IFATCA The Controller August 1974

D 21003 F

JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS ASSOCIATIONS

In this issue:

FRANKFURT AM MAIN

Report of the 1974 Annual Conference, Tel Aviv

AUG U ST 19 74

Domestic Medical Care of Air Traffic Controllers

VOLUME 13

N0 . 3

THE GUILD OF AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL OFFICERS CONVENTION AND EXHIBITION

CONVEX Bournemouth -

74 30th Oct.;2nd Nov.

Because of the interest shown by the Aviation Industry in CONVEX 72 which attracted more exhibitors and delegates than any previous Guild Convention _ including a number from countries overseas - the Guild has decided to stage CONVEX 74 in the first class venue of the BOURNEMOUTH PAVILION. This move has been made primarily to meet the increased demand for Exhibition space and this year, for the first time, package deals covering Exhibition space, Advertising, etc. are available to prospective participants - details available, on request, from the Chairman, Convention Committee. The venue also gives good access for both the Convention delegates and the general public and will allow us to continue with our policy of providing a full business, social and exhibition programme under the same roof.

THEMES :

'SST OPERATIONS'

and

'GENERAL AVIATION, INTERGRATION OR SEGREGATION'

The twin themes of CONVEX 7 4 have been chosen to appeal to a wide range of aviation interests, particularly on the eve of commercial SST operations.

In addition to a number of our Corporate Members, The British Aircraft Corpn. and McAlpine Aviation have already agreed to participate in CONVEX 74.

Bournemouth Corporation will be providing their usual generous hospitality to delegates and special reduced rates have been negotiated with the WESSEX HOTEL, which has been reserved for the period of the Convention.

As usual there will be a full range of social activities including the second AVIATION GALA NIGNT on Friday lst November 1974.

All this makes CONVEX 74 the Aviation Event not to be missed. Further details of Exhibition Space, Business Programme and all other aspects of the Convention are available from: Chairman, Convention Committee (GATCO) CONVEX 74 4, Hamilton Place LONDON, W.1.

IFATCA

JOURNAL

OF

AIR

TRAFFIC CONTROL

THE CONTROllER Frankfurt am Main, August 1974

Volume 13 • No. 3

Publlsher: International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers' Associations, P. 0. B. 196, CH-1215 Geneva 15, Airport, Switzerland.

Officers of IFATCA: J-0. Monin, President, 0. H. J6nsson, Vice-President (Technical), R. E. Meyer, Vice· President (Professional), H. Guddat, Vice-President (Administration), T. H. Harrison, Executive Secretary, J. Gubelmann, Treasurer.

Editor: G. J. de Boer, P. 0. B. 8071 Edleen, Kempton Park, Tvl., 1625 South Africa Telephone: 975-3521 Contributing Editor: V. D. Hopkin (Human Factors) Publlshlng Company, Production, Subscription Service and Advertising Sales Office: Verlag W. Kramer & Co., 6 Frankfurt am Main 60, Bornheimer Landwehr 57a, Phone 43 43 25 and 49 21 69, Frankfurter Bank, No. 3·03333-9. Rate Card Nr. 4.

Printed by: W. Kramer & Co., 6 Frankfurt am Main 60, Bornheimer Landwehr 57a.

Subscription Rate: OM 6.- per annum for members of IFATCA OM 10.- per annum for non-members (Postage will be charged extra)

CONTENTS

Contributors are 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).

The Domestic Medical Care of Air Traffic Control Officers

IFATCA does not assume responsibility for statements made and opinions expressed, It does only accept reaponsibility for publishing these contributions.

A Future Trend in Accident Investigation •

18

ADSEL - Address-Selective Secondary Radar .

19

Our new Corporation Member: Software Sciences Limited

21

The Statistical Recording of Air Traffic

22

News from the Federation

27

International Law

30

News from Member Associations

32

The Pilot's Point of View .

36

Ardmore Airfield, New Zealand

39

Cover: Horst Guddat

Letters from Readers .

40

Advertisers In this Issue: The Guild of Air Traffic Control Officers (inside cover) Sofreavia (page 33) Civil Air Operations Officers' Association of Australia (page 47) Selenia Radar and Systems Division (back cover)

Aviation History on Stamps

41

Flexibility or Optimality in Design

42

News from Corporation Members

45

Unmasking the Secrets of Air Traffic Control

48

Contributions are welcome as are comments and criticism. No payment can be made for manuscripts submitted for publication in "The Controller". The Editor reserves the right to make any editorial changes In manuscripts, which he believes will improve the material without altering the intended meaning.

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

Fotos: Archiv, FAA - Central Region, The Herald & Weekly Times Ltd., PATCO, Software Sciences Ltd.

Report of the 13th Annual IFATCA-Conference

3 6

Editorial Accident/Incident Reporting: Voluntary or Mandatory?

Should air traffic controllers, pilots and engineers be required by law to report potentially dangerous incidents and defects to the authorities? Or is air safety better served by voluntary sharing of these experiences?

Today's incident "Could easily be tomorrow's accident unless it is reported, so that all concerned may share the experience and be aware of its implications. IFATCA Member Associations are following with interest the arrangement which our U.S. Member Organisatfon, PATCO, has made with an independent aviation organisation, the Aviation Safety Institute (ASI). The base for this study is an Anonymous Incident Reporting form (AIR), which guarantees complete confidentiality to all controller responses.

Some time ago Flight Magazine wrote: "The Vanguard which broke up over Belgium in 1971 with total loss of life was found to have a defect which, according to the enquiry report, had been discovered two years before in a sister aircraft, but had not been reported _ either to the safety authority or to the manufacturer. The Trident which crashed last year after taking off from Heathrow did so because the wing droops were prematurely retracted.

A previous similar incident had occurred and yet - according to evidence given to the public enquiry - the system failed hard again."

In Australia and the United States it is an offence for a pilot or an engineer not to report a serious incident or defect. It is unlikely to be coincidence that American and Australian airlines are top of the world air transport safety tables. In other countries the tendency has been to follow the British line - that the best discipline is self discipline. They have 8 voluntary system. But last year in Britain the decision was made to switch to the mandatory system and plans are now under way for implementation in January, 1976.

In introducing a mandatory system there are problems a plenty. Reports state that the Australian system is akin to a police state and is unpopular with the aircrews for the strains it can produce.

Imagine ~ first officer who considers that a particular incident should be reported whilst the captain does not. Where does hi~ 1.oyalty Ii~? Wher~ one ere":' member feels obliged to report the malpractice of another will 1t ease his c~nsc1ence knowing he is legally bound?

The same goes for a controller whose watch su~e~1sor sees no need to fill in an incident rting form while the controller believes that 1t 1s necessary to report the incident to go repo . 'd t f h . . to the bottom of it and so prevent the mc1 en r~m a.ppenmg again. Error is an emotive word and reluctance to admit it is common to air traffic controllers, pilots and engineers alike. Understandable with its connotations of a fall from ~race •. ruined career, etc. Perhaps a neutral agency handling the reports with guaranteed impunity for those involved really is the answer. the reports are in, the next perhaps biggest problem has. to be dealt with. That is, 0 n~e . d analys'ing the information and taking appropriate action. This requires dissemmatmg an 1 · d . d t of paperwork. Another prob em arises - who should be hel expensive man-hours an a 1o . d' 'd ·ng in the operators or the m 1v1 ual?

• responsible for the repo rts com1 . it mi ht pay us all to re-examine our systems. The air safety Oes~1te these problems, g t avoid complacency. Standards can be improved, right record 1s generally good, but we ~~s . idenVdefect reports are handed in so lacking in at grass roots level where too o en me relevant detail that they are practically useless to the analyser. · r would air safety be better served if we switched to a Is the voluntary system coping, o . d' ? A d · th PATCO experiment the answer as 1t does not 1vu 1ge the mandatory system. n 1s e officer's identity?

GdB

2

The Domestic Medical Care of Air Traffic Control Officers* Based on a Paper delivered at the University of Manchester on 6th October 1973 during a Symposium on 'Stress In Air Traffic Control', by Dr. V. B. Maxwell, Gatley Health Centre, Cheadle, Cheshire, England

The City of Manchester has a Municipal Airport which handled 46,750 commercial air movements in 1972. The Air Traffic Control Services in Britain are provided by the National Air Traffic Control Service {N.A.T.S.) and for many years the renewal medical examinations for the controllers were carried out by a Headquarters doctor periodically visiting the unit from London. I had experience of similar work whilst serving in the R.A.F., and was appointed to take over these routine medicals. Problems rapidly began to present themselves. In the first place I was working in complete ignorance of the real nature of the job Air Traffic Control Officers did and tcr do these examinations on strangers who were working in a field I knew nothing about was unsatisfactory. In the second place I met apprehension and distrust on the part of the officers the 'us' and 'them' situation. I was one of 'them' - the dreaded medics from H.Q. out to fail them and deprive them of their livelihood. I therefore set out to familiarise myself with the working conditions at the airport by spending a considerable amount of time in the tower and radar room watching people at work and also took the opportunity of talking to the candidates when they came for their annual medicals and discussed their problems.

I also tried to impress on the A.T.C.O.s that I was not one of 'them' but was neutral and out to help. I tried to be available to deal with their problems, but had to make sure that this did not encroach on the work of their own G.P. I did not write prescriptions myself. If this was necessary contact was made with the G.P., and this was also done if any further action was required.

This policy rapidly began to pay off and I grew to know the men and women as individuals and managed to gain their confidence. They discussed all sorts of problems with me easily and realised that they could ask for help and advice without everything necessarily being reported back to London. Arising directly out of this added interest and involvement, it was suggested to the Board of Trade Medical Branch (which later became a part of the newly formed Civil Aviation Authority) that a regular weekly session at the airport would be a good idea. The Medical Branch of the C.A.A. has authority to supervise the general health of A.T.C.Os by virtue of them being Licence holders. *_Editor's (V. D. Hopkln's) Note: Dr. Maxwell's paper describes a practical and successful innovation. It should be read in the context that the drugs which can be bought over the counter without medical supervision vary from country to country. Perhaps the controller's loyalty to his colleagues, and his knowledge that some one else must do his job if he does not appear for work, sometimes lead him to report for work with minor ailments and non-prescribed medications.

In such circumstances, greater reliance should be placed on professional medical advice from some one who is familiar with the nature of the controller's job.

This involves their hours of duty, sick leave absence, fitness to return after illness and a general co-ordination with the administration of the unit. This frequently required the presence of a H.Q. Medical Branch doctor at the unit for a day or so with the inconvenience and expense which this involved. In April 1969 I was appointed Sessional Medical Officer at the Airport involving a regular weekly visit when I see by appointment anybody who asks for advice.

It took some weeks for the idea to catch on, but slowly I began to find an increasing list of people waiting to see me from the most senior to the most junior. Many problems were physical and were referred back to the G.P. for treatment but often a word of advice about simple home remedies was enough. Sometimes a referal to a specialist was necessary and if the G.P. agreed this was arranged.

With very close contacts in many of the local hospitals based on years of working in this area I could often smooth the way and save delay.

Some examples may be of interest. A cadet in training was making very good progress in everything except that his speech was indistinct over the R.T. Arrangements were made for him to attend a local speech therapist with good results. Another cadet in training presented to his G.P. with symptoms typical of a gastric ulcer. Investigation by his own doctor showed no obvious cause and treatment produced no improvement. He continued to have trouble particulary on his days on duty and after several weeks of missing odd days at work I was asked to see him.

It turned out that he thought he was doing very badly in his training and would not make the grade. A chat with the training officer showed that he was well up to standard and was very highly thought of by his colleagues. The training officer agreed to tell him so - with remarkable results. His self-confidence returned and his abdominal symptoms cleared.

The last example I intend to quote is by way of an introduction to a serious plea to all controllers (and pilots) to be aware of the hazards of medication. A fairly senior controller came to see me because of severe urticaria for which his G.P. was giving him anti-histamines.

These were making him drowsy. Apparently he had mentioned what his job was to his doctor who had told him he would be all right to continue to work, obviously not remembering the effect which anti-histamines have.

The whole problem of medication and Air Traffic Control is one about which the Medical Branch of the C.A.A. is very concerned and there is, in fact, a circular published by them on this very topic (i). There are many groups of medicines in common use which may impair work per-

3

formance and the ideal situation would be that anyone taking medication for the treatment of illness should not carry out Air Traffic Control duties, but this is not always practicable. Common ailments such as colds, sore throats, abdominal pain and diarrhoea may cause relatively unimportant discomfort or hazard in the normal course of events, but they can be dangerous when associated with Air Traffic Control and the more exacting the task the more likely are minor indispositions to be serious.

Any form of medication whether prescribed by a doctor or purchased over the counter, particularly if being taken for the first time, may have serious consequences in the aviation environment unless three basic questions can be satisfactorily answered by the controller.

1. Do I really feel fit for work?

2. Must I take medicines at all?

3. Have I given this particular medication a personal trial for at least 24 hours before going on duty to ensure that it will not have any adverse effects on my ability to work?

Some of the more common medications which should be borne in mind are listed below: 1. Sleeping-tablets - Dull the senses, causing confusion and slow reaction time. Duration of effect is variable up to 24 hours.

2. Sedatives and tranquillisers - Fear is a normal body reaction and provides a very effective alerting system enhancing the arousal state. Sedatives and tranquillisers may depress this and have been a contributory cause of fatal accidents.

