhow, air traffic control is not the bottleneck in Leningrad, but the limited capacity of the terminal building. A new building is now under construction. By 1975 the airport authorities expect 20 million passengers per year.

Unfortunately, we did not have a possibility to visit the ATC facilities at Leningrad. Our hosts assured us that they would be almost identical to the installations at Mos-

Smolnij Palace, the Headquarters

Leningrad Chief Controller

L. V. Rossochine explaining

of the Revolution

the ATS system

cow. It would hove been interesting though. Allegedly experiments are now in progress to study the application of automatic data processing techniques in ATC, in accordance with a directive by the government.

Bernhard Ruthy asked whether Leningrad airport has encountered any problems of snow removal. This seems, indeed to be the case. The system being used most effectively is to blow hot air on the runway with obsolete turbine engines which ore mounted on trucks. Experiments with chemical treatment of the runways look very promising. As to the many smaller aerodromes in the area, these ore not cleared from snow in the winter. The small

Briefing session of Leningrad airport

aircraft serving them ore equipped with wheels and skis and con land almost anywhere.

Sochi 5° at Leningrad, 30° C - CAVU at Sochi, distonce in between about 2100 kms. The llushin 18 CCCP No. 75859 hos brought us safely from the Gulf of Finland to the Black Sea. Enroute we sow many aircraft. Indeed, Leningrad Moscow - Sochi seems to be the doily milkrun. Incidentally, one of the aircraft we sow, I guess it was an AN 12, was probably on a VMC restriction, or else there must have been something wrong with the distance-time graph.

Sochi-Adler airport is located very close to the seaside.

A few miles inland commence the caucasian foothills.

When we approached the wind was from the sea, we had to come in from the land. That was quite in experience.

One cannot say that the IL 18 is a small aircraft, but the skill with which the pilot manoeuvred her across the ridges almost mode one think so. Thermical turbulence didn't make things easier for the crew.

Naturally, one of the first questions we asked the commandant of Adler airport was related to the IFR approach procedures. In IMC approaches con only be made from the sea. Does this imply that the aircraft must land down wind? Fortunately, weather situations which would require this ore relatively seldom.

The problem will soon be solved anyway, because a new runway is being built. This will not only facilitate the approach in general but will also enable the big jets to land at Sochi-Adler airport ..

Sochi traffic is highly seasonal, at the time of our visit the peak was about 250 movements a day.

...,

...;

Sochi-Adler airport

17

60 Controllers ore providing control service.

approach and aerodrome

There is no ILS at Sochi, but the corner reflectors along the runway seem to indicate that PAR is available. Judging from the antenna installations on a small hill near the airport, the Sochi controllers must also have a medium/long range and a short range radar at their disposal.

Sochi is the most popular Soviet balneological and climatological health resort. The city of Sochi, located about 35 kms NM of Adler airport, is the administrotive center of a creation area called "Greater Sochi", which extends some 145 kms. along the coast of the Black Sea. The various holiday resorts along the coast are linked by train and by a dense helicopter service.

The Foreign Department Manager of the "Sochi regional cyouncil for the administration of the trade union health resorts" is an attractive lady, Lubov Alexejevna Kalatchova.

The sanatorium of the Metallurgists

al Sochi

Lubov Kalatchova was a charming host and knowledgeable guide to the IFATCA delegation. During visits to the various centers of activity in the "Greater Sochi area", she gave us a comprehensive briefing on the management of this huge project.

Most of the unions have their own Sanatorium at Sochi, and when the workers go down there on their annual holidays, it is not for "living it up" but in order to recharge the batteries. Hence one would probably look in vain for alcoholic beverages in the sanatoria. Instead, The "holiday package" includes comprehensive medical treatment, comprising climatological methods, seawater baths, physiotheraphy and regular visits to the Matsesta springs near Sochi, which contain a high level of free hydrogen sulphide, a variety of mineral salts, dissolved Methane and Nitrogene.

The "Regional Council" is very interested in attracting foreign tourists at Sochi. There are already INTOURIST facilities and a number of big hotels, one of them with 2000 beds, are presently being built for the specific purpose of accomodating international visitors.

A good-bye toast of the Sochi staff

Some 120. kms. South east of Sochi, at Cap Pidzuna, a completely new complex with seven big hotels and various peripheral facilities has been built in a beautiful forest of pine trees right by the seaside. Cop Pidzuna is also open for foreign visitors. It occured to me that it was not so much "health orientated" as Sochi. Perhaps this is one of the reasons for meeting a far greater number of young people at Pidzuna than at Sochi. They obviously did not yet need the Sochi "Sanatorium Package".

Conclusion

Holiday

18

resort at Cop Pidzuno near Gogro, Georgia

The visit of the USSR by the IFATCA delegation was undoubtedly most interesting, particularly in view of the fact that until now the Soviet Union has been something like a "white spot" on our ATC map. Not only did this study tour enable us to learn something about the ATS system in Russia, it was also a catalyst for establishing friendly contacts with Soviet controllers and to obtain a first hand impression of their working and living conditions. Moreover, apart of any professional aspects, the personal confrontation with this vast country, which constitutes one of the greatest powers of the world, is an experience no visitor of the Soviet Union will ever forget.

BREH

Falconry in the Air Command of the Royal Navy

By Lieutenant Commander D. D. Fairweather, Royal Navy

Before March 1966 the average number of birds that could be counted ot any time of the day on the airfield at the RN Air Station Lossiemouth was about 650 and bird strikes by aircraft occurred ot the rote of one every two weeks. Six months later the average count hod reduced ta 10 but of greater significance was the fact that daylight bird strikes in the vicinity of the airfield were reduced to nil. The reason - the Peregrine Falcon.

In Morch 1966 o trial was started in the Air Command of the Royal Novy in which Falcons were used to scare

Fig. 2 The "problem engine•.

birds off the airfield. Previous attempts to score birds from the duty runway, its approaches and overshoots using acoustic devices were at first found to be effective but the birds gradually became accustomed to these devices and latterly were observed to be sitting on the loudspeakers evidently deriving some masochistic experience by listening to the alarm coll. It was therefore necessary to find other means of scaring the birds. It was for this reason that Folonry was introduced.

The problem of birds on airfields within the Naval Air Command was found to be worst ot lossiemouth because of its proximity to the Moray Firth fishing grounds. As the town of Lossiemouth itself is centred around the harbour and the main industry is fishing, the types of birds which settle on the airfield are seobirds, mostly Gulls and some of these, notably the Black Bock Gull, are very large, weighing as much as 5 lbs (2.27 kgs) with o wingspan of 4 feet (1.22 m).

It was with some reservation that Falconry was considered as a possible method of scaring off these large birds, for o Falcon weighs on overage just under 2 lbs (0.91 kilograms) with a wingspan of about 26" (0.66 m).

However, doubts were quickly dispelled when the first kills were achieved. The Peregrine unhesitatingly attacked and knocked down birds more than twice its weight.

At the end of a six month trial period the records showed fewer than 10 birds counted on the airfield and no bird strikes in daylight by aircraft, this situation remains unaltered.

The Peregrine Falcon, and the female of the species ot that!, is one of the few birds which hos the tenacity to attack these large Gulls, and as can perhaps be appreciated, it is not simply a matter of flying one Falcon for bird scaring duties, nor for that matter is it simply o case of detailing off someone who con be spared from his other duties to look after the bird.

Four Petty Officers hove been trained as Falconers and they ore assisted by four Naval Airmen. Two Petty Officers and two Naval Airmen are drafted to lossiemouth for a two year period of duty as Falconers and Assistants whilst the others employed ot sea in their primary trades, main19

toining and handling aircraft. They then change over at the end of two years.

A Mews hos been built at Lossiemouth capable of accommodating up to eight birds. Six to eight is the ideal number to have on the strength and the Falconers and their Assistants are responsible for the core of the birds, the upkeep of the Mews and the manufacture of falconry gear (bells, hoods etc.).

The weight of each falcon is recorded daily and it's behaviour noted. From these observations it hos been found that whenever a falcon is below it's optimum weight and is in the process of gaining weight, it will make a kill on or near to the day on which it's weight again reaches the optimum.

Other factors in the falcons behaviour hove to be taken into account; for example it cannot be flown effectively when it is in moult and so it is necessary to keep o sufficient stock to ensure that several sorties con be flown throughout the day by "operational" birds. It goes without saying perhaps that a falcon is not interested in killing when it hos j us! fed.

There ore several days in the year when conditions ore unsuitable for flying falcons, for example in gale force winds. On these occasions shell crackers (shot gun cartridges with a double explosive charge but no shot) ore fired at irregular intervals in the vicinity of the duty runway. In addition, carbide charges ore placed around the airfield and these too go off at irregular intervals. The overall effect is to dissuade birds from settling in the vicinity of the runways, approaches and overshoots.

Two problems remain unsolved; firstly, how to score birds at night when the falcons cannot be flown and secondly, how to maintain the stock of falcons at the required numbers. From time to time falcons ore lost, fortunately not often, but replacement is difficult.

Fig. 4 Two solutions to the problem.

Fig. 5 The mews.

Fig. 3 The "problem oirfrome·.

20

The falcons at present in the Mews hove been purchased, for about £ 60 each, from places as far apart as the Truciol Oman and Tripoli. The search for a fresh source is constant and any assistance in this matter would be greatly appreciated by the Commanding Officer, RN Air Station, Lossiemouth Moroyshire, Scotland.

A sum of £ 500 is allocated annually to cover the purchase of new birds, veterinary fees, the upkeep of the mews etc. This sum does not of course include the wages of the Falconers, but even if the wages of the Falconers were included, it would be o small price to pay for the saving which hos been effected in damage to aircraft, which, before the introduction of falcons, was reckoned to be several hundreds of thousands of pounds per year.

There hos been some criticism of employing falcons to kill other birds but the answer to this must be that it is natural, death is quick compared to the suffering of some birds which hove been winged by aircraft and die slowly, probably in pain and finally it is now merely sufficient to fly the falcons regularly, with on occasional kill, in order to keep the airfield clear of birds. In the lost analysis the falcons may hove been responsible for saving human life.

This cannot be proven, fortunately, but one thing is certain, falcons hove mode a valuable contribution to accident prevention in the Air Command of the Royal Novy.

Automatic En-route ATC Displays*

By T. H. Harrison During the last 20 years, in spite of the large increase in cruising speeds, cruising levels, rates of climb and descent, and traffic density, there has been very little change in the methods of displaying essential information to an oir traffic controller.

He must have a display which is accurate and synchronous relative to the traffic situation in the airspace for which he is responsible. In general, the world's air traffic is still basically controlled using a manual system, although this is occasionally supplemented by dynamic displays e. g., plan position raw radar tubes, plan position secondary radar tubes and secondary radar for identification purposes.

The nucleus of the manual display is a strip of paper showing essential details of a particular flight, usually relative to a particular reporting point. This flight progress strip (Fig. 1) can be inser·ted in a strip holder which in turn can be located in a flight progress board (Fig. 2).

The strips can be stacked on the progress board in flight level, chronologically or geographically according to the demands of the particular sector. Such a display is updated by the controller based on information received from airfields, other sectors, radar and aircraft R/T reports.

Quite obviously in a busy sector a controller spends a lot of his time merely keeping his display up to date, thereby giving him less time to assess the display, give executive instructions, and ensure the separation of aircraft.

However, so long as the controller's lines of communication are maintained this system cannot break down due to a systems fault, always assuming he has an adequate supply of pencils or ball point pens. It is probably this advantage that is responsible for the perpetuation of the manual system coupled to the generally high reliability factor of the human computer resolving fairly quickly all the problems posed by any traffic situation.

Fig. 1 (top right) Bay with stripholders on a flight progress board.

Fig. 2 (right) Flight progress

•

board.

Reprinted from "World Aerospace Systems•, with kind permission of the Editor.

21

Probably the best known outomotic display ovoiloble today is the simple raw radar plan position indicator which shows the horizontal progress of air traffic picked up by the system's aerials. However there is no continuous automatic identification of aircraft, nor is there information on the height of the aircraft on the bulk of disploys of this type in current use.

Mony controllers will hove to wait o long time before their radar displays hove electronic information displays available on the face of the PPI. Obviously this type of display is subject to interference from electronic sources, weather and permanent echoes, apart from the total blackout possibility due to a systems failure. In such circumstances there is no inherent failsafe facility, nevertheless future planning appears to cling to the idea that the development of an automatic display for domestic airspace should continue to be based on a radar PPI. But without detracting the tremendous importance of radar I believe the use of it for enroute purposes to be fallacious os a basis for an outomatic display except in a limited role. Rodar should be used for monitoring purposes and the resolution of plan position problems within its capability in this context. The radar controller's function is executive in character and should remain so. Any attempt to load him with the full planning responsibility for a sector must ultimately foil because information is presented to him in plan position only; any other "coll down" information or updating of an adjacent flight progress strip is a nuisance generally and distracts from the prime task.

This is particularly the case during peak traffic periods when the radar controller must concentrate on the tactical situation which can only be solved by climbs, descents or radar vectoring in o space of ten or twenty minutes.

There are, however, high density traffic sectors beyond the range of any known radar - for instance, the North Atlantic, which, from a display aspect, is the main theme of this paper.