3. Anti-biotics - May have short term or delayed effects on work performance. Their use indicates a severe infection which itself will almost always render a controller unfit for work, quite apart from the effects of the drugs.

4. Anti-histamine drugs - In cold cures or in treatment of hay fever, asthma or other allergies. Can be bought over the counter without a prescription. Most will tend to produce drowsiness and this together with the condition for which they are being taken will prevent the three questions being answered in a satisfactory manner. s. Pep pills - All of them can create dangerous overconfidence and such symptoms as headache, dizziness and mental disturbance. If coffee is insufficient as a stimulant, you are not fit for work.

6. Drugs for the treatment of high blood pressure. - These can cause a change in the mechanics of the blood circulation and can be hazardous. If a controller needs such drugs he is probably not fit for work.

7. Alcohol - This has a similar effect to tranquillisers or sleeping tablets and may remain circulating in the blood for a considerable time. It must be remembered that the controller may not be fit to go on duty even 8 hours after drinking large amounts. Beware of alcohol plus sleeping tablets or anti-histamines. The combination can be lethal. a. Anaesthetics - After a general or even a local anaesthetic a period of up to 48 hours should elapse before returning to duty.

There was one way in which I was able to solve a practical problem. Many of the controllers live a considerable distance from the Airport, and are registered

4

with doctors near their homes. Shift working with odd hours of duty often means it is difficult to get to their G.P. and this caused them to think twice before trying to fit in a visit to the G.P. for something which they thought might be only trivial, and the availability of a doctor on the spot solved that problem.

A lot of the problems which presented were stress related, causing anxiety symptoms such as dyspepsia, insomnia or headache. Often family worries caused anxiety - worry about wife or children or parents whose illness required talking out in an attempt to put it in perspective. Many of the younger controllers suffered symptoms related to training programmes, examinations or postings, but they attributed their symptoms to physical disease and reassurance was all that was necessary. I had the advantage of knowledge of the individual, the opinions of his colleagues plus time to spend with him to talk.

Unexpected unavailability due to sickness can put considerable pressures on the remaining controllers who have to deputise. There have, in the past, been very long and often unnecessary delays in getting medical help for A.T.C.Os with the result that they have been unfit for work for needlessly long periods. Whilst the G.P. is aware of this in a general sort of way I could see the consequences at first hand and by applying a little direct pressure in the right direction, it has often been possible to get controllers back to work more quickly. One senior ~o.ntrolle~ required an operation on his knee and by direct ha1so~ v.:1th the R.~.F. Medical Branch it was possible to get him mto a service hospital for the operation at a time when he could most conveniently be spared. Another controller had an accident and had his leg put into plaster. It was suggested to him that he would need several weeks off work. He was not keen on this idea a~d kn~win~ that he was quite capable of carrying out his duties m spite of his plaster, arrangements were made to get him transported each day to and from work and his G.P. was persuaded to release him to duty.

Visual defects and eye strain produce a lot of complaints and one recurring problem has been spectacles for work. Arrangements were made with a local opt路 路 t 路 路 h 1c1an o v1s1t t e a~rport and see controllers at work. He spent some time there studying and assessing the problem critically. He is now in a position to provide the most suitable glasses for those controllers who need them and who wish to consult him. Ventilation and glare are two of the other problems which come to mind.

Conditions in the Radar room have been far from satisfactory for some considerable time, probably because the piece-meal growth of the Unit over the years outstripped the accommodation available. Additions to the ventilating systems had been made which were not always satisfactory and the impression gained was that in some places two systems were worki~g in o.pposition. Many complaints were made to me particularly m warm weather when overheating and stuffiness were a constant problem Representations were made which have resulted in som~ slight improvement although there is still a long way to go and ideal conditions are unlikely before the move into the newly built accommodation in the next year or so.

The problem of glare was easily solved - adjustment to the lights and some green baize - one of my simplest and most dramatic cures!

Finally what has been the result of having a Sessional Medical Officer attending at Manchester Airport? There are not many such posts in this country. The consensus of opinion seems to be that this type of work is very helpful to the staff and I feel there is a good case for expanding the work in this field. The doctors should have experience or training in Aviation Medicine and be regularly and readily available to the staff. The Chief A.T.C.O. at Manchester is certain that it has been a worthwhile exercise and feels that the atmosphere is good, the morale high and the incidence of sickness not excessive. So far as we can see there have been no stress-induced incidents to date.

Controllers are ordinary men and women who are subject to normal ailments. The job of the sessional Medical Officer is to deal with these normal people within their working environment - to deal with them as whole people. More than two thousand years ago the Greek philosopher Plato was advocating whole body medicine when he wrote 'the cure of the part should not be attempted without treatment of the whole and also no attempt should be made to cure the body without the soul and therefore if the head and body are to be well you must begin by curing the mind'.

A leading article in the British Medical Journal (B.M.J.) in August 1973 (ii) examined some of the problems of stress in A.T.C.Os and summarised some of the recent work done on this subject. They reported for example on a study published in America in 1973 {iii), which suggested that A.T.C.Os were at special risk of developing high blood pressure and that this risk was related to density of air movements. It also suggested that there was a higher risk of peptic ulcer .and at a younger age than usual. The B.M.J. concluded 'these observations are of such importance that they need to be confirmed. The findings are of particular significance to doctors responsible for the medical care of A.T.C.Os and perhaps even more to those who can influence the environment in which they work. The study would seem to have provided some evidence that certain so called stress diseases, which could include coronary heart disease (though this condition was not amenable to analysis in the study) may be related to the controllers' work. This has implications for air safety. Perhaps more attention should be paid to the implications of this study for preventative medicine'.

Maybe this is one way in which the Sessional Medical Officer can most usefully contribute to the care of Air Traffic Control Officers.

References (i) C.A.A. Aeronautical Information Circular 72/1968 - Medication and Air Traffic Control.

(Ii) British Medical Journal 421 25. 8. 73. (iii) Cobb and Rose; Journal of the American Medical Association; 224: 489-492 23rd April 1973.

What it Costs U.S. airlines collected about $ 17 million during the second quarter of 1973 in security surcharges from passengers. This means roughly $ 70 million per year that U.S. travellers now pay for the pleasure of being searched, delayed and inconvenienced as a result of the total failure of federal and local law enforcement authorities to control air crimes.

(Air Transport World)

Comments by Air Traffic Control Spokesmen across the World Lord Harvey of Prestbury, C.B.E., on the subject of 'Stress in A.T.C.': Much has been said in the news media about the stress and fatigue of aircrew, particularly time zone transfer, but stress in Air Traffic Controllers has rarely been mentioned to the public so that they do not hear much about you, although the pilot and the controller are similarly stressed by the real time nature of their problems. This is due to the inability of aircraft to stand still in the air; however, aircrew have a form of compact co-ordination within the cockpit, whereas controllers have a wider communications problem of co-ordination between other controllers, centres and aircraft and the complications of handling many variables. The pilot has total operational control of one aircraft while the controller has a limited input to each aircraft but must continually resolve conflicts between all aircraft within his area of responsibility. Overall there is a growing number of aircraft but the individual controller has a limited handling capacity. There will be a maximum number of aircraft allocated to each controller who can resolve conflicts, depending on the type and quality of his equipment.

The increase in traffic growth leads to increased stresses. Modern and future techniques of automatic data transfer offer some relief to the ground problems by better display and intercommunication of traffic details and to the air problem by potentially reducing the number of routine aircraft position reports. However, with secondary radar and responder equipment the controller may suffer as much as the pilot through the volume of messages requesting and confirming the selection of the means of aircraft radar identification.

Stress in air traffic control, seen from the pilot's view, is, and will continue to be greatly affected by the need for tactical variations of any basic strategic system of control. It is a pity that restricted basic navigation facilities sometimes require routine control activity in what could be a straight forward pilot navigational task and that weather suppression on many radar consoles makes it less easy for the controller to minimise some pilot difficulties. Minute to minute requests that change add stress to the tasks of both the controller and the pilot, while at the same time, the practical environment of uneven traffic flow, thunderstorms and an occasional emergency, which demand some flexibility of control, add greatly to the work load.

One of the biggest problems is that of peak levels of activity caused by large numbers of aircraft - flying in close proximity - in the same air space - arriving and departing from the same airfield. This peaking and irregularity and its effect on stress in air traffic control can be potentially reduced by proper scheduled planning between airlines; such international co-ordination is regrettably bedevilled by the fact that certain timings are popular with passengers and much sought after for commercial reasons.

The responsibilities of the controllers are not appreciated by the travelling public, but the public's safety is in their hands. My recommendation would be that controllers have to say more about what they are doing, inform the public of their problems and what they are up against, for they belong to a very great profession.

5

Report of the 13th Annual IFATCA-Conference Tel Aviv, Israel, 20-23May,1974 Foreword Delegates from 26 Member Associations and many guests of the Federation were present when the Conference opened in the Sheraton Hotel in Tel Aviv on Monday 20th 1974, and seldom - if at all - in IFATCA's 13-year history, were the Federation and the Host. Association confronted with more difficulties which had to be overcome than this time. It must indeed be seen as a tribute to both the Israeli Association and the Executive Board that the Conference was again a great success, and that the participants went home well satisfied with the proceedings.

Addresses of Welcome In an address of welcome which awaited guests and delegates when they checked in for registration, Mr. Aharon Yariv, the Minister of Transport, said that it was both a pleasure and a privilege to greet so many from abroad and extend to all a most cordial welcome. The Minister continued: "We are honoured that IFATCA has chosen to hold its 13th Annual Conference here in Israel. Your presence is especially gratifying during these difficult times, and we are delighted to receive you."

"I should like, at this time, to acknowledge the vital contributions made by Air Traffic Controllers, without the aviation industry could never have hoped to achieve its present status and success. In addition, I want to take this opportunity to express to you my sincere admiration of the skill and devotion exhibited in the performance of your duties. Modern technology, with all its advances, is unlikely ever to surpass, or indeed, equal, your accomplishments as dedicated, responsible members of an elite corps of dynamic individuals."

The Mayor of Tel Aviv/Yafo, Mr. Shlomo Lahat, also extended warm words of welcome. "You, who spend your time in the control tower handling sophisticated equipment, bear a major responsibility for the protection of human life and property. You most assuredly deserve the appreciation of the entire world, whose normal life without secure aviation cannot exist. We are particularly grateful that you have decided to convene your Conference in our country, whose citizens are so keenly aware of the necessity for secure air transportation. Who more than we can appreciate your devotion to your profession in these troubled times when evil forces are attempting to obstruct a vital element of our modern life - civil aviation."

Greetings also came from Mr. Yehuda Rabin, the Director of Civil Aviation. Mr. Rabin said that the Civil Aviation Administration of Israel was well aware of the active part played by the Federation in international aviation circles, making significant contributions to the improvement of Air Traffic Control procedures. Finally, Mr. Willy Katz, the President of the Air Traffic Controllers' Association of Israel, welcomed everyone as follows: "It is no easy task to organise a Conference of this nature under normal conditions, but for Israelis, 13 has proved to be a lucky

6

number - as we had many obstacles to overcome. With great pleasure we welcome you all to the Conference.

"Personal contacts between industry, users of the ATC System, Member Associations, World Aviation authorities, and everyone interested in Air Traffic Control are essential to our common aim, the advancement of the Federation. I am grateful to the Minister of Transport, the Civil Aviation Administrator, the Ben Gurion Airport Administration, Aviation organisations and companies, who have contributed so unstintingly to this Conference in order to make it successful. I wish you all a pleasant and enjoyable stay in Israel."

The Opening Ceremony and First Plenary Session On Monday-morning May 20 1974, Delegates, Guests and Observers gathered in the Independence Ballroom of the Sheraton Hotel to attend the Opening Ceremony and First Plenary Session. The President of the Host Association, Mr. W. Katz, briefly opened with welcoming words and expressed grief at the absence of Mr. Jose Roulin who was killed in an aircraft crash earlier during the month and who was to have led the Swiss delegation to the Conference.

Mr. Roulin's untimely death on the eve of IFATCA '74 was deeply regretted, and Mr. Katz echoed the feelings of all delegates when he expressed his condolences to Jose's family and his many friends in Air Traffic Control throughout the world.

The next speaker was the Officer Commanding the Israeli Air Force, who gave an interesting picture of the intricate co-operation between civil- and military personnel engaged in A.T.C. in a country where 80 to 90 per cent of the total air movements consisted of military traffic, causing unique problems, especially for scheduled flights, and necessitating a highly professional Air Traffic Control organisation.

Address by Mr. J-D. Monin President of IFATCA The President said that after two Conferences held in the North Atlantic area it was not surprising that the Directors of the Federation had decided to hold the 13th IFATCA Conference once more in the Mediterranean area.

In accepting the invitation by the Israeli Association, the Directors had also wished to pay tribute to the first nonEuropean Association to join the Federation in 1962. Mr. Monin continued: "Subsequently however this decision for many reasons has certainly been one of the most controversial since the earliest days of IFATCA, and at repeated intervals during the past two years the Executive Board has had to carefully review the situation. In doing this the Board always considered that the only reason for changing the Conference venue - after it had been accepted by the Direc-

The President of the Host Association addresses Guests, Delegates and Observers.

tors - was the consideration that the safety of the participants was jeopardised, or that the Host Association was obviously un able to carry out its undertakings. Any other reason should be rejected , for again it must be clearly understood that IFATCA as a non-political and pu rely professional organisation is not willing to take into account, or g ive way to, politic al pressures of any kind. I believe that if it were to deviate from this basic principle, the Fed eration would soon become discredited and forfeit its professional status."