However the system proposed is easily applied to domestic en-route control displays as will be seen. The "Block Box" is opened at lost and controllers ore offered some hope that the actual display they might be looking at in the future con at least be described, and that their acceptance and transition to the new system will cause them little disturbance.

metal but the noise generated during busy periods by the clatter as holders were changed in their positions or discorded into the "dead" bin ultimately become too great for everyone's nerves, so the change to something quieter was mode.

But if now we return to the metol rail, retain the "quieter" plastic strip holder and make the part of it which touches the roil into on electrode it becomes possible to pass electric current or impulses into the strip. It can be arranged, of course, to hove more conductors and more electrodes if necessary depending upon the requirements or complications of conveying movement information to the strip to activate some form of indicator.

Experiments have proved this possible and make it obvious that impulses from airborne navigational aids could be data linked to the ground, "gear boxed" through a computer and fed directly into the display. With present day miniaturisation techniques it should not be difficult to stow away the necessary circuitry within the body of the strip holder whatever the size, oceanic or domestic.

As was said earlier in this article strips can be stacked on the progress board in flight level, chronologically or geographically according to the demands of the particular sector; from which it becomes logical to use the physical length of the strip holder to represent longitudinal movement of an aircraft over short stages (say 20-200 nm) or an oceanic crossing of more than 3,000 nm. The former could be accomplished in the present domestic strip holder which is eight inches long and the latter fifteen inches.

Aire.raft

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Display Priorities Inevitably, when considering an ATC display concept, the constriction of the four basic parameters - height, length, breadth and time - becomes apparent and generally a decision has to be made as to which one will hove to be discarded.

Since the environment we are concerned with is air routes and well defined tracks it is possible to present the controller with o "side elevation" display which con show dynamically all four dimensions at once. There is no better way to do this than to adopt the existing flight progress strip - in itself already a "side elevation" display - into an automated form acceptable to the controller. He is vitally concerned about the progress of the flights under his control and wants to continuously compare them when making decisions.

In Fig. 1 it can be seen that the strip holder runs up and down its own "boy" on plastic or wooden rails. At one time both the strip holder and the rails were made of

22

Computer

Rodor

A TC OISPLl,Y

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Figure 3 Block diagram

of electronic

Controller

self-indicating

Ancillory lnformot1on

strip display system.

Fig. 4 shows o simple indicator which con move along the entire length of on oceanic strip holder. An oceanic type strip is shown in the holder but a different design of strip with miles or some other longitudinal graduations will be required for this kind of display in future.

Recapitulating so far it con be seen that the possibility of feeding pulses or current into o self indicating strip will enhance the acceptance of telemetered information from aircraft in flight and that it will be necessary to use o computer as a conversion unit for this purpose.

Fig. 3 illustrates the resulting very simple block diagram. In a non-radar environment such as the North Atlantic air derived information via a digital data link con be used as the principal updating source for an ATC computer and o dynamic display. Communication satellites will also be of considerable use in relaying the progress of aircraft back to the display when they become available.

Briefly the computer is required:

Modifying Strips These ore just three of the moin requirements; there ore however many more aspects to be covered from a control point of view and these will be referred to later, but some consideration will now be given to some of the ways in which strips con be modified so that collectively they become an automatic display system.

After the pointer indicator method it is possible to arrange in a second system for the underside of the strip to be marked in such a way that it will show the longitudinal position of on aircraft through to the front of the paper strip. This can be done by heating a moving pointer underneath the strip at the some time permitting the controller to write on it as usual. The paper will require to be sensitive to light, warmth or heot. The technique is already used in copying machines so it is not expected that the paper strip will burst into flames! See Fig. 5.

a) to convert the received telemetered data into the energy necessary to take the indicator across the stripholder and provide extensions of aircraft tracks at will for comparison purposes; b) to provide any required coded channels of information to match strip-holders precoded to accept such information; c) to permit the introduction of new strip-holders into the system or the repositioning of those already in use; when strips ore moved about for any reason and are not therefore in contact with the board the computer will update the indicator automatically when any stripholder is replaced.

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A third but similar method could be copied from the Decca Flight Log system and varied slightly to provide o dot underneath the strip which again will show the longitudinal position of on aircraft through to the front of the strip. Here it will be necessary to use on absorbent type paper for the strip. Fig. 6 shows the kind of thing in mind.

It should be noted that both the lost two methods lend themselves to the display of cross track error as shown in Fig. 7. The degree of cross track error could be assessed by the displacement of the aircraft track from the centre line e. g. 1/a in. would equal 30 nm, 1/, in. 60 nm out to a maximum of 120 nm.

55

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Fig, 4 Simple indicator

Fig. 5

which would contoin electronic

pockoge in proposed system.

Heot sensitised poper strip for use with moving stylus on underside.

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---Fig. 6 Absorbent poper strip for olternotive

Fig. 7 Coupling

use with Decco flight log type dot indicotion.

methods to disploy cross trock error.

23

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Fig. 8 Altitude presentation - digital counter linked by telemetry to the aircraft's altimeter - with room on strip for pencil-written record.

However in the present oceanic track system the need to display lateral errors seems rather remote as the onus is upon the pilot to regain the ossigned track as soon as possible, but in any case not later that l 00 nm from the position at which the heading was altered to regain track.

Nevertheless when ATC hos the appropriate tools, and aircraft hove the requisite navigational and communication ability, the tactical form of control may well come into its own.

For the ocean the proposal affords a long range radar aspect when aligned to on accurate navigational aid, whilst on the domestic control scene we would hove compatible procedural and radar displays which would greatly assist controllers to handle the traffic of the future.

Progressing to a fourth suggestion a simple Perspex aperture one quarter of an inch deep can be fixed to the top of the present day stripholder. This aperture could be backed by a cathode ray tube which is behind the strips and, by means of coding at the end of them, the back-up equipment knows the identity and position of each strip on the board and can direct the information on the CRT representing the position of the aircraft and data to correspond with the appropriate strip.

The strips con thus be used in conventional manner with the electronic display information following the strips as they are moved from one part of the board to the other.

This suggestion comes from industry and is therefore viable, but there may be daylight viewing and cross track indication problems to be solved.

The fifth, and last, system to be suggested for the moment is a type of equipment frequently used in industry and consists of an electrochemical elapse time indicator which would expand on the application of direct current.

This, of course, is almost the simplest form of function that one could wish for. All that is required is the mounting of the electrochemical indicator as in the previous suggestion, and the display then shows the progression of an aircraft by the position of the electrolyte gap.

The arrangement is similar to the tube and bubble of a spirit level. The provision of the necessary direct current is a simple matter and the variation of the current can be controlled by the computer to cause the "bubble" to move along in unison with the data link information.

So much then for some of the ways in which the longitudinal side presentation method can be effected on a display. There are many others, no doubt, which can be built onto the basis system of bringing the progress of on aircraft to the controller's display, be it oceanic proce-

24

dural, or domestic procedural, with radar, secondary radar and/or navigational information data link to the ground.