"During the past year, civil aviation has once again been faced with threats of different kinds. Hijacking and terrorism still take place too often and take their toll of human lives and inju re many innocent people. In 1970 and last year in Reykjavik, the Federation has tackled the matter of hijacking and terrorism. The Executive Board deplored the failure of the ICAO Diplomatic Conference held in Rome last September. It may be thought that Air Traffic Control is not directly concerned with this subject which is certainly wrong as it must be self evident to everyone that contro ll ers are d irectly involved in the safe conduct of the airc raft in their environment. Th ey sometimes have to make dramatic decisions regarding the safety of the aircraft jeopardised by the terrorist with a gun or grenade in his hand. This dreadful problem wi ll be tackled this year by the Directors gath ered here today and I tru st that the outcome wi ll give confidence to our friends in aviation as the Federation is prepared to co-operate fully with all those concerned with the banishment of acts of pi racy in civil flying ."

"Again it was proved in t he autumn of last year that controllers are v itally involved when it comes to savi ng fuel which has a direct effect on the conduct of flig hts. The controller is indeed always ready to help with solutions. " "Many countries in the Middle East are deeply concerned with all these problems and know better than any one else the effect of them on their daily lives. I would like to say that Civil Aviation , and A ir Traffic Control is part of it, is basically a method of communication which enables people to understand one anothe r better. There are no borders in the air si nce aviation has abolished them and I hope th at our presence he re at IFATCA's 13th Conference with delegates from more than forty countries, proves this to be a matter of fact."

" Finally I wish to extend a hearty welcome to all delegates from our Member Associations and Corporation Members together with the representatives of many International Organisations, National Authorities, prospective Member Associations, Industry and the Press. On behalf of the Exec utive Board, the Directors and all Guests and Observe rs, I w ish to thank the honoured Guests attending this Opening Ceremony for the interest they have shown in the Air Traffic Contro Lprofession and assure them that their presence he re today is an encou ragement to us all at a time when we have several days of concentrated work and study ahead of us. I have no doubt that IFATCA '74 will be another highlight in the history of IFATCA."

Address by Mr. Aharon Yariv, Minister of Transport The Minister, after welcomi ng the Conference participants from all corners of t he globe, went on at some length to dwell on the curse of terrorism on the ground and in th e air. Mr. Yariv said that - like his people - the co ntro ll er stood alone at his control desk in the Tower and had to solve his many problems on his own initiative, instantly and without reco urse to assistance from others.

The Min ister ended his address by expressing t he wish that Conference delegates and guests would find their stay in Israel a memorable experience.

Report of the President In lin e w ith the requirement of IFATCA's Constitution, the President, on the occasion of the Annual Conference, repo rted to Member Associations upon those activities of the Federation which had occurred during the past year. Mr. Manin began by saying that it was no exaggeration to say th at si nce the Reykjavik Conference the Federation had experienced an explosion of work. This was due firstly to the fact that more t ime had been allotted at Conference which had resulted in a considerable increase in the number of resolutions thereby generating an increased workload. To this had to be added the endeavours by the Exec utive Board to enhance cooperation with all Member Associations, Corporation Members and potential Member Assoc iations, together with the establishment of relations with an increased number of international organisation s.

7

Israel's Director of Civil Aviation and IFATCA's President In a l i ght-hearted moment just before t he Opening session.

Traffic Controllers, consciousness of t he basic requireAll these activities had a direct impact on the burden of ments of the profession and above all the acceptance of the members of the Executive Board, the Standing ComATC as an "UNIQUE PROFESSION" could overcome many mittees, the Regional Liaison Officers and all those w ho of our difficulties. It must again be stressed that I FATCA have d edicated t heir efforts to IFATCA. whose aims were primarily the upholding of the safety and With last year's affiliation of the Associations from efficiency of Air Navigat ion cannot countenance any threats Ghana and Guya na, the Federation now had 38 Member against those basic principles. T herefore the Executive Associations, and it was expected that more Associations Board was always willing to continue to act togethe r with would apply for affiliation at the 13th Conference. This the Member Associations involved, their Admi n istrations. continued expansion of IFATCA's influence throughout the and indeed with all those who wished to safeguard the worl d was heartening and proved, if this was still necesATC PROFESSION. sary, that the Federation was effective.

Member Associations were not the only o nes with diffiOne of t he natural consequences of the growth of the culties and the Executive Board had noted with p leasu re Federation was the increasing number of membership diffithat some Aviation Administrations had so ught the advice culties. The nature of these difficulties were diverse and it had to be sai d that the problems met by so me of our and participation of their National ATC Associations in the Member Associations was due to MAs not abiding w ith solution of technical probl ems. On these occasions, the Reykjavik Resolution A.5 thus denying the Federation the Corporation Members of the Federation had provided the opportunity of rende ring professional assistance where Associations concerned with techn ical data, brochures and possible. There was often a complete lack of communicaother information pertinent to the task o r problem and it tion. The general situatio n in the countries involved was was a source of satisfaction to the Board to see such often the main sou rce of difficulties and the President poinactivity within IFATCA. A total of four new Corporation ted out how esse nt ial it was that ou r fell ow- controllers in Members had joined the Federation during the year and those co unt ries felt that they belonged to IFATCA's worldthere were ind ications that other industries we re go ing to apply for affiliation. The Executive Board noted that with wide community.

Another source of difficulties was the industrial unrest IACA it was the second t ime t hat Airlines parti cipated which again d isturbed the aviation world during the past act ively in the Federation 's activities. year. Europe seemed to have been the favourite region for Mr. Monin remarked on the tremendous work done industrial disputes and they had reached alarming proporduring the past year in the administrat ive sector, and said tio ns. but similar difficulties had been experienced in other that he wished to place on reco rd his app reciation of M r. parts of the world. The Executive Board regretted that on Harrison's dedication to the ATC wo rld and to IFATCA in some o ccasions rel ationshi ps between the parties involved particular. It was not easy fo r those w ho were not directly deteriorated to such an extent that negotiations failed and involved in the everyday work of IFATCA to im agine the d irect contacts between ATC Associations and their workload of the Executive Secretary. Everyone in IFATCA A uthorities ceased to exist. had also been able to appreciate the activity of the newly Dissatisfaction and feelings of frustration among Air appointed Editor, Mr. de Boer, w ho within a very short time Traffic Controllers were often due more to a lack of profesafter the Reykjavik Conference had revived t he J ournal of sional recogn iti on t han to purely social problems. It must the Federation, which was certainly no easy task. be we ll understood that when industrial action was taken The new organisation of the Executive Board with t hree Vice-Presidents (Administrative, Technical and Profess iona l) by one cou ntry, the burden of the traffic was transferred to had allowed a better distribution of th e tasks. But it must the controllers operating t he ATC systems of neighbou ring be said that the workload had often reached the maximum countries which soo n caused difficult and stressful situathat could be expected from voluntary efforts and t h is tions. T here was a basic need for a complete and worldshould be borne in mind when delegates started thinking wide recognition of the "PROFESSION OF AIR TRAFFIC in terms of expansion. To streamline and illustrate the work CONTROL" by Aviation Authorities and t he Board believed of the Board, the President proposed that in the f uture a that proper recognition of the professional skills of the Air 8

The Israeli Minister of Transport speaks at the Opening Session.

composite report of the President and the three Vice-Presidents would be presented to the Annual Conference.

During the year the Executive Board had made use of the media in an increased manner to express the views of the Federation on particular matters. In addition to press conferences at Conference or at Executive Board meeting s, several press releases were issued. The Board would continue its public relations effort in this direction.

The Standing Committees had co ntinued their studi es and the results would be tabled at this Conference. The Executive Board was pleased that SC.II and SC.Ill had been given new impetus and that the new SC.VII "Legal Matters" and the Sub-Committee IV "Medical" had a good start. The Regional Liaison Officers performed the duties of their offices sometimes under difficult circumstances. The lack of contact with the Liaison Officer for South America had been a worry to the Executive Board. It was hoped that some of the difficulties that had occurred would be overcome by th e new organisation of the Regional Councillors.

With the continuous growth of the Federati on, it became obvious that some kind of regional organisation would be needed. For some years now a North American Safety Committee had been functioning between CATCA and PATCO whilst regular meetings between the Scandinavian countries and between Hungary and Austria were t aking place. On a proposal by the French Association , it was decided to set up a European Working Group for the study of a new European Airways Plan. Thi s group w ith the approval by this Conference would be led by the newly to be elected Western European Councillor. This development of IFATCA was heartening and the Executive Board hoped that such regional cooperation would also take place in othe r IFATCA regions.

Co-operation with other International Organisations co ntinued unabated, such as attendance by IFATCA at the ~CAO sponsored Flow Control meetings in Paris. Although it had not been possible to attend all the ICAO meetings (the ASIA/PAC meeting, because of a late application, and the 8th ANC, because the Federation - this time - had no positive contribution to make, were cases in point) , cooperation between the Federation and ICAO had been extended and on several occasions SC.I had produced some valu able material or comments for ICAO. After carefu l consideration with the Executive Secretary and SC. I, the Executive Board had applied for IFATCA to be put on the

ICAO list of organisations for invitatio n as Observers at ICAO rneetings, without necessity for the ICAO Council to decide for each individual meeting.

Good relations were also maintained with the International Labour Organisation, and IFATCA had accepted an invitation to attend the preparatory meeting for Civil Aviation to be held in Geneva from 3-10 October 1974. The task for the meeting wi ll be the "Identification of social and labour problems and sco pe for ILO action in the field of Civil Aviation".

Our approach to IATA with the object of varyi ng the ir Resolution 200 on the question of rebated travel for Federation activities had not met with success so far. The President said th at he regretted that the Airlines still did not seem to recognise the work achieved by IFATCA in the field of aviation safety. As a result, our Regional Liaison Officer in Hong Kong had not been able to attend the 1973 IFALPA Conference in Tokyo. Good contact, however, was nevertheless maintened with IFALPA by the Executive Secretary and SC.I. The Technical Vice-President and Mr. M. Randell from SC.I attended the RAC/COM Study Group meeting in Rome and Messrs. Randell and G. Cox from SC.I attended the other meeting of this Group held in London. The Regional Liai son Officer for the Caribbean and Northern South America area, Mr. E. Ch . M. Nicolaas, represented the Federation at the 1974 29th IFALPA Co nference in Caracas, Venezuela.

Mr. F. Mente of SC.IV participated in the 21st International Congress of Aviation and Space Medicine in Munich and read a paper specially prepared for the Congress. The Executive Secretary presented a paper on behalf of IFATCA to a Symposium held at the University of Manchester on "Stress in Air T raffic Contro l". Owing to internal reasons, the Professional Vice-President had not been able to participate in the WEAAP Conference in Paris as planned, which was a matter of much regret. Further contacts were established with the International Civil Airports Association and the Airport Associations Co-ordinating Council.

The President concluded his report by sayi ng that he had outlined only the main activities of the Federation during the past year, but that so much more co uld be added. At repeated intervals the need had been stressed to improve contacts and co-o peration. Many diffic ulti es had already been overcome but the task ahead remained tremendous. The Executive Board now left it to Co nference

9

/ -

Conference partic ipants listening to speeches at the Opening Session.

~ to decide upon the activities of the Federation in the coming year. During the days ahead, personal or national feelings would need to be subjugated and superseded by common concepts and philosophies to fit into every day reality. Priorities would have to be set up with regard to both the finances and the administration of the Federation.

But, no doubt, the delegates' professional skills would once again be used in the most efficient manner to make the 13th Conference anothe r success for IFATCA.

Appointment of Committees In accordance with usual procedure, the following Committees we re appointed to deal with the Agenda subjects allocated to them, and to report to the Final Plenary Session, together with their recommendations: Committee A , Administration and Nomination.

Committee B. Technical Matters.

Committee C, Professional Matters.

The following Committee Committee Committee

were appointed Chairmen : A : Mr. R. Soden (Australia) ; B : Mr. J . A. Saker (United Kingdom) ; C : Mr. J . E. Kouk (Canada).

Adjournment of the First Plenary Session The Plenary Session adjourned after making the appointments.

Committee A -

"Administration"

After Mr. E. Bradshaw (United Kingdom) and Mr. E. McCluskey (United Kingdom) had been appointed as Deputy Chairman and as Secretary respectively, business commenced. The following is a resume of the proceedings : Recommendations recommended to Plenary: On a stra ight vote the Resolution A1 of the 12th Annual Conference was carried. This reads: Eligi ble for affiliation as a Member Association Is any professional Association, Organisation or Guild of Air Trafti c Control personnel whose technical objectives are essentially the same as those of the Federation provided that one Assa-

10

ciation only fr om any one State or properly constituted International Organisation be accepted. (In a separate vote taken during the Final Plenary Session. this recommendation failed to get the necessary two-thirds majority); That Ind ividual Membership of the Federation Is o nly possible through membership of one of the Member Associations; That the Eurocontrol Guild of Air Traffic Services be accepted as a Member Assoc iation. (In a separate vote taken during the Final Plenary Session, this recommendation failed to get a two-thirds majority); That Mexico be accepted as a Member Associat ion; That all Member Associations Increase liaison with neighbouring Member Associations by holding j oint meeti ngs of their Board o f Officials or their representatives; That Member Associations provi de Information o n their acti vities and problems to the Executive Board ; That Regional Councillors shall be Chairmen of Regiona l Standing Committees assigned to their reg ions, and that Regi onal Standing Committees shall be appointed from Member Associations within the region preferably the Associ ation of the Regional Counc illor but that all Member Associations shall have the right to vote annually on the appointment ; That the Report of the President be accepted w ith the following additions: " Because of statements made In the IFATCA Circular. approved by the Executive Board, concerning the troubles the German Association was having with Its Administration, it was deemed necessary to have a meeting with the Board of Officers of GATCA. wh ich took place at the IFATCA Executive Board Meeting In Frankfurt In March 1974. After an open and frank exchange of views, i t was agreed that any inferences that might have seemed derogatory to GATCA was not the intent of IFATCA. Incomplete Information by IFATCA resulted in an inappropriate dissemination of news. This was most certainly not the Intent of IFATCA as It is our responsibility to help and not hinder any Member Association. Therefore, we feel It i s appropriate to apologise for any personal feelings of misunderstanding and to do so at this time.