These thumbnail sketches of a selection of automatic display systems would not be complete without examining some of the possible ways of showing altitude, and altitude changes to the controller. The first one is a small motor-car type mileomet presentation linked by telemetry to the aneroid capsule, or radio-altimeter, of an aircraft.

Fig. 8 illustrates the kind of display required.

It is necessary to have the surrounding flight progress strip cut away as shown to allow the numbers to be seen, but there is still plenty of room to record altitude changes in pencil if necessary. Generally speaking the flight progress strip will require several changes in design, but this aspect of the system is comparatively straightforward and need not be discussed now.

The next type of altitude indicator could be arranged by grouping three pygmie neon type numeric valves together similar to the illustration shown in Fig. 8 activated as before by telemetry. If the progression indicator is of the electro-chemical kind it now becomes possible to alert the controller by visual means and show whether an aircraft is climbing or descending by changing the colour of the indicator in addition to the altitude numbers.

Assuming level flight to be coloured blue it could be arranged that the colour changed to red when the aircraft was climbing, and green when descending. A tolerance factor of say, 300 feet, would hove to be provided in the computer to allow for small vertical changes in the aircraft's flight to obviate unnecessary colour, or number, changes. Colour comparison can therefore be used to direct a controller's attention to just those areas of his display where changing levels need ·to be watched thereby reducing the amount of scanning normally required.

Benefits The foregoing gives an outline of a proposal for an automatic enroute air traffic control display with some variations in the method of presentation. However there is still plenty of room for further invention to improve the function and display elements. To date a successful feasibility study has been completed and the next step is a design study to prepare for limited operational trials with suitably equipped aircraft. Some of the benefits to be derived from the system I have described above are as follows: l.

The continuous presentation of the longitudinal progress of on aircraft to the controller will, once he gains confidence in the system, reduce the amount of writing and scanning he needs to do now.

2. In due course of time it will be accepted as normal that it is unnecessary for an aircraft to make a position report in a system employing telemetered information to the ground from the navigational devices in the aircraft. In the domestic environment the need to splash secondary radar responses on a radar P.P.l. will give way to the American Beacon Alpha Numerics (BAN) system which could derive its information from the computer output of the proposed automatic display.

3. The controller's capability to visually assess the position of aircraft along a track will greatly reduce the problems associated with reclearances.

4. In the event of display system failure the procedural

system is immediately available in front of the con• troll er.

5. If the telemetry system is working satisfactorily then "overdue" aircraft on the North Atlantic, i. e., those who foil to report their position within a specified time, will become a thing of the past.

6. In the rare event that an aircraft requires to "ditch" for any reason an accurate position report based upon the last automatic transmission could be printed out by the computer and used by rescue craft and aircraft to home onto.

7. The system lends itself to the addition of simple longitudinal position prediction of aircraft in flight by the computer, which in turn will be· of considerable assistance in reclearing aircraft to other tracks and flight levels.

8. The control problems ot present ossocioted with supersonic aircraft, which accentuate the need for lateral and longitudinal display rather than vertical, are readily accommodated. On the other hand the· system provides for the telemetering of altitude information directly onto the display which would enable a controller to segregate also in altitude. This might be considered acceptable when height information is derived from radio altimeters operating over water.

9. The presentation of the display to controllers should not pose any great transition difficulties as it is based on the present strip system, but in any case there is a team of controllers ready to demonstrate it when necessary.

I 0. In its domestic and oceanic role the new display is compatible with radar and with oil forms of navigo· tionol aids, but I am in favour of an area navigation aid for this purpose to ensure that oil aircraft con be shown occurotely in relation lo one another.

11. The oceanic display strip could be made two or three inches longer to show the progress of aircraft through the domestic areas, from which it should be possible to derive a much better Boundary estimote than we have today. The computer can do this automatically of course. Alternatively the strip could remain the same size, but for oceanic planning purposes a greater portion of the strip could be allocated to the domestic sector tracking indication leaving sufficient room to show an aircroft out to, say, 20 W. 12. The display can readily be used separately for syn· thetic or live training purposes.

13. The display strip will give early warning that an aircraft is airborne whilst it is in the suspense bay, pro· vided the bay is linked to the system and the aircraft is within telemetering range.

14. The display can be viewed in daylight.

15. The altitude presentation arrangements on the strif; will be of inestimable value in preventing, inter ol.ia, aircraft flying at the wrong level unknown to Air Traffic Control.

16. The interchange of strips to anywhere on the display board is the same as now. If for any reason it is neces• sary to take a strip out of the system for any time it can always be immediately updated by replacing it.

17. Modern miniaturisation techniques should make it possible to manufacture a reliable system with rugged components, particularly the stripholder.

18. There is no need to "call down" any other informa-

lion, it can all be contained on the strip- and radar PPI with BANs in the domestic system.

19. In its oceanic role the system if used with one type of navigational aid for all aircraft, preferably an area coverage aid, will provide a quasi long range radar facility for the controller, and in any case assist materially in the search for a method to reduce separation standards in the North Atlantic and domestic areas.

20. The computer could provide a print out of a whole day's traffic, domestic or oceanic, thereby drastically reducing clerical effort. The evaluation of any required statistics could be accomplished automatically daily with the necessary programming. The strip itself, depending on the type of display chosen from those suggested above, would be a record of the aircraft's flight path in time and position.

21. Navigation is retained, as it should be, on the flight deck.

22. Only information required, or for planning purposes, need be displayed.

23. In domestic areas the system amalgamates digital data link with radar information and provides a "foil safe" back-up strip system in the event of failure by one or both.

24. The coding self-identification of aircraft will make a contribution to safety at least by resolving the pro• blem of similar call signs and trip numbers.

25. The system will expedite the introduction of auto• matic signalling of air traffic control instructions and overcome controllers' objections to routine messages being handled this way, because they will be able to see what the pilot is doing. Nevertheless R/T should be retained for other purposes but its use should be reduced to a minimum.

26. Groundspeed con be displayed similarly to altitude if necessary.

27. The employment of a computer will make it possible to improve control safety by writing in a program interlock which ensures that clearances operate without confliction in accordance with the current separa• lion standards, now or in the future.

28. The proposals ore compatible with existing world enroute systems and future plans so for as they have been publicised.

29. The price range of Centre Equipments should be within most national budgets throughout the World where enroute problems exist.

30. Operating companies will in future no longer require to know from the control or communicating agency the whereabouts of their aircraft if they flt the receiver element of the system. This can be done by direct on line working from the nearest Centre or by means of their own data link installation. Indeed such an installation could be adapted and used to actuate the Scheduled Arrival Board at Airport Terminals to show the public the progress of aircraft with on up to date E.T.A. 31. Air traffic will still be controlled by a human being who, in turn, will be served by the latest computer and electronic techniques which provide him with more thinking time to do the job in a quieter mental environment. The controller's copacity to handle more traffic thereby becomes dramatically enhanced and on increase of twice today's figure may be possible.