"Further to the statement made previously by the Executi ve Board concerning the meetings held with various aviation parti es in Frankfurt in an attempt to help In some manner to resolve the probl ems existing, we must further state that th is was not co-ordinated in the proper manner. We assure you It w ill not happen again. " The foll owing statement was made by the German Association : "The statements as made by the Executive Board of IFATCA have solved the problems which had resulted from the publications in the IFATCA Circulars and by meeting various aviation parties in the F.R.G. GATCA would like to expre ss its appreciation and its belief that further fru itful participation In the work programmes of IFATCA Is continued. On this occasion GATCA wou ld li ke to apologise that for various reasons It was unable to provide complete information during 1973;" That the Reports of the Vice-President Technical, Vice-President Professional, Vice-President Admi nistrative, Treasurer and Auditors. and the Executive Secretary be accepted. The Directors expressed their deep appreciation of the work carried out by the Executive Secretary;

Happy Delegates during a pause In the Committee Sessions.

That the Report of the Editor be accepted. The Chairman expressed the gratitude of the Directors for the work done by the Editor In resurrecting such a fine publication as "THE CONTROLLER .. ; That a reward be presented at each Annual Conference starting in 1975 to the controller who submits the best article for publication In the Journal during the year; That the Report of Standing Committee II, with the exception of Para. 7.5. be accepted, and that Para. 9.5. of the Report be added to the Term s of Reference of the Executive Secretary ; That the Terms of Reference drawn up for Standing Committee 11 by the Executive Board and the Committee be accepted; That the Editor and Treasurer be charged to Investigate a cheaper Printing House, maintaining quality if possible, and report to the next Conference. In the meantime subscription rates be kept as at the 1974 Conference with postage charged to readers ; That the Report of Standing Committee Ill without Appendix I. and as amended, be accepted; That starting In 1975 IFATCA pays expenses for hotel accomodation and dally allowance, exclud ing travel expenses for: 7 Chairmen of Standing Committees, 3 Chairmen and 3 Secretaries of Conference Comm ittees A, B and C; That annual subscriptions for 1975 and 1976 shall be fixed at the amount accepted for 1974, subject to minor adaptions (rounding off to whole Swiss Francs) ; Standing Committee VI : The Committee went into Closed Session to discuss the first paragraph of the Report. The Committee came out of Closed Session to discuss Conference Venues taken together with the U.K. Paper 74 A. 19; That Paper 74 A. 19 be referred to SC. VI for further study to be presented to the 14th Annual Conference in Melbourne. The Report of SC. VI was withd rawn except for Paragraph 6; That the names and addresses of Member Associations ' Officers be removed from the Manual and changes distributed to Member Associations through the Ci rculars; Standing Committee VI I Legal Matters: " Indemnity of the Executive Board .. ; Paper 74 C. 16 was accepted as study material. Owing to the urgency of the matter however, the following recommendations were accepted: That SC. Il l be charged with studying the financ ial consequences, charges, taxes, etc. which would result were the Federation to Incorporate under Swiss Law; That SC. Ill be charged with informing SC. VII of the requirements under Swiss Law whether any number of Swiss nationals should comprise the Executive Board should incorporation be achieved under Swiss Law; That SC. Ill be charged with Investigating possible indemnity Insurance cover in Switzerland; That for the purposes of U.K. Law the President of the Federation shall be considered to be the Honorary Secretary of the Federation with full supervisory powers over the Office of the Executive Secretary; That as l ong as the Executive Sec retary is resident in the U.K. , his written contrac t shall inc lude the protection of an employee In the U.K. Contracts of Employment Act 1963; That the Reports of the Regional Liaison Officers of Australia, Central America/Caribbean, Eastern Europe, Far East, Mediterranean/

••wna.

Africa. be accepted. No Report had been received from South America; That the following Regional Councillors be elected: North and Central America, Mr. H. H. Henschler (Canada) for two years; South America, Mr. J. Beder (Uruguay) for two years (in v iew of communications difficulties Netherlands Antilles will assist); Caribbean, Mr. E. Ch. M. Nicolaas (Netherlands Antil les) for two years; Australia and New Zealand, Mr. R. Soden (Australia) for two years; Far East, Mr. I. Hutchinson (Hong Kong) for one year; Middle East. Mr. E. loannou (Cyprus) for one year ; Eastern Europe, Mr. A . Nagy (Austria) for one year; Western Europe, Mr. G. Bjerke (Norway) for two years; Africa.

Mr. G. K. Anthonio (Ghana) for one year; That the Work Programme for SC. II be that contained in the Report of SC. II; T hat the Work Programme for SC. Ill be IFATCA finances and the Resolutions resulting from discussion of Paper 74 A. 12, and that the SC. study the updated costs of a management establishment for IFATCA Including a permanent secretariat; That in addition to studies on Conference venues, SC. VI assisted by the U. K. Guild make a number of editorial corrections to the Manual based on a comprehensive list already prepared by the U.K. Guild; That the President, Vice-President Professional and Treasurer (Messrs. J-D. Monin , Switzerland ; R. E. Meyer, U.S.A; and J . Gubelman n, Switzerland) who were unopposed. be re-elected to the Executive Board for a further two-year term of office ; 1975 Conference - The Conference will be held in Melbourne, Australia, f rom the 14th-18th April, 1975. The Final Plenary will be held on the Friday; 1976 Conference - That the venue of Surinam be cancelled.

Invitations were received f rom Cyprus and Netherlands Antilles for 1976. T hat the invitation of Cyprus be accepted for Nicosia; 1977 Conference - Invitations were rece ived from Channel Islands, Rhodesia. Netherl ands Antilles, France. That the invitation of France be provisionally accepted; That South Africa be appointed as responsible for SC. II ; That Switzerl and be appointed as responsible for SC. 111: That Canada be appointed as responsible for SC VI: Alter lull discussion, the following recommendations were made: That the Budget income for 1974 from Member Associations be based on 5000 members for PATCO (USA); and that the Budget 1974 and Provisional Budget 1975 be accepted ; That Paper 74.A.22 regarding the Status of Corporation Members be referred for further stud y by Corporation Members; That the following will provide Chairmen and Secretaries for Conference at Melbourne in Committee A: Australia, United Kingdom; That the Conference Report as currently produced, be discontinued and that each Member Association be supplied with three copie~ of the corrected Committee Reports. and that the Editor incl ude a resume in the first possible issue of ,.The Controller .. after Annual Conference; That Manual Page 2.7.2 Para 3.2 be amended to read: ''To qualify for the IFATCA Scroll of Honour, the Recipient must be an Individual Member, Member Association, Individual Corporate Member representative, or a Corporate Member of the Federation:

11

Busy Delegates during a Committee Session.

That the Guild of Air Traffic Control Officers (U.1q be awarded the Scroll of Honour for the outstanding services it has given to the Federation on the management of SC. I; That the decision be taken at this Conference and the Scroll be presented with solemnity at the next Convention of the Guild by a delegation of the Executive Board of IFATCA; That the distribution of IFATCA Policy be undertaken only at the request of a Member Association or non-Member Association.

Committee B -

"Technical"

Mr. C. V. Pile (Rhodesia) was elected as Vice Chairman and Mr. D. Nankivell (Australia) as Secretary of the Committee.

Recommendations recommended to Plenary: That the Report of the Chairman of SC. I be accepted. In discussion , Germany stressed the need to reduce the work-load of SC. I , 10 ensure that its tasks could be thoroughly and efficiently discharged ; That the amendment to IFATCA Technical Policy Statements listed in Working Paper 74 B . 2. be accepted, and that the Technical Polley Statements-1974 be accepted with the proviso that the index page 1 to PANS RAC be amended editorially at the next issue; That the subject of Automated Interchange of NG Data should remain as a continuing work study on the SC. I programme; That, in view of the evolutionary nature of this subject, 11 is recommended that the Area Navigation System paper remain as a continuing work study item on the SC. I programme. During the discussion the ICAO Observer stated that he had no knowledge of the q uestionnaire referred to in WP 74.B.3.2.; That IFATCA recognises that the development of Airborne AntiCollision Devices shou ld be encouraged and developed as a matter of urgency. However, ii must be recognised that the primary means of collision avoidance within the control environment must continue to be the Air Traffic Control System ; it is recommended that the subject of Airborne Collision Avoidance Systems should remain on the SC . I work programme ; That the Working Paper on the subject of Reduced Longitudinal Separation. after amendment, be accepted. The U.K. delegation recorded their appreciation, on behalf of SC. I, lo the Austrian Association for the work done on this subject; That the WP concerning preparation for the 81h ANC be accepted.

Flow Control: A number of amendments to the WP outlining draft IFATCA policy were agreed upon, and para. 4 of the paper would now serve as a statement of IFATCA policy on the flow control in Western Europe ; the annex to the WP was amended to reflect the changes made. Note was taken by the Committee of a general statement m ade by IATA In response to various questions raised during the discussion . This statement stressed the severe restraints based on operat ions by IATA companies, the need to assure the continued viab ility of the industry. the special problems of the needs to conserve fuel. the res traints created by t he rigid Upper Airspace/ Lower Airspace division . and the need for flexibility in operating including the use of a lternate cruising levels ;

12

That Member Associations In the Western European Area provi de SC. I, by 15th October each year, with an assessment of the effectiveness of flow reg ulation procedures during the peak summer traffic period, together with any proposals for improvements for the following summer. The subjects covered shou ld inc lude: (a) Route structure/capacity/uti lisation (Including temporary routes and possible system overload in spite of flow control measures); (b) Flow regulation procedures and their Imp le mentation (including the preferential level system and reduced l ongitudina l separatio n); (c) Implementation machinery.

It was also recommended that the ICAO Paris Office be asked to provide IFATCA with reports on ATMG sub-group meetings in addition to the reports on full EANPG meetings already provided; That the report of the IFATCA delegation to the 71h Informal Flow Control Meeting In Paris, as amended following proposals by Germany, be accepted. After a genera l discussion It was decided that at lhe next Informal Flow Control Meeting an agreement must be reached on a common concept regarding flow lead figures. A WP introduced by the French Association which outlined the main points of the report was also accepted; That the WP regarding Supersonic Transports introduced by the French Association, after amendment, be accepted. In discussion ii was agreed that para. 6 should be considered by Committee as potential IFATCA policy statement, and that consideration should then be given lo the items listed In para. 7 of the working Paper. as possible future work study programme Items, but , Initially, onl y item 4 ~hould be taken into account. (During Fina l Plenary, notice of variation was given in respect of some of the Items agreed on); That, in considering the work programme for 1974/ 5, account should be taken of the requirement to study Linear Holding Procedures; That the WP on Automation in ATC Introduced by U.S.A. be accepted. The U.S. delegate commented verball y on many operational aspects of the application of automation to ATC stressing the req uirement for very thorough training procedures. In discussion of the paper, Eurocontrol commented on operational experience gained with MADAP. Corporate Members stressed the need to ensure that automated facilities were designed to flt the ATC system and not vice-versa. Further discussion was aimed at determining in what areas IFATCA policy be developed. It was ag reed that SC. I should study the essential principles needed for the safe and efficient introduction and use of automated facilities. A s mall working-group was established to specify in detail the areas for study by IFATCA; That the following study areas be recommended by this subgroup: (i) Automation of existing techniques, e. g. FPL handling ; (ii) New techniques already Introduced by automation, e. g. l abel displays.

Under the above-mentioned headings, the following should be discussed: (a) Separation Standards; (b) Interfacing (Military-Civil , Stale lo Stale, System lo Syslem); (c) Rellablllty; (d) Controller Training; (e) Impact of automation on the individual controller; (f) Future advancement of automation (AREANAV, SST Conflict Prediction, Flow Regulation and Automatic Data Exchange);

The hard-pressed Team: from left to right, Mr. T . H. Harrison, IFATCA's Executive Secretary; Mrs. S. Mor, the Conference Secretary, and Mr. Wi lly Katz, President of the Israeli Association.

That a questionnaire based on the above guidelines be prepared and circulated to the Member Associations with a view to the formulation of IFATCA policy on automation at the next IFATCA Conference. and that MAs regard the completion and return of this questionnaire as a top priority; That the WP on Omit Report Procedures be accepted, and that Omit Report Procedures be deleted from the 1974n5 work program; T hat. al though no WP was submitted for this Conference, SC. I (Canada) continue with the study of Safety Committees and prepare a paper for the 1975 Conference In order to establish IFATCA policy; That the subject Turbulent Wake be re-instated on the SC. I work programme for 1974n5 and that Member Associations provide relevant information directly to the German Association as soon as possible.