25

New Radar System for Austria by. H. Brandstetter Selenia S.p.A. Rome, Italy

Introduction

Digital Display System

The ATC radar program of the Austrian Federal Office of the Air ranges probably among the most advanced in Europe. The aviation development plan, which was introduced some years ago, is still in progress and a new order of magnitude has recently been added to the program through the incorporation of two additional Selenia radars and display systems.

The contract for the two ATCR-2s, associate Radar Links and a complete Digital Display System was placed in late 1966. Radars and links were delivered in 1968. Meanwhile work progresses on the automatic system.

Like in many other ATC environments, increasing the number of sectors or working positions did not provide a solution to the ever increasing traffic over Austria. Progressive automation of Air Traffic Control was considered to be necessary for meeting the rapidly increasing demands on the system.

The efforts taken in expanding the Austrian ATS System are outlined below.

In radar data processing systems, there is frequently o requirement for presenting row radar together with other information generated by computers or introduced manually by the controller. This information is generally in the form of symbols or alpha-numerics which are superimposed on the display at defined positions relative to the row radar data.

Selenia Automated Air Traffic Control Display Systems comprise digital computers, display central units, radar extractors and digital displays. Some of the displays may be used to present synthetic data only. Since the renewal rate for the synthetic data can be set above the eye-flickerrote (above 20 per second without special persistence phosphors), off-centering or change of range scale without

En-Route and Terminal Surveillance Radar The "position acquistion back-bone" of the Austrian Air Traffic Control System ore two Selenia high-powered L-band ATCR-2 radars, which include such advanced features as switchoble circular or linear polarization, extra high lobe antenna, dual canceller MTI, diversity operation, and built-in performance monitor. The ATCR-2 is designed for both en-route and terminal control.

Instead of using one radar for terminal approach and terminal departure control, and a second radar for enroute control, one ATCR-2 con thus be used for both purposes.

Both the "Buschberg" and "Kohlberg" stations hove an average PRF of 400 pps; thus allowing a maximum display data range of over 170 nautical miles, which is adequate for any present en-route considerations.

The radar con operate in single-channel {for maintenance purposes), or dual-diversity operation; in the latter cose both channels radiate simultaneously at slightly different frequencies into the same antenna. Hence the number of pulses per target is doubled and target fluctuations are less pronounced. The improvement in overall coverage is about 33 per cent, at 80 per cent probability of detection, thus allowing detection of even small targets at the maximum displayable range.

26

Buschberg (Austria) en-route and terminal surveillance radar. A radome is recommended where winds of more than 80 knots or severe icing are expected.

smearing is still possible whenever desired by the operator.

The synthetic dato thus appears continuous and the display con be used in normal ambient room lighting. Use of this type of "bright display" reduces operator stress.

The Civil Aviation Authorities in Austria hove chosen the Selenio SPD-1 Digital System which hos been designed for complex ATC centers where information from many external sources such as search radars, secondary radars, ADF and video mappers, or in the later expansion also digital computers, hos to be presented in a suitable manner to the air traffic controller.

The SPD-1 System consists of completely microminiaturized digital equipment. The digital design concept provides a higher quality of performance when compared with conventional display systems, giving at the same time the benefit of improved equipment reliability and simplified maintenance.

The 16-inch ID 16 indicators provide on interlaced display of raw and synthetic information. Time shoring between radar and synthetic display is performed in on asynchronous way with respect to radar trigger, to ovoid systematic loss of radar data, and the technique used for radar synthetic switching allows the loss of radar information to be reduced to a minimum, since the loss for each display is limited to the time required for writing the symbols selected by he operator.

The raw display is made up of any combination of the following: one of five radar videos, range marks, angular marks, one of two video mappers, SSR video and MTI video; MTI video may be displayed simultaneously with normal video by dividing the complete range in two concentric regions continously adjustable from O to 320 nautical miles. Six range scales are available and on each range scale off-centering up to the full radius con be obtained. Offcentering is controlled by the track-boll.

The synthetic display is composed of marks and lines, console cursor, and range strobe. Marks con be one of 12 different symbols representing interconsole markers, track-boll marker and reference point symbols. The lines, displayed in scale, ore two types: extension lines and ADF lines.

Each ADF line is generated according to the signals received from eight OF-stations, originating from display points corresponding to the geographical coordinates of the stations. Both extension and DF lines are transmitted to all indicators, their display being individually controlled at each operator's console.

Such lines ore presented even if the origin is outside of the display area. Azimuth position of the electronic cursor and range strobe along the cursor ore controlled by means of two rollers. The origin of the cursor con be moved to any point of the screen by means of the track-boll which controls the movement along the x and y coordinates. A change of the range scale of the radar presentation will automatically affect the cursor origin setting in such a way as to maintain its geographical position.

A feature is provided for the integration of SSR equipment. Active interrogation con be performed by positioning the track-boll marker on the selected target and pressing the SSR button. When the x, y sweep coordinates correspond to the track-boll coordinates a trigger is sent to the SSR equipment.

Each position con generate an interconsole marker which is a different symbol for each console and send it to any other display position. The marker is controlled by

ATC rodor console with 1D-16 display unit, SSR panel, olphonumeric boards, tracker-boll, VHF/UHF R/T, ond telephone equipment

key-

ATC rodar console, rear view

27

the track-ball, and the address of the receiving console is selected by activating the corresponding push-button. A reset is provided to delete the transmitted interconsole marker.

Microminiaturization of all digital circuits has made it possible to construct the SPD-1 Display System on the building block principle, based on small rugged modular subunits. In terms of hardware the SPD-1 Display System consists of a Display Buffer, Display Central Unit, and up to 32 individual Display Consoles.

On the front panel of the Display Control Unit a set of test points are provided, as well as lamps and controls for equipment test and maintenance.

The complete system is presently being installed at the Vienno-Schwechat airport and will be in operation during the course of 1969.

Future System Expansion Digital technique provides practically unlimited expansion capability, hence additional units can be added when the need arises. A higher level of automation can be introduced on a step-by-step basis adding new units to those already installed with a minimum of down-time.

The need for such a design philosophy arises from the fact that specifications are generally different for each system and cannot always be met by a fixed design without heavy penalties either in performance, cost or both.

The SPD-1 system as described above can easily be exponded into the SPD-7 system, since the extensive use of plug-in printed cards provides extreme flexibility within the units themselves.

Such a future configuration provides bright display of radar data by presenting processed video plots at a high renewal rate. Synthetic video maps are also available and can be displayed on the indicators at the discretion of the

operator. For each detected aircraft a trail of plots is presented on the scope. The lost extracted plot is represented by a symbol instead of a dot, to provide for easy determination of the aircraft's direction.