During Committee discussions It became apparent that in v iew of the Inc reasing complexity of turbulent wake separation requirements, the subject, which had been deleted from the SC. I work programme at the 1973 Conference, should be re-Instated. Germany agreed to take on this subject agai n, but stressed the need for MAs to provide information to them on their c urrent procedures and the problems associated with their application; That the subject of civi l/military integration be placed on the 1974/5 work programme. The Nordic Group (Norway , Sweden, Denmark and Finland) felt that the past working papers on civil/mi litary integration had contained excellent guidance material, but no IFATCA policy had been formu lated. They therefore suggested that thi s subject be re-instated on the work programme with a view to the formul ation of policy from existing guidance material for presentation at the 1975 Conference; New European Airways Pl an: Earlier in the Committee proceedings, the Working Paper was disc ussed to consider whether a sub-group wou ld be needed to examine specific areas before f ull consideration of the paper by the Committee. T he Vice-President Technical presented the paper giving additional background information. Discussion evolved around what IFATCA was seeking to achieve in its work on the European Airways Plan. Germany stressed the limitations of IFATCA's resou rces and finan ces and stated that It would be unable to provide the information called for in the questionnaire. II pointed out that the ATMG (EANPG) were activel y considering route structures in Europe. (l ater, in Final Plenary, France, in again opposing some of the German vi ewpoints expressed, stressed the slow rate of progress being made. that Airlines were l oosing considerable amounts of money and that the controllers involved were disappointed in the lack of improvement). A ustral ia, Canada Netherlands and USA supported the principle that regional matter~ of this nature should be handled by Regional Commi ttees.

The following rel evant comments were made by Observers : ICAO stated that EANPG were studying a long-term solution but were inevitably sl ow moving. IFATCA shoul d consider making an Input on the sub ject of European route structure deve lopment, by influencing their National Adm inistrations and by actively participating In existing bodies (e. g. EANPG); EUROCONTROL pointed out that they were already working on this subject and that IFATCA Inputs might be made directly to them : IATA considered that IFATCA input to EANPG was of great Importance;

One of the Corporate Members stressed the size of the task involved. and suggested that IFATCA's role m ight best be to draw attention to the problem areas encountered by Member Associations.

When the Working Paper was fully considered , discussion cantered around IFATCA"s required objectives In progressing this subject.

It ':'as eventually concluded that further consideration by the Executive Board was required. It was recommended that the foll owing policy statement be accepted: " IFATCA is ceeply concerned with the sl ow rate of progress in the restructu rin g of the European Airways System ". The WPs concerning the matter were refc-•red back to the Executive Board for further consideration¡ That the WP regarding the IFALPA RAC/COM Study-Group Meeting be accepted. The Greek Association advised that due to lack of information o n the incidents concerned they could not understand the reasons for the comment made regarding R/T uti lisation in item 8 of the Appendix; That. as only one nomination was forthcom ing. the U. K. Guild be once again recommended for appointment as SC. I for 1974n 5.

During preliminary discussions the U.K. Guild , currently responsible for SC. I. reiterated again their desire to see another association take over this task, in the general interests of the Federation ; That the work programme for SC. I for 1974n5 and the delegati on of tasks as set out be accepted. In d iscussi on, Commi ttee B felt that a more regionalised approach to techn ical matters was necessary due to t he regional nature of some of the Items. To ensure that the Federation uses its resources wisely It was rec ommended that In seeking resolutions to situations of a reg ional nature related to the IFATCA Techn ical Comm ittee, IFATCA Regional Councillors be responsib le for o rganising , as directed by Annual Conference or the Executive Board, tem porary working committees, comprised of representatives of MAs of a region so affected. Any comm ittee so form ed would report to their respective Regional Counc illor who woul d liaise with SC. I as necessary and In turn report to the IFATCA Annual Conference and the Executive Board. It was furth er recom mended that any IFATCA International Policy should be promulgated with a view to international requirements. and regi onal policy should be formed within the guidelines of the International policy.

Some of the more important items placed on SC. I's work programme were : Preparation for ICAO 9th ANC Meeting (bri efs and working papers as considered necessary for presentation at the next Annual Conference in relation to the proposed agenda); Application of Secondary Surveillance Radar; Area Navigation Systems and Techniques; Transitional Altitudes; Simultaneous use of Parallel Runways ; Monitoring Devi ces in ATS Units ; Speed Control/Rationalisation on ATS Routes and A ir Traffic Flow Management.

Other Business: Emergency A/G Communications The necessity for the ATC Authority to be Informed early in an aircraft emergency was emphasised to be imperative. The Committee felt that the operation of some form of emer gency equi pment would s ignificantly assist the pilot In the situation. It was fell that IFATCA coul d not al one make a positive recommendation for the improvement in A/G communication facilities In aircraft emergency. II was recommended that IFATCA consult IFALPA to determine the

13

The Cyprus Del egation to host IFACTA '76. action necessary to improve A/G communication facilities in an aircraft emergency.

IATA Statement on Fuel Problems The IATA representative made a statement to the Committee concerning the need to ensure the continued viability of operating Airl ines in the face of increasing fuel costs .

The Canadian delegation, supported by Australia, later issued a statement in relati on to the IATA position.

Committee C -

" Professional"

The Committee elected Mr. A. Avgoustis (Cyprus) as Vice-Chairman and Mr. C. Avenell (Australia) as Secretary.

The following recommendations acceptance by Plenary:

were

adopted

for

That the report of Standing Committee IV on Human and Env ironmental Factors in ATC be accepted. There was a l engthy discussion on the questionnaire with SC. IV requesting that answers to questions continue to be submitted. An extremely comprehensive Information Handbook was accepted from the Standing Committee, and Committee C acknowledges the great amount of work involved with the publication ; That the paper on Job Analysis be accepted. The question of cost for the scientific study should be investigated; That the report on the evaluation of the questionnaire for Updating of the l. L.O. Report be accepted. Limited copies of the Handbook referred to above were available, 1 per association; That the report on Second Career, Early Retirement and Pension Schemes. after amendment, be accepted. After considerable discussion as to whether " Second Career " subject be removed from SC IV to SC . V, it was recommended that the subject of " Early Retirement and Pension Schemes" be removed from the SC. IV working programme temporarily. However, these subjects could again be included in future working papers when additional and new information becomes available; That the original paper on the Establishment of a Library be withdrawn and a revised paper be accepted. The library will be established and the language used w i ll be Engl ish as It is Impossible to make w hol e t ranslations. SC. IV advised that due to workload this had a low priority during this year but has been included in work programme for 1974n5; That the paper o n Medical Aspects by the French Association, as amended. be accepted. Some reservations were expressed on the medical terminology used ; That the following reports, after amendment, be accepted: Report o n the l.T.F. Civil Aviation Ground Staff Conference, Amsterdam 12- 13 Nov. 1974, and the Report on the International Congress of Aviation and Space Medicine Munich 17-21 Sept. 1974. It was noted that IFATCA, through SC. IV continues its contacts with SATCRA; T hat the paper by Stand ing Commit1ee V on Recruitment and Training of Air Traffic Controllers, after amendment, be accepted.

Canada advised that they are withdrawing from SC. V; That the report by Standing Committee VII be accepted. The Chairman of the SC. spoke to Committee C on the progress made

14

looking

forward

during the first year of his SC. , and there was no discussi on on the report. On the subject of Liabillty of the Controller, a lengthy but informative debate of great Interest to all controllers took p lace.

The spokesman stated that only llmlted Information f rom other countries was available and that In fact it was not a working plan but a report.

Liability of the controller will depend upon all factor s inc luding equipment, procedures; sometimes errors of other controllers or assistants may make the controller concerned liable. N aturally , If the controller is negligent he wil l be responsibl e. In t he U SA, a case which came before a U.S. court found a controller liable for neg ligence despite the fact that he had acted accord ing to the "book".

In regard to the llablllty of the controller under international l aw: example (A) Eurocon trol and (B) Where controllers in one State go on strike and the neighbouring State c ontrollers assume control or responsibillty of the striking controllers' ai rspace. T he Eurocontrol controller would most certainly be bound by the established rules formulated by the States concerned . Investigation of incidents is carried out by the Eurocontrol administration, whil st the investigation of acci dents by both Eurocontrol and the National Authority over whose territory the accident occurred.

The following recommendations were passed : That the Executive Board of IFATCA commun icate to the ICAO Legal Bureau its concern over controllers' liabi lity to criminal and civil act ion while exercising their professional duties and urge ICAO to pursue all means of limiting this liabil ity under International public law as soon as possible; That the report on the Analysis of SC. VII Questionnaire, as amended, be accepted. It was stated that SC. VII did not receive enoug h repl ies to the questionnaire, however It fulfilled the purpose for which it was issued; That the paper on Legal Devel opments In Avi ation , after am endment, be accepted, and that the subject continue to form part of the function of SC. VII and that further Information be sought from al l countries; That the paper presented by Australia o n the metier of Investigation of Incidents, as amended, be accepted. T he subject was of great importance as it concerned primaril y Air Traffic C ontrollers and sought to protect them and pr omote safety. Australia was searching for information on Investigations from other countries and asked other MAs to comment. Three countries were presentl y used as a source of information : Australia, New Zealand and Canada. It was recommended that ICAO should be approached with a view to becoming authority in the collection, correlation and dissemination of statistics and facts or Incidents, and that Member Associations produce INCIDENT SUMMAR IES and/ or SAFETY DIGESTS annualy and forward them to SC. VII by 31st December each year. Also that SC. VII provide the Editor of THE CONTROLLER w ith selected examples of significant Incidents received from MAs for publicati on at regular interval s In the Journal. Names and places to be suppressed as necessary at the discretion of the MAs; That the report by the Chairman of SC VII o n ATC C learances Contrary to Administrat ive Directions, after amend ment, be accepted.

The Icelandic delegate requested a note be added to m ake the information on Icel and's ex perience last year more complete ; this was accepted and is as follows: " Flight pl ans of the Nimrod aircraft were

The Stand of the Australian Association In the Sheraton Hotel promoting the 1975 Conference In Melbourne. submitted at all times and the action of the Icelandic controllers was done in agreement with the Head of ATC In Iceland. Political di fferences on this matter were secondary to air safety and there were no penalties against the controllers."

On the question of hijacking It was resolved that all information and assistance possi ble be afforded the aircraft but i t still remains a topic with no complete answer. A representative of IFALPA was present and answered questions submitted by the delegates.

The following recommendations were passed: That IFATCA, either through its President or Executive Secretary, or individual MAs or the Chairman of SC. VII, or all the above In association with IFALPA, communicates to all Member States of ICAO, the ICAO SecretaryGeneral and other international organisations that Air Traffic Controllers all over the world are concerned with the recent tendency of some Governments to refuse Air Traffic Control Clearances and Services to hi-jacked aircraft, particularly landing- and departure clearances, within their t erritories; That all the above be Informed that IFATCA will no longer remain inert but intends to take such action as necessary to assist the hi-jaeked aircraft In effecting a safe landing in the name of Safety in A ir Navigation and If necessary seek the assistance of other professional organisations to pursuade States from taking such Inhuman action. (In Final Plenary, some delegations regi stered their abstentions); The Stand ing Committee VII inc lude in their work prog ramme an investigation on the experiences (from the ATC point of view) on hijacking; That Germany, Belgium and Netherlands be appointed at SC IV with the proviso that Sub-Committee IV be retained by Switzerland and France; That Australia assisted by Netherlands A nti lles be appointed as SC V; That Cyprus, Netherlands, U.K., Israel and Australia be appointed as Standing Commi ttee VII ; That the work programmes drawn up for SCs. IV, V and VII be approved. SC. IV will, among other projects, eva luate the miss ing answers from 16 MAs to ils recent questionnaire; up-date part I of the questionnaire (all MAs); compose part II , and start analysing the answers and prepare a report. SC. V will liaise with Canada to establish work background ; Investigate and report on training content, t raining methods, interrel ation of recruitment and trai ning w ith automation, and carry out other tasks. SC. VII will continue the study on Legal Developments; give legal adv ice to MAs w hich may need it; study further the Controller's Liability and how an International Convention may be introduced through ICAO; issue a questionnaire; study the effects on hi-jacking on the controller; continue and expand t he Study on Inc ident Investigation Procedu res, and other assig nments.

Other Business A presentation was made by the representative from the I.LO. Th e President of IFATCA spoke and urged ou r involvement with I.LO. IFATCA suggests to all contro ll ers who will attend the ILO Preparatory Meeting for Civi l

Aviation in Geneva later thi s year to co-ordinate their views during the meeting in ord er to contribute to its success.

Uruguay reported that they felt working conditions and standard of training in Uruguay were sub-standard. They requested : (a) assistance in train ing; (b) assistance to improve working conditions. It was recommended, with one abstention, that t he Executive Board or a representative should examine t he professio nal conditions of Air Traffic Control in Uruguay at first hand as soon as possible. O n the bas is of this examination approaches shou ld be made to the appropriate authorities to attempt to alleviate the situation.

Final Plenary Session The final Pl enary Sessi on convened on 23rd May, 1974.

The President, Mr. J-D. Monin, introduced Prof. Jacob Schenkmann, Dr. SC., Inte rn ational Transport Consultant and authority on Air T raffic Control, who is connected w ith the United Nations and who has w ritten a number of books on our profession. Prof. Schenkmann, who had asked to address the Meeting , spoke about the indispensable role of the Air Traffic Co ntroller in the world of international transport, and stressed that in spite of automation and computerisation , the controller could not be replaced, now o r in the future.