The amount of functions performed by the display system in this case is strictly dependent on the ATC computer programs. Air Traffic controllers can introduce any input order provided for in the system by means of an alphanumeric keyboard and the track-boll.

Track symbols, velocity vectors and alphanumeric labels are presented on the scopes as a result of the automatic processing of the radar plots.

These features, however, represent only a small portion of what the SPD -7 Automated Air Traffic Control System can do to assist the controller. A list of the main functions is given here as an example: processing and display of tracks and flight data on PPI indicators; input/output of data necessary for coordination; detection, warning and solution of conflicts; computation and transmission of ATC clearances; coordination within the ATC center and coordination with adjacent ATC units; processing of current flight plan information and display of relevant data on alphanumeric labels; processing and display on alphanumeric displays of traffic flow control data; data registration, and SSR active interrogation.

Among the many other functions of the expanded SPD-7 system which cannot be summarized in the above list, are display of meteorological conditions, descent calculations, etc.

As can be seen from the above, SPD-7 is a flexible, open ended system and the configuration chosen by the Austrian Federal Air Office provides all possibilities for on extension, if this should become necessary in the future.

International Aeradio Limited One of the youngest IFATCA Corporation Members

The importance of good communications and sound air traffic control had become apparent by the end of World ,War II but the difficulties of providing these services for civil aircraft when the armed forces withdrew were considerable. At some airports several airlines each set up their own small radio stations to maintain contact with their aircraft and afford their pilots advice and information.

It was to ovoid this confusion that International Aeradio Limited (IAL) was formed in 1947 by BOAC and BEA together with a number of other airlines to provide ground communications and navigation services primarily for the fast developing civil routes between Europe and the Middle East, Far East and Africa.

28

Out of that small beginning IAL hos grown and spread.

It now has 16 subsidiary or associate companies and operates from Tokyo and Fiji in the East to the Caribbean and South America in the West. In fact IAL operates at some 124 locations in 58 countries with a total staff of over 3.000.

The company's major shareholders ore still BOAC and BEA but the list also now includes many of the world's international airlines - Alitolio, Aeronautical Radio Inc., Air Canada, Air Congo, Air France, Air-India, British United Airways, Coledonian Airways, Central African Airways, C.A.A. of China, Cyprus Airways, Deutsche Lufthansa, East African Airways, Ethiopean Airlines, Ghana Airways, Kingdom of Libya Airlines, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Loker

Airways, Middle East Airlines, Pakistan International Airlines, Pan American World Airways, Qantas Airways, Sabena, Saudi Arabian Airlines, Scandinavian Airlines System, Skyways Coach Air, Sudan Airways, Swissair, TAP Portuguese Airlines, Trans World Airlines, and United Arab Airlines. Directors from these various airlines ore in turn elected to sit on the IAL Boord of Directors.

At the outset International Aerodio took over staff employed by BOAC who were, through force of circumstances, alreody providing air traffic control and communications services for themselves and other international airlines at a number of airports. At some of these original units IAL controllers worked alongside Royal Air Force controllers handling both civil and military traffic; this did not present any difficulties as practically all the IAL controllers hod only left the RAF within the previous two years.

For some three years International Aeradio operated its air traffic control service without formal training or a licensing system although a Military/Civil Conversion Course was provided for the controllers at the end of 1947.

This, indeed, was the general situation throughout the world and when IAL introduced its own licensing system in 1951 it was several years ahead of many government ATC deportments. International Aerodio is basically a British company so it was logical that the licensing system it introduced for its own controllers was modelled very closely on the system adopted by the British Government.

The IAL ATC licensing system was introduced gently at first because it was appreciated that the controllers at that time had hod little formal instruction. From then onwards, however, new controllers joining the Company received formol training. Until 1958 International Aeradio sent its stoff to the British Government's ATC School but it became increasingly difficult to obtain vacancies on dates which were convenient to the Company. So in 1958 IAL established its own ATC School, still, it is believed, the only non-State School in the world. The school is equipped with simulators for both procedural and radar control and today hos a staff of ten instructors.

ensure that the instruction is maintained to the standard set by this Authority. The School has mode it possible for nonState controllers employed in Britain at the many municipal and privately owned airports to study and successfully obtain the national British Air Traffic Control Licence, which was introduced for non-State controllers in Britain in 1962.

In 1962 the IAL ATC School was awarded the Hunt Trophy for its services to British ATC during that year.

International Aeradio conducts its air traffic service with the same high degree of professionalism, efficiency and responsibility that is expected from the ATC department of a large State. Examiners authorised by the British Governmen visit the IAL ATC units and conduct licensing examinations and station inspections, and sometimes a British Board of Trode examiner accompanies the IAL examiner to check that licensing standards are being maintained. IAL also maintains its own Manual of Air Traffic Control Instructions o copy of which is issued to each Controller.

In IAL there are three grades of controller of which Grade I is the senior. At the present time the Company employs 169 controllers - 88 in Grade Ill, 67 in Grade II and 14 in Grade I. Grade Ill controllers are usually the watch-keeping controllers at aerodromes providing both aerodrome and approach control service and are trained to provide both these services in line with the practise of the British Government. Grade II controllers are employed as controllers-in-charge at aerodromes and as watch-keeping controllers in centres and on radar duties. Grade I controllers are senior controllers at some aerodromes and centres, and are sometimes called upon to combine their duties with those of an airport manager at smaller aerodromes.

At this stage the trainee has become an established controller Grade Ill and spends the next two or three years working at aerodrome ond approach control not necessarily, of course, at the same aerodrome. In all probability at the end of this period he will return to the Training School to receive basic training in radar or area control centre duties. Once the Grode Ill controller has obtained a rating for radar or area control in addition to his aerodrome and approach control ratings, and has held this rating for at least one year, he is eligible for promotion to Grade II providing reports on his technical proficiency and character ore satisfactory. Promotion to Grode I, however, is not so automatic and generally to achieve this the controller mus possess not only all ratings in his licence but he must also have shown administrative ability.

Although the IAL ATC School was created for the purpose of training IAL staff, requests for training were very soon received from overseas governments, town councils and aircraft constructors with their own aerodromes, and even private individua Is. To date some 800 students have passed through the School and about half of this number were non-lAL staff. Many of these non-lAL students have come to the IAL School as a result of training contracts arranged with their governments; others are sent under the auspices of the British Government Ministry of Overseas Development. The courses are approved by the British Civil Aviation Autorithy and the School is inspected annually to

When recruiting controllers IAL prefers candidates with some aircrew experience as it has been found that such candidates are more likely to complete successfully the primary training course in the ATC School which all trainee controllers take immediately on engagement. This concentrated course lasts ten weeks and quite a large proportion of the time is spent on the procedural simulator.