Presentation of the Reports of Committees A, Band c The three Chairmen , in turn, reported on the work of thei r Committees. Th e acceptance of their Reports was proposed, and accepted. (For the few amendments which we re made in Final Pl enary, see the reports on the Committee sessions). To clarify the situation as to eligibility for Profess ional Membership of the Federation, the pos ition now reverts to that which existed before the 1973 Conference, namely: " Eligible fo r affi liatio n as a Member Association is any p rofessiona l Assoc iation, Organisation or Guild of Air Traffic Control personnel whose technical objectives are essentially the same as those of the Federation."

Mr. Mon in, amid acclamation, presented to the representatives of the Mexican Air Traffic Controllers' Association, the Charter of Affiliation to the Federation. The Leader of

15

the Mexican delegation said that his Association was proud to be admitted into the IFATCA family; he wished to thank the Directors for their support of Mexico's application and expressed his countrymen's confidence in fruitful cooperation to the mutual benefit of the parties concerned.

The application for affiliation by the Eurocontrol Guild of Air Traffic Services, as earlier reported, on a separate vote in Final Plenary failed to get the necessary two-thirds majority.

The representatives of three of the four new Corporation Members who were present, Messrs. A. Pfiffner, R. Adderley and T. A. Cauty (the last two no strangers to IFATCA!) addressed the Meeting in turn with greetings and words of acknowledgment for the acceptance of their companies into the Federation's fold.

after year if necessary until its application had met with success, many felt that the outcome at next year's Conference could well be different.

Finally, Mr. R. N. Harrison spoke a few words on behalf of the Corporation Members who attended the Conference.

Two individual members of IFATCA, Mr. D. Lopes, Director of the Netherlands Antilles delegation, and Mr. R. Soden, Director of the Australian delegation, expressed the feelings of all when they thanked the Israeli members for their hospitality and the great welcome extended to the Conference participants. Mr. Soden added that next year, in Melbourne, another regal welcome would await those who registered for the 1975 Conference.

Final Address by the President of IFATCA Addresses by Guests and Observers Representatives of a number of International Organisations who attended the Conference then addressed the Meeting. Mr. E. Lener (ILO) spoke of the work of his Organisation and said that he was pleased that IFATCA would be represented at the ILO Preparatory Meeting for Civil Aviation scheduled for Geneva later this year. Mr. L. Armen (IATA) mentioned the need for fuel conservation in view of today's greatly increased fuel prices. Mr. R. Levy of the Israeli Pilots' Assocation, representing IFALPA, wished the Federation continued success and said that he had attended the sessions of Committee B (Technical) with interest. Mr. J. Bartel (AACC, represented for the first time) talked about his Organisation's work, its aims and objectives.

An interesting address was given by the representative of IANC (Mr. A. Maneus) who graphically described his dying profession which would not last for much longer than 10 to 20 years, and he advised our Federation to start making a nest egg by increasing subscriptions to counter bad times which could be around the corner? The following speaker was Mr. J. Starowolsky wha represented IFATSEA; he expressed his Federation's hopes for a good and fruitful co-operation. The spokesman for FAA (USA) complimented the Federation on its responsible attitude to the problems on automation (FAA was represented by two representatives from its European Region).

Mr. Roger Bartlett, Eurocontrol Guild of Air Traffic Services, was the next speaker. After thanking the Directors who had voted for the admittance of his Organisation with its 114 members, he expressed his Guild's deep disappointment that other Directors had voted against admitting the Guild, and that the necessary two-thirds majority had therefore not materialised. Mr. Bartlett, who said that he was speaking as a European and not as a national of a particular country, explained in detail why it was necessary that the Eurocontrol controllers should join the international controllers' community, and outlined clearly why he felt that the decision should have gone the other way. His members at home would not understand easily why some European Associations were so anxious not to loose a small number of members to the newly formed Eurocontrol Guild, and both the Federation and the Guild would loose another year's professional expertise. There was no doubt that Mr. Bartlett's words struck sympathy; his speech was listened to in attentive silence and, judged by the acclaim afterwards, especially after Mr. Bartlett concluded his speech by saying that Eurocontrol would be back, year

16

"Once again I think it is clear that we have had a successful Conference here in Tel Aviv. It may seem early to speak about success as, obviously, the real output of this Conference will only be seen when the new policies and recommendations have been implemented, which is the task we have now in hand. We may however, appreciate the difficult work achieved in the three Conference Committees, which has resulted in a total of 116 recommendations - a new record. I wish to record my appreciation to the excellent guidance given by the three Committee Chairmen: Ray Soden, John Saker, and Jim Kouk, and the tremendous work they have accomplished together with their Vice-Chairmen and Secretaries.

"My appreciation goes also to Willy Katz and the Israeli Association who, in spite of all the difficulties they encountered, have - by their steadfast efforts - made this Conference another milestone in the history of the Federation.

As we all know, this has been the first time that the organisation of the Conference was not entirely in the hands of the members of the Host Association, but had been delegated to private companies. If some of us had been reluctant to accept this idea, it must now be acknowledged that the work of the Conference has been conducted in a very efficient manner, and I wish to mention here the KENES and PELTOURS organisations who are to be congratulated for their excellent work and organisation.

"With your renewed confidence in Bob Meyer as VicePresident, Jean Gubelmann as Treasurer, and myself at the head of the Federation, you have already indicated your willingness for continuity in the leadership of the Federation. I can assure you that the Executive Board will continue to strive, to the best of its ability, for further growth and strength of IFATCA. "Now, as I mentioned in my report to this Conference, some limits exist as to the work that can be achieved. Such limits are of two different natures, the voluntary efforts on the one hand, and the finances on the other. As the Conference now comes to an end, I would like you not to consider that you may just go home and reconvene next year in Melbourne, for it is after the Conference has ended that the real work starts, and all members can contribute to a large extent to the achievement of our common goals.

There are many ways to make good contributions: "First, I hope that all of you will return to your respective countries with the firm resolution to disseminate the ideals and the spirit of our Federation in an even more excellent way. Second, if each one of you resolves that no letters from the Federation will remain unanswered; that you will

carefully read the Manual again and comply with the rules and the policy laid down therein; that you will answer speedily the questionnaires of the Standing Committees; time and money would be saved¡and certainly the workload of the members of the Executive Board and the Standing Committees would be maintained at a reasonable level.

Finally, I would like to say a few worlds on the voluntary efforts of the Standing Committees and individual members.

It has been said that we are close to the limits of what individual members can offer to the Federation. I still believe that the various tasks of IFACTA are at the present time performed by a small number of eminent and dedicated people. Surely there are others whose abilities have yet to be discovered and who could put their shoulders to the Federation wheel. Thus only by our common efforts with all our strength can we achieve the ever increasing goals of the Federation and maintain the solidarity and the unity of the controllers, not only within our 40 Member Associations, but on a world-wide basis with all potential Member Associations and individual controllers in those countries where we know that associations cannot be set up.

"I wish to thank all the honoured Guests who have attended this Conference. By their participation in the work of the Conference Committees they have shown the interest of their different organisations. They exemplify the willingness of aviation authorities to co-operate with IFATCA. "As we disperse and return to our respective countries and homes, we look forward with high hopes to the future of the professional aspirations of all controllers."

Closure The President of the Host Association, Mr. Willy Katz, then moved the closure of the Final Plenary Session, which ended the Conference.

Comments by Air Traffic Control Spokesmen across the World John K. King; Executive Director, ATCA:

It is true that ATCA can do little for the working controller if all he is interested in is his own personal problems with management over personnel policies. ATCA is not a controller organisation - it is an air traffic control association - whose members are concerned with the development, operation, and maintenance of the air traffic control system. But, I maintain that ATCA can do a lot for the working controller once he matures enough to realise that true professionalism is acquired through self-discipline, dedication to the science in which he is engaged, and strict adherence to a code of ethics which places great emphasis on simply doing the decent thing. The true professional wins his laurels out of the respect which others have for him, rather than through his lobbying power.

Dr.

v. e.

Maxwell, Cheadle, Cheshire, U. K.:

There is the true story of a senior controller who went for an examination at the Central Medical Establishment to see a very distinguished elderly consultant opthalmologist. He was invited to sit down and place his glasses on the table. When asked to produce the prescription of his

Panel Discussion Under the theme " The Training of Air Traffic Controllers", a panel discussion was held on Thursday, 23rd May 1974, at 11.00 hrs. The panel was under the direction of Mr. J. A. "Tommy" Thomas, with Mr. F. W. Fischer and Mr. R. N. Harrison as members. A wide-ranging discussion took place during which methods of instruction and the standards laid down were compared country by country.

A new film under the title "Small World" on the air transport industry and produced for IATA, was shown by the IATA representative to the Conference. The film underlined the public-service aspects of air transport and showed how the airlines move large numbers of people and a great deal of mail and freight between widely separated parts of the world speedily and economically.

Acknowledgements by the Federation As in the past, it is not possible to mention all the names of those who contributed to the undoubted success of the 1974 Conference.

However, the Federation wishes to acknowledge the generosity of EL AL Israel Airlines, ARKIA Israel Inland Airlines, the Mayor of Tel Aviv/Yafo, and ELTA Electronics Industries Ltd. The tremendous work done by the workers of the Conference Secretariat is a feature of all IFATCA Conferences, and on this occasion, also, the unfailing cooperation of Mrs. S. Mor and her capable staff left nothing to be desired.

Press, Radio and lV Publicity On the day before the Conference commenced, Sunday 19th May 1974, a Press Conference was held in Tel Aviv attended by Executive Board members and the President of the Israeli Association. Following this meeting, the Conference enjoyed extensive press coverage, with daily reports in newspapers, while the President of IFATCA was interviewed on radio and the Editor on television.

glasses he said that he didn't realise he -should have brought it. The opthalmologist said 'Well, never mind, let me have a look at your glasses', and with that picked them up off the table. 'I thought you said you wore bi-focals' ¡ 'I do' said the controller. 'No you don't' said the opthalmologist. 'Look, bi-focals have got a line across them and these haven't'. 'No' said the controller, 'those aren't my glasses, they're yours'.

L. S. Vass, P.R.O., GATCO: The British Guild, while fully appreciating the value of clutterfree radar systems in the higher wavelengths, considers that weather free systems should be augmented by an ability for controllers to have sight at all times of a suitable lower-wavelength radar display capable of showing the location and density of heavy-weather areas.

Failing this, a weather-outline synthetic display of comparable accuracy is the alternative, and we continue to follow with interest developments, particularly in the U.S.A., relating to such displays.

Thunderstorms probably present the most hazardous conditions to complicated ATC systems anywhere in the world. The Guild considers it essential for ATC to be able to observe formative Cb tendencies, as a prerequisite to forward route planning in the event of wide-spread thunderstorm development in controlled airspace.

17

A Future Trend in Accident Investigation

Automated Radar Terminal Service Data and Derivation of Flight Profile The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board has issued its Report on the crash of a United Air Lines Boeing 737 on approach to Chicago's Midway Airport on December a, 1972. In this accident the aircraft's flight data recorder had malfunctioned several minutes before the crash and the investigators used the digitized air traffic control radar information obtained from the computergenerated magnetic tape to reconstruct the flight path and altitudes flown by the aircraft while in the Chicago Terminal Area. While this was not done in this case to determine an air traffic control involvement or error, it points out what information will be available to investigators of accidents or incidents involving radar controllers in the future.

A special group was established to study those aspects of the UAL-flight's flight profile that related to the performance characteristics of the Boeing 737 aircraft.

The usual sources of data to reconstruct such a profile are the indicated airspeed and altitude traces recorded by the aircraft's flight data recorder. However, because of a mechanical malfunction of the recorder, the data were not avalaible.

Another source of data useful for flightpath derivation is the F.A.A. Automated Radar Terminal Service {ARTS-3) installed at the Chicago-O'Hare International Airport. The ARTS-3 system processes the transponder beacon return from all aircraft within a specified range of the approach control radar site. The raw data from the beacon return consist of azimuth and range reference to the antenna location, as well as an encoded pressure altitude for aircraft equipped with a Mode 'C' transponder. These raw data are manipulated into positional coordinates which are differentiated with respect to the data receipt time to acquire a ground speed for the target. The positional accuracy of the ARTS-3 data acquisition system is limited to approximately 1/4 deg. in azimuth and 1/16 n. m. in range.

The processing equipment also applies a correction, based on the current sea-level barometric pressure, to the raw altitude data to produce a mean sea-level altitude, resolved to the nearest 100-ft. level. The received altitude data, also resolved to 100-ft. increments, are generated within the aircraft by an altimetry system and, as such, include those errors which may be inherent within that airborne system. In addition, the two-step resolution to 100-foot levels in itself produces a tolerance of Âą 100 feet to displayed altitude data. The data thus generated are selectively presented on the air traffic controller's video display. In addition to the video display, the raw data and calculated parameters for all received targets are stored on a computer-generated magnetic tape.

The UAL Boeing 737 was tracked by the O'Hare ARTS-3 system from a position approximately 55 n. m. southeast of the antenna site at a computed altitude of 9,500 ft., to a position 15.9 n. m. from the antenna site at a computed altitude of 1,000 ft. msl. (380 ft. above the 18

ground elevation of the impact site). The latter position was approximately 0.2 n. m. from the geographical coordinates of the impact site. Since the ARTS-3 system requires a line of sight transmission, the loss of a target will generally occur as a result of line of sight obstruction.

The magnetic tape containing the tracking data of the aircraft was examined to reconstruct the aircraft's flight profile before the crash. Meteorological data, i. e. winds and temperatures were applied to the ARTS-3 positional and altitude data to derive calibrated airspeed and vertical velocity as a function of time. Use of the ARTS-3 raw positional data to calculate airspeed resulted in an erratic trace because of the aforementioned positional tolerances; therefore, it was necessary to smooth these data. The after-the-fact smoothing technique differed from that used in the ARTS-3 ground speed manipulation in that future, as well as past, data points could be considered. The result was an estimate of actual value which did not include the lag inherent in the ARTS-3 calculation.

A special test was then conducted to determine the validity of results obtained from such manipulation of the ARTS-3 data. The AATS-3 tracking data obtained for another aircraft flying the same track as the UAL Boeing were compared with similar data extracted from another aircraft's flight data recorder. The airspeed values obtained, using both methods, correlated consistently within 10 kt. Since the flight data recorder altitude is obtained from the same source as the aircraft beacon transponder altitude, it was expected that the altitude values would correlate within the resolution and tolerances inherent in the ARTS-3 system. Such correlation was, in fact, verified to be within 100 ft.

The ARTS-3 computations for the UAL Boeing 737 indicated that the flight, when first acquired at 9,500 ft. msl., was descending to 4,000 ft. msl. approximately 1,000 ft./min.

The flight remained level at 4,000 ft, for approximately 5 minutes and decelerated during approximately the last three minutes of this period from an airspeed of 230 kt. to about 180 kt. At that time, the final approach descent was initiated with a descent rate of 750 ft./min. About 1 1/2 minutes after the start of this descent, the aircraft had decelerated to 145 kt., and the descent rate had increased to approximately 1,250 ft./min. This descent rate was maintained until the aircraft was over the Kedzie OM where the ARTS-3 data showed an altitude of 2,200 ft. msl.

After a momentary level-off, the descent rate increased to about 1,550 ft./min., which was maintained until the aircraft reached 1,100 ft. msl. and level-off was initiated. The airspeed at level-off was approximately 120 kt. Level flight was maintained for 16 seconds before the ARTS-3 system lost the aircraft's beacon return.

Longitudinal acceleration and vertical velocity were derived from flight changes in airspeed and altitude, respectively. These data were used to establish the most compatible configuration and thrust combinations for simulation of the flight profile in the UAL B-737 simulator and subsequent flight tests.

For further confirmation of the most probable descent configuration, the CVR transcript was time-correlated to the ARTS-3 derived data by alignment of the ARTS-3 time base with the air/ground transmission times recorded on the ATC voice tape. The time correlation was further

verified to within 3 seconds by comparing the time over the Kedzie OM with the time on the ARTS-3 data when the aircraft position corresponded to the positional coordinates of the Kedzie OM. (CATCA Newsletter, Mardl 1974)

ADSEL: Address-Selective Secondary Radar

by C. Ullyatt, Procurement Executive at the Royal Radar Establishment, U. K. Ministry of Defence Although SSA as we know it today is adequate for today's requirements, the need for improvement has been recognised. This article describes some of the aims and techniques of the ADSEL experiment at the Royal Radar Establishment at Malvern in the United Kingdom.

At the present time secondary radar is the only practical radar system capable of providing identification of a radarderived paint on an ATS plan display.

Secondary Surveillance Radar (SSA) is a radar system with an elementary telemetry capability. It is an old system.

The first patent ist dated 1937 *. Although it continues to work well enough in controlled airspace, its shortcomings are already a cause of worry to technical staffs and may be to some operational ones.

One cause of this worry arises from observations of localised system saturation. In the United Kingdom, the proliferation of interrogators has been stopped and strict control has been imposed on all users. Nevertheless, so valuable is the labelling of radar displays used by air traffic controllers that there is constant pressure on the British National Secondary Radar Board to allow the deployment of additional SSA interrogators, always with the claim that one more is essential for flight safety. With growth in the number of aircraft fitting transponders and some growth in the interrogator population, small though that is, there is an increase in the observable signals in space. For any interrogator and any transponder most of these signals are interference. This system self-interference has led to a degradation in performance such that, in some limited areas, the SSA system can be regarded as only just satisfactory. That is not to say that the control service has become dangerous.

In airways operation poor sensor performance seldom does more than degrade capability for detecting the rare blunders, provided that the displays are not actually misleading. But in this context it should be remembered that an important reason for the ground-based ATS (Air Traffic Services) having its independent sensors is to provide for the detection of mistakes.

Quite apart from being a saturable system operating on the verge of saturation, SSA has a number of other defects well known to engineers working on the topic. The system in use has poor resolving power. That is: when aircraft are close together in plan view, replies from aircraft to interrogations are difficult to separate. It follows that separation by height is of little help. (It is not clear

• R. A. Watson Watt. British patent: 591,130. Improvements in or relating to Wireless Systems.

that this is a fundamental problem but certainly resolution is poor in the present state of the art.) Signals from aircraft are sometimes lost when the aircraft roll to change direction - this is a time when identified positional information is most useful. Replies are sometimes shown in false positions to controllers as a result of reflections from buildings and structures surrounding radar sites, or even from rolling terrain.

If the engineers among us are truthfully to help controllers, we will have to provide them with accurate and reliable positional information with at least telemetered identity and height, especially in terminal areas.

ADSEL is being designed to provide this reliability, to overcome the drawbacks of SSA and to extend the capability of the system by providing increased telemetry for ATS purposes. When this is done, SSA takes on the properties of a high speed two way data link. We have constrained ourselves to make ADSEL compatible with the SSA environment using essentially the same transponders and employing the same interrogation, i. e. "up link" and reply, "down link" frequencies. It will be appreciated that by accepting this constraint we make possible the adoption of the improved system in those parts of the world with high air traffic densities, without requiring any change in those areas with little need, and without requiring the carriage of two sets of equipment in the air. There are a number of possible ways of achieving this compatibility.

After a preliminary study and some experiments one has been selected for detailed examination and trial.

Before continuing this account, it should be said that the ATC Advisory Committee in America concluded that they too had a need to upgrade the SSR system and to give it a high speed data link capability. Their need stems from the relatively high population of General Aviation which was foreseen growing by a factor of four times by the end of this century. The ATCAC introduced the term Super Beacon for the improved SSR system. This has been superceded by DABS (Discrete Address Beacon System) which like ADSEL is a discretely addressed beacon system.

There are, at the moment, minor differences between ADSEL and DABS. The Americans see a need for the up link to carry much more information - positive instructions to aircraft to change their flight paths. Consequently they will be experimenting with 2 and 4 mega-bits rate messages on the up path while our work has been based on 1 mega-¡ bit.

In spite of minor differences of this form, we are pleased to see the Americans joining in this work. Hopefully the more unfortunate mistakes in SSR system "design" will be avoided this time. Work in America is being con-

19

ducted by the Lincoln Laboratories for the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration). Some associated studies are being made by the Transport Systems Centre, also for the FAA. In England, following some years of preparatory work at the Royal Radar Establishment a detailed feasibility study has been carried out by a manufacturer and costeffectiveness studies have been made by independent consultants. We now hope to go on to build an experimental ground station and to fit a number of airline aircraft with modified transponders to give us practical experience of operations with such equipment in a busy terminal area.

These trials will give us experience of operating in a mixed SSR/ADSEL environment. While the feasibility study was progressing the ADSEL team at RRE was studying message structure and carrying out trials of message reliability in the presence of interference from SSR. With the cooperation of Birmingham University, a study has been made of direction finding in the presence of multipath propagation, since it appears that a proportion of the position errors observed on the displays of our controllers stems from this cause. (The remainder comes from the inadequacies of the plot extraction process, it appears).

It will be seen later that improved direction finding is part of the ADSEL concept.

In essence aircraft are interrogated once per beamwidth by name. Distance from a radar is determined in the conventional manner from the propagation time over the two way path. Azimuth is determined by direction finding on the replies.

In ADSEL, as it stands at the moment, the name by which aircraft are addressed is their SSR MODE A code as set on the code wheels on the flight deck. The interrogation is prefixed by two pulses which have a multiple function: they suppress conventional SSR transponders for a minimum period of 25 microseconds; they cause ADSEL equipped transponders to switch to the new system and they provide a synchronising group for message timing purposes. In our experiment the interrogation is protected by a row and column error detecting parity system designed to guard against errors induced by multiple SSR interrogations and against similarly modulated signals using the same frequency. We know that the use of this system, employing as it does 9 parity bits to protect 12 address and 4 paragraph indicator bits, is not efficient, but trials show it to be very effective if such protection is required.

Other techniques, for example, the embedding of aircraft address within the up-link message in such a way that it has the added function of providing check-bits, are known to u.s. The response to an ADSEL interrogation is a single reply repeating back the identity of the aircraft and, in the simplest version of the system, telemetering aircraft height as in MODE C of the SSR system. We believe that in later, more advanced versions of the system the response will include additional telemetry especially "rate" information such as rate of turn, which is only derived slowly and relatively inaccurately by radar.

It will be recognised that this technique will reduce greatly the interference on the SSR channels. There will be one interrogation instead of 20 or more and "garbling" will be eliminated. Also, the system can be made to operate where aircraft are most closely packed in plan or where they are separated only by height.

The use of the air to ground telemetry of air-derived information for the purpose of ATC might at first sight give rise to a philosophical problem: how can one pretend that 20

the ATS is providing an independent monitoring service if one is using such information? With one important exception, height telemetry, we would still have the independent monitoring of positions and tracks since the very process of interrogating in the ADSEL system requires there to be maintained an accurate knowledge of plan position (with certain safeguards) so that any errors induced by inaccurate telemetry might be expected to be detected, though systems programmers will need to show care. Also remember that it is the duty of the ATS to make such checks as are possible.

It is possible that the need for telemetry of data other than identity and height will only arise when the ATS needs to engage in conflict prediction. It is unlikely that a conflict prediction service can be provided, based on radar information only: intention is probably needed and qualified information about departures from straight and level flight will almost certainly help. Radar and Secondary Radar used in the ATS both give plot noise so that the derivation of the required information must lag behind events.

A number of ideas have arisen in the course of the investigations. It has occured to us that it might well be possible to use the selectively addressed interrogation technique to monitor accurately the position of aircraft on final approaches and to pick up as early as possible any departures from safe approach tracks. It is not known if there is anywhere any requirement for such a monitoring service or if there is likely to be one in the time it would take to do the development work but the ADSEL technique would have the advantage that no extra equipment would have to be carried in the air.

A more promising topic, which we have started to investigate, is the possibility of using the technique to provide identification labels on the display tubes associated w~th airfield surface movement indicator radars, perhaps with plot extraction to facilitate the tactical control of aircraft on the surface. In this work there are likely to be problems with ADSEL arising from the multipath scattering around the airfield. The task ¡is made the more difficult by our requirement to be able to work with a mixed environment in which aircraft equipped with transponders to the present standard only can be offered a service. Such aircraft ~ill for many years be in the majority~ To claim that we thmk that we can do this job would at the moment be an exaggeration but we certainly believe that it is worth trying and that it does not seem to be a hopeless venture.

Finally, the recognition that secondary radar is really a communications system with a radar capability raises the possibility that the emergency reply of present day SSR, the code group 7700 which, though dramatic, carries little information, might be replaced with an air-to-ground dump of all the flight information available. I have in mind at least that information stored on the flight recorder at the present time. It may be that the information so collected will add to our knowledge of flying in time to prevent another accident.

(Eurocontrol Review, 1973, No. 1-111)

Speed for Thought?

Senator Howard W. Cannon (D.-Nev.) successfully attached an amendment to a highway speed limit bill (H. R. 11372) to extend until July 1, 1974 the deadline for installing mandatory emergency locator transmitter equipment on aircraft. Original deadline was Dec. 30, 1973.

(Airport World)

The Farnborough Offices of Software Sciences Ltd., U.K.

Our New Corporation Member Software Sciences Limited A Company Profile The title, Software Sciences, conveys only part of the Company's considerable involvement with Air Traffi c Control, although it most aptly describes the wide range of specialised software system appl ications which the company designs and implements. In fact, the involvement of Software Sciences in Air Traffic Control consultancy has been continuous since 1959. Under its former name, the Air Traffic Management Group of General Precision Systems (GPS), the first consu ltancy project resulted in the re-organi sation of the low level Cross Channel routeing system. which has stood the test of time remarkably well.

Since that time. over 70 Airport, Airspace and/or ATC co ntracts have been successfully completed for 30 different Government or Operating Agencies in 19 countries. In 1973 alone, ATC related projects were undertaken in Algeria, Canada, Italy, Portugal, The Netherlands, UK, USA and West Germany. These range from a census of air traffic movements in the UK, through proposals to implement new ATC systems. to route structure design and evaluation of existing and new airports. The majority of these projects are undertaken by the Company's Operational Planning Group. The Group includes on its strength a number of former civil and military ATCOs and ex-members of aircrew. It is headed by Bob Adderley, a Principal Consultant, who is a member of the British GATCO and the Company representative with IFATCA.