Following the course, successful trainees are posted to aerodromes where IAL operates and here they continue training under the supervision of the senior controller.

After a period of from three to six months, an IAL examiner visits the Station on the recommendation of the senior controller and examines them for the award of the Company's licence. If successful they receive their licence and ratings for aerodrome and approach control. The process of validation for the specific aerodrome then follows and at the more complex approach control units the overall period before the new controller assumes sole responsibility can take up to six or seven months after leaving the ATC School.

It is of interest to note that Air Traffic Controllers, because of their experience in controlling live situations, have been found to be most suitable for dealing with the control decisions needed during the passage of o satellite and IAL is providing several as network controllers at the European Space· Operations Centre.

Although this article has concentrated on Air Traffic Control, this is, of course, only one field of aviation technical services which ore provided by International Aeradio.

Generally, International Aerodio acts as an operating agency and provides the staff to operate and maintain the 29

air traffic services, aeronautical telecommunications, radio and radar aids to navigation, and airport fire and rescue services. In this way the Governments or administration gains the full advantage of IAL's wide experience whilst maintaining control of policy, finance and general overall organisation. It frees itself of the worries of operational detail technical supervision and control; the supply of information and advice; the provision of equipment and spores; and the recruitment, training and administration of staff. Under a contract of this nature IAL also undertakes to train local staff to the standard required to operate the services. In fact some 80% of IAL' total staff are local nationals.

At some places IAL staff are seconded to the government concerned. In these cases the IAL staff are, to all intents and purposes in respect of day to day operations, employees of the Government. In respect of administration, salaries, pensions and personnel matters they remain IAL staff and, of course, IAL retains the right to replace them.

Naturally, the Company works in close co-operation with the government on such matters.

This extensive operational know-how acquired by IAL puts the Compony in a strong position to provide consultancy services to governments and civil engineering consultants. There is really no substitute for experience in the fields of air traffic control and telecommunications and few professional civil aviation consultants actually employ controllers, electronic engineers and fire chiefs.

IAL's wide practical experience does ensure that advice provided by the Company is not only expert but also practical. IAL has been associated with the siting and design of airports and their terminal buildings as well as the design of air traffic control and telecommunications layouts of many international airports.

The IAL Production Unit near London Airport is particularly experienced in systems ehgineering - the prefabrication of all types and sizes of communications systems. Generally speaking IAL is not a manufacturer of electronic equipment except for certain specialist items.

However, on important item in which the Company has specialised is the design and production of ATC consoles and the associated control systems - although not all IAL consoles ore mode for ATC functions. The IAL Control Console is built on a modular principle using standard sections which may be assembled in straight line or angled configuration. The design permits great flexibility and consoles may be built to seat any number of controllers or to fit multisided control towers or special floor layouts. Over 200 of these consoles have been produced together with the ancillary control equipment for use in some 50 countries.

IAL is providing all the consoles and telecommunications equipment for lnstilux, the comprehensive radar simulation and data handling system for Eurocontrol's Institute of Air Navigation Services at Luxembourg.

If aircrews ore to benefit from the network of communications and radio and radar aids to navigation that extend around the world, if they ore to know and understand the procedures for approaching the hundreds of airports their flights may take them to, if they ore to be fully conversant with the alternative airports that weather or other conditions may compel them to use, they have to be provided with this information in a handy and standard form so that valuable time is not wasted looking through masses of miscellaneous poges presenting the information in many different ways.

30

IAL has helped to solve this problem by producing the Aerad Flight Guide. Covering the world with the exception of Siberia and Chino, the Aerad Flight Guide is divided into volumes, each covering a particular area. Each volume is then divided into three ports. The first port contains aerodrome information in a specially designed flat-opening plastic binder holding instrument approach charts, landing charts, and other charts and information relating to ground movement control, toxying, parking ramps, noise-abatement procedures, etc. The second part, again in a special binder, consists of en route radio navigation charts, arrival and departure terminal area charts, and Standard Instrument Departure (SID) charts. The third port is known as the Supplement and this is in the form of a bound book. There ore separate supplements for Europe, Africa, Asia and the Western Hemisphere and they contain tabulated information on aerodromes, radio communications, radio and radar navigational aids, and meteorological broadcasts. There are also sections on time signals, radio communication failure, air traffic control regulations, conversion factors, and other miscellaneous matter for use in flight and for flight planning. Much thought and research have gone into the format and presentation. The division into carefully considered sections means that the pilot does not have to struggle with bulky heavy volumes often when concentration is required on other matters.

The Aerad Flight Guide is sold on a subscription basis and each week subscribers receive reprinted charts together with bulletins containing outstanding changes and other items of a temporary nature. These bulletins are cumulative each new one automatically replaces that issued the previous week. The supplements ore completely reprinted at regular frequent intervals, the Europe supplement, far example, being re-issued every 28 days. No tiresome replacement of pages is therefore involved as on receipt of the new edition the old one is thrown away.

Changes in the text are clearly annotated.

In addition to the standard Aerad Flight Guide, services tailored to individual airline requirements or individual services for single flights or flights over specific routes are also available. An extension to this service is available to airlines using London (Heathrow) Airport where the Aerad Flight Deck Chart is provided. All documentation is listed, packed in bogs marked with the service number, and is placed on the flight deck of the designated aircraft shortly before take-off. On the aircraft's return to London the bogs are collected from the flight deck for up-dating and further use.

At London (Gatwick) Airport a special service is available which relieves subscribers of the task of amending their documentation which often runs to many volumes.

Subscribers based at this airport receive completely amended Guides each week the old volumes ore collected for updating the following week. It is planned later to extend this service - known as APA (Aerad Physical Amendment) Service - to cover Luton and Stonsteod Airports.

Of the millions of people who fly with the world's airlines every year there must be very few indeed whose safety is not dependent for some period on the work of IAL. The activities of the Company are usually completely unknown to those who benefit from them but that does not make them any less important.

IAL

The International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers Associations Addresses and Officers AUSTRIA

FRANCE

Verbond Osterreich ischer Flugverkehrsleiter A 1300, Wien Flughofen, Austria, Postfoch 36

French Air Traffic Control Association Association Professionnelle de lo Circulation Aerienne B. P. 206, Paris Orly Airport 94 Fronce President Francis Zommith First Vice-President J.M. Lefronc Second Vice-President M. Pinon General Secretary J. Lesueur Treosurer J. Bocord Deputy Secretary R. Philipeou Deputy Treosurer M. Imbert IFATCA Liaison Officer A. Clerc

President Vice-President Secretary Deputy Secretary Treosurer

A. Nagy H. Kihr H. Bouer W.Seidl W. Chrystoph

BELGIUM Belgian Guild of Air Traffic Controllers Airport Brussels Notional Zoventem 1, Belgium President Vice-President Secretary Secretary General Treosurer Editor IFATCA Liaison Officer

A. Moziers M. van der Stroote C. Scheers A. Dovister H. Compsteyn J. Meulenbergs J. Aelbrecht

CANADA Canadian Air Traffic Control Association 56, Sparks Street Room 305 Ottawa 4, Canada President First Vice-President Second Vice-President Managing Director Treasurer Chairman IFATCA Comm.

J. D. Lyon R. Mcfarlane D. M. Diffley G. J. Williams A. Cockrem R.Roy

DENMARK Danish Air Traffic Controllers Association Copenhagen Airport - Kostrup Denmark Chairman Vice-Chairman Secretary Treosurer IFATCA Liaison Officer

E. T. Larsen 0. Christiansen E. Christiansen M. Jensen V. Frederiksen

GERMANY Germon Air Traffic Controllers Association Verbond Deutscher Flugleiter e. V. 3 Honnover-Flughofen, Germany Postlogernd Chairman W. Kossebohm Vice-Chairman H. Guddot Vice-Chairman E. von Bismarck Vice-Chairman H. W. Kremer H.J. Klinke Secretary Treasurer K. Piotrowski Editor L. Goebbels IFATCA Liaison Officer W. Goebel

GREECE Air Traffic Controllers Association of Greece 10, Agios Zonis Street, Athens 804, Greece President C. Theodoropoulos Vice-President N. Protopapos General Secretary E. Petroulios Treosurer S. Sotiriodes

HONGKONG Hongkong Air Traffic Control Association Hongkong Airport President Secretary Treasurer

A. A. Allcock R. L. Ayers R. Lo

ICELAND FINLAND Association of Finnish Air Traffic Control Officers Suomen Lennonjohtojien Yhdistys r. y.

Air Traffic Control Helsinki Lento Finland Chairman Vice-Chairman Secretary Treasurer Deputy

Fred. Lehto Vaine Pitk<':inen Heikki Nevoste Aimo Hopponen Viljo Suhonen

Air Traffic Control Association of Iceland Reykjavik Airport, Iceland G. Kristinsson Chairman Secretary S. Trompe Treasurer K. Sigurosson

IRAN Iranian Air Traffic Controllers Association Mehrobod International Airport Teheron, Iron Secretary General E. A. Rohimpour 31

IRELAND

RHODESIA

Irish Air Traffic Control Officers Association ATS Shannon Ireland

Rhodesian Air Traffic Control Association Private Bag 2, Salisbury Airport Rhodesia President C. W. Drake Secretary C. P. Flavell Treasurer W. Vandewaal

President Vice-President Gen. Secretary Treasurer Asst. Gen. Secretary

J.E. Murphy P. J. O'Herlihy J. Kerin T.Lane M. Durrack

ISRAEL Air Traffic Controllers Association of Israel P. 0. B. 33 Lod Airport, Israel Chairman Vice-Chairman Treasurer

Jacob Wachtel W. Katz E. Medina

ITALY Associazione Nazionale Assistenti e Controllori della Civil Navigazione Aerea Italia Via Cola di Rienzo 28 Rome, Italy President Secretary Treasurer

Dr. G. Bertoldi, M. P. L. Mercuri A. Guidoni

SWEDEN Swedish Air Traffic Controllers Association Fack 22, I 90 30 Sigtuna, Sweden Chairman H. Jelveus Secretary A. Karlahag Treasurer G. Kanhamn IFATCA Representative B. Hinnerson

SWITZERLAND Swiss Air Traffic Controllers Association P. 0. Box 271 CH 1215, Geneva Airport, Switzerland Chairman J. D. Mon in IFATCA Secretary T. Roulin Liaison Officer for Zurich Airport J. Gubelmann

TURKEY Turkish Air Traffic Control Association Yesilkoy Airport, lstambul, Turkey President Altan Koseoglu

LUXEMBOURG

UNITED KINGDOM

Luxembourg Guild of Air Traffic Controllers Luxembourg Airport

Guild of Air Traffic Control Officers 14, South Street, Park Lane London W 1, England Master A. Field, OBE Executive Secretary W. Rimmer Treasurer E. Bradshaw

President Secretary Treasurer

Alfred Feltes Andre Klein J.P. Kimmes

NETHERLANDS

URUGUAY

Netherland Guild of Air Traffic Controllers Postbox 7590 Schiphol Airport Central, Netherlands President Secretary Treasurer Member, Publicity Member, IFATCA-affairs

Th. M. van Gaalen F. M. J. Mente P. Kalff A. Vink B. H. van Ommen

Asociac;:i6n de Controladores Aeropuerto Nacional de Carrasco Torre de Control Montevideo, Uruguay Chairman U. Pallares Secretary J. Beder Treasurer M. Puchkoff

VENEZUELA NEW ZEALAND Air Traffic Control Association Dept. of Civil Aviation, 8th Floor, Dept. Bldgs.

Stout Street Wellington, New Zealand President Secretary

E.Meachen C. Latham

NORWAY Lufttraflkkledelsens Forening Box 51, 1330 Oslo Lufthavn, Norway Chairman Vice-Chairman Secretary Treasurer 32

G. E. Nilsen K. Christiansen J. Kalvik E. Feet

Asociacion Nacional de Tecnicos en Transito Aereo Venezuela Avenida Andres Bello, Local 7 8129 Caracas, Venezuela President Manuel A. Rivera P. Seer. General V. Alvarez. Jimenez

YUGOSLAVIA Jugoslovensko Udruzenje Kontrolora Letenja Direkcija Za Civilnu Vozdusnu Plovidbu I\Jovi Beograd, Lenjinov Bulevar 2, Yugoslavia President A. Stefanovic Vice-President Z. Veres Secretary D. Zivkovic Treasurer D. Zivkovic Member B. Budimirovic

Schiphol.

First airport in-Europe with·an·automatic air traffic control data-processing system:

Schiphol Amsterdam SATCO automatic air traffic control • in tu/I operation.

Main features of Signaal flight plan and radar data-processing systems.

Main operational features flight path calculation coordination clearance processing correlation between radar data and flight plan data conflict risk detection conflict resolution electronic data display synthetic dynamic display daylight large screen display flight progress board stripprinting automatic transfer of data via data Jinks to adjacent centres

e SIGNAAL

Programming tea.lures modular design flexibility reconfiguration capabilities on-line real-time programming software and hardware controlled multi-level programming

Computer features microminiaturization techniques high operating speed 1· microsec. memory cycle mass memories high reliability growth potential continuity of operation easy servicing.

For further information please apply lo N.V. Hollandse Signaalapparaten, P.O. Box 42, Hengelo, The Netheilands.

radar, weapon control, data handling and air traffic control systems

N.V. HOLLANDSE SIGNAALAPPARATEN HENGELO