Additional support is obtained when appropriate from one or more of the Company's Groups, namely Management Sciences, Computer Systems, Real Time Systems and Software Technology. These Groups include Consultants, Mathematicians, Analysts and specialist programmers with considerable experience of ATC applications. Projects have included system design for the SARP I at Schiphol and design and implementation of applications software for PHAROS in the Netherlands, and SEROS in Belgium . These automated ATC systems were all comp leted within ti me scale and budget. Software Sciences attributes this success in system design and ATC Software design and implementation to its thorough understanding of the operational requirements. Its technique of System Architecture employs close consultation with its customers to produce technical designs and specifications defining the system needed to match the operationa l requirements.

Another valuable and virtually unique application of computer skills is the availability of Fast Time Critical Event Simulation Models of Airspace, TMAs, Airport Runways and Taxiways. These models, designed and produced by the Management Sciences Group, are used to evaluate future and postulated Airspace and Airport operations and complexities. They are invaluable tools in system planning and design. The models are available both as finished products for general or specific operational appli cation, or are used by the Company's Project Teams in the conduct of planning studies carried out in collaboration with or on behalf of Airport or Airspace Agenc ies.

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Software Sciences has no affiliation with any hardware or equipment manufacturer. Consequently it has no bias towards the products of any Nation. It makes its recommendations purely upon technical suitability, availability and cost. The Company offers a highly professional and cost effective consultancy service to Administrations and other operating agencies to assist them in planning the most efficient use of their present aviation facilities and to provide for future traffic demands and performance, recognising economic, environmental, political and fuel constraints. Most recently this service has been applied in the resolution of airspace interactions between existing

and new airports, taking account of such constraints as minimum noise procedures and the segregation or intergration of military procedures.

In summary, the Company's strength is vested in the knowledge and experience of its highly professional consultants. They have made significant contributions to the improvement of Air Traffic Services and to the safe and expeditious conduct of aviation activity in many parts of the world. Their services are available for projects ranging from complete System Design and Implementation to the provision of Consultancy for particular operational problems.

The Statistical Recording of Air Traffic

by B. L. Watkin This is the concluding extract from a presentation by Squadron Leader B. L. Watkin R. A. F., Ret'd., which was presented as a "membership" paper for the Chartered Institute of Transport, New Zealand Division, in March 1973.

The first adaptation appeared in our May 1974 issue. The paper by Mr. Watkin was entitled "Air Traffic in Air Traffic Control in New Zealand." Mr. Watkin is an Air Traffic Control Officer at Auckland International Airport.

The Answer to the Problem of Analysis of Air Traffic Statistics for Air Traffic It is not possible to use existing information to make an accurate analysis of air traffic due to the following reasons: 1. Difference in type of unit 2. Varying types of aircraft operations 3. Density of air traffic 4. Conflicting definitions of aircraft operations 5. Emergency situations 6. Capabilities, adaptibility and temperament of individual Air Traffic Control Officers 7. Lack of records at airfields not staffed

by Ministry personnel 8. Extraneous duties 9. Military airfields Let us examine each of these points independently.

Difference in Type of Unit

The type of air traffic can be totally different between certain units and yet similar at others depending on the geographical location of the airfield and varies at aerodromes and water aerodromes and depends on the type of Air Traffic Control service that is provided. When night flying is in progress certain Air Traffic Control units provide facilities such as airfield lighting with or without Air Traffic Control staff for all or part of the time; some provide all Air Traffic Control facilities except Aerodrome Control service, and others provide full Air Traffic Control services during busy periods reducing to limited services when management decide that there is no requirement for the full staff to be on duty.

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There are a number of airfields and water aerodromes where no Air Traffic Service personnel are employed but although a percentage of the amount of flying carried out is recorded for the government by the users of these airfields and water aerodromes, no statistical records are made of the amount of work completed by Air Traffic Control personnel stationed at adjacent locations, yet this personnel renders Air Traffic Control assistance in the form of accepting flight plans, radio telephone work from the aircraft to Air Traffic Control units after departure or before landing, etc.

At an airfield with Flight Service only, the Ministry employees are not Air Traffic Control Officers and can not control air traffic in any way whatsoever, their duties being in an advisory capacity only and the records kept on MOT 1536 (the Air Movement Record and Analysis Form in use in New Zealand) are the air movements as seen while they are on duty in the Control Tower or Office. The figures quoted for air movements in the Civil Aviation Statistics booklet are for all stations in New Zealand manned

by Ministry personnel but there is no indication as to whether the station is manned by Flight Service personnel only or a combination of Flight Service and Air Traffic Control Officers. In the latter instance, there is no differentiation between the air movements recorded when the unit is under Air Traffic Control or is providing a Flight Service function.

Using Form MOT 1536 as a yard stick, a study shows that the busiest unit In New Zealand Is the Aerodrome Control unit located at Ardmore airfield, with daily totals of 540 plus being the norm, therefore one could argue that the more senior and a large staff should be employed at this station operating with the most sophisticated of Air Traffic Control facilities, certainly when compared with the adjacent Auckland Air Traffic Control Centre which handles fewer movements of aircraft. Yet the actual position is the reverse: at Auckland Air Traffic Control Centre there is a staff of 49 Air Traffic Control Officers, and sophisticated medium range radar equipment, but at Ardmore only two Air Traffic Controllers and an assistant are on duty at a time, while the airfield has no radar nor any other navigational equipment.

At Ardmore, the hours of attendance of the Air Traffic Control staff on duty in the Control Tower do not always cover complete daylight hours consequently there is air

traffic operating both by day and night when the Control Tower is not manned; this traffic is clearly visible on the radar screen to the Radar Controller at Auckland Centre and on occasions it becomes necessary for him to guide aircraft around this air traffic, which is not recorded by either Auckland or Ardmore Air Traffic Control units. At Palmerston North airport there are Air Traffic Control facilities permitting an aircraft to make an IFR flight, but the control of this aircraft during the approach phase or up to the point where VFR flight can be continued to the airport is mantained by an adjoining unit. These aircraft can be scheduled, non-schedule or any other type of operation and are recorded as air movements on Form MOT 1536 by the Air Traffic Control unit at Palmerston North airport, but the entire IFR work load is carried out by the Air Traffic Control unit at Ohakea where there is no official record of this air traffic.

At aerodromes where an Air Traffic Control Officer operates the functions of an Aerodrome Control service with an Approach Control service simultaneously, the aircraft operating as IFR flights are handled first in the Approach Control phase and then in the Aerodrome Control phase, yet the Form MOT 1536 indicates one movement for landing and one for take-off where in fact each aircraft is progressed through two Air Traffic Control functions. At the same airfield at the same time there can be a topdressing aircraft, positioned and flying a pre-arranged flight path clear of other air traffic making 100 plus air movements per day; the comparison between these two aircraft as to the Air Traffic Control work load is considerably different although there is no differentiation in the air movements shown on Form MOT 1536.

The two duty Air Traffic Control Officers at Rotorua provide an Aerodrome Control service at Rotorua, an Approach Control service at Rotorua, Taupo, Tauranga and Whakatane, an Area Control service for aircraft flying between these airfields and a direct telephone link to Auckland Air Traffic Control Centre which is the liaison link for air traffic in and out of the area as well as the direct telephones to Hamilton and Tauranga providing the liaison link for aircraft operating within the area of responsibility of the Air Traffic Service units at these two airfields. The considerable Air Traffic Control work load for these Officers at Rotorua is indicated solely by the numbers of takeoffs and landings seen by the duty Air Traffic Control Officer in Rotorua Control Tower.

The units at Wellington and Christchurch both supply a daily 24 hour Aerodrome, Approach, Terminal, Area and a Flight Information Service assisted by radar; in addition, Wellington provides an Approach Control function at Blenheim and Paraparaumu airfields and the telephone and liaison link between Auckland and Christchurch, while Christchurch provides an Approach Control service for Wigram. There is no record of the Approach Control service provided for Blenheim or Paraparaumu nor of the Area and Terminal service provided for the whole of the South Island. The sole record of the air traffic work load handled by these two units is indicated by the numbers of landings and take-offs at Wellington and Christchurch airports respectively.

The Form MOT 1536 shows the numbers of air movements of aircraft which have landed or taken-off from Auckland International airport but it does not indicate in any way the Oceanic Control service provided to all aircraft arriving at or departing from any airfield in New Zea-

land to an overseas destination or overflying New Zealand airspace, the Area Control service provided to aircraft which do not land or take off from Auckland airport but fly to and from Taupo, Rotorua, Tauranga, Hamilton, Gisborne, Napier, New Plymouth, Whenuapai, Whangarei, Kaikohe, and Kaitaia, nor is there any indication of the Approach Control service provided to Kaitaia, Kaikohe and Whangarei and to Hamilton, Rotorua, Taupo, Tauranga and Whakatane when Rotorua and Hamilton Air Traffic Control units are off duty, nor the amount of radar assistance given to these units and the radar vectoring (controlling) of aircraft landing at Whenuapai.

Unofficial recorded figures of the numbers of aircraft flying on VFR, IFR or international flights shows considerable increase since the Auckland Air Traffic Control Centre commenced operation at Auckland International airport and since the opening of Auckland airport in January, 1966.

These figures are in agreement with figures quoted by official organisations, such as the Auckland Regional Authority, which show astronomical increases in domestic and international passengers, tourists on charter flights, freight and now the all important export of blood livestock.

The unofficial recorded figures mentioned above have been compiled from the numbers of plagues - the narrow strips of paper used as aide memoires by the Controllers but unfortunately these figures are only a guide and could not be used for statistical purposes because not all the Controllers use the strips in the same manner or number and the counting of the strips is not consistent; to further complicate any assessment or analysis the VFR flights have one strip for each flight although the majority of these flights have intermediate landings prior to the final landing and are recorded as only one flight. However, these figures give an indication of the phenominal increase in air traffic; in less than a decade what was considered a record figure in 1963 is now less than the daily amount of air traffic handled, while the record figures for 1972 show up to four hundred percent increase in the numbers of aircraft controlled each day by mainly the same Controllers with some additional help with an increased establishment of Controllers, while the same equipment has been used under the same or even less acceptable working environment.

In comparison the figures recorded in the Form MOT 1536 compiled by the Air Traffic Control Officers in the Control Tower show very little increase in air movements for the same period.

Varying Types of Aircraft Operations.

The variations in the types of aircraft operations, the types of aircraft flying and classification of the nature of the flight are not consistently recorded statistically in any official document and the difference in the nature of the flight undertaken is of vital importance to the Air Traffic Control Officer due to the variable air traffic work load entailed.

The multiplicity of the types of aircraft operations would be a paper on its own, however, in order to appreciate the need for a means of assessing air traffic as it affects the Air Traffic Control Officer, a broad outline will indicate the impossibility of using existing statistical records for assessing the air traffic work load.

The types of aircraft operations varies with the geographical position of the aerodrome, the types of aircraft operating and for what purpose, the navigational aids available and whether civil or military aircraft. These operations can be as at the three major units (Auckland,

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Wellington and Christchurch) of every type possible; to military units phasing military aircraft of high speed low fuel reserve and long range transport type on training with civil aircraft overflying and making instrument flight rules approaches at adjoining civil aerodromes; and at other units it can be the phasing of schedule, non-schedule and itinerant civil aircraft with military aircraft on training with normal aerodrome circuit traffic including top-dressing aircraft and gliders.

The three major Air Traffic Control units at Auckland, Wellingto:i and Christchurch have similar types of aircraft operations and include the operational and training use of sophisticated navigational and landing aids, such as the Instrument Landing System and Precision Radar Approaches assisting aircraft in poor weather conditions, NonDirectional Beacons, Distance Measuring Equipment and an international standard of airfield runway approach and landing lights with the assistance of medium and short ra:ige radar. The types of aircraft using these facilities vary from the Boeing 747, DC 10 and other long range high speed four and twin-engine jet aircraft on international flights in and out of New Zealand, to high speed civil and military jets and the slower piston-engined aircraft on internal flights, with the majority of the above aircraft making training flights and finally the calibration of all the equipment used by aircraft.

The type of aircraft operations which require Oceanic Control service apart from the normal international flights are the training flights and military training exercises of a minor and major nature, such as "Longex 72" by aircraft from the Royal Air Force, Royal New Zealand Air Force, American Air Forces, Canadian Military Force, Royal Australian Air Force and French Navy. Unless these aircraft actually land at Auckland airport, which would normally be only in an emergency, there is no statistical record whereby any assessment can be made of this air traffic work load carried by the sole Air Traffic Control Officer on Oceanic Control duties at Auckland Air Traffic Control Centre.

Density of Air Traffic The amount of work done by the operational Air Traffic Control Officer does not increase in direct proportion to the numbers of aircraft being controlled, there being a greater proportionate increase in work load as air traffic increases due to a variety of factors such as: (a) Once airborne a fixed-wing aircraft must keep flying, so that regardless of time an aircraft "keeps on coming" any delays being cumulative in effect; the operational Air Traffic Control Officer keeping numerous details of vital information at his fingertips, some being subject to constant change and being required to make instant decisions, many of a life and death variety, based on whether an aircraft is on an instrument or visual flight rules flight. (b) The varying airspeeds in climb, cruises and descent cover the range from less than 100 mph to 500 plus mph with similar varying altitudes from minimum safe altitudes under 3,000 feet to over 43,000 feet and varying rates of climb and descent. (c) The size of the aircraft has a major effect on manoeuvrability from ultra-light single-engined piston aircraft to four-engined jets carrying 185 people or the Jumbo Jet 747 and DC 10 with 245 passengers, and from military fighter jet aircraft to long range fourengined turbo-prop transport aircraft.

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(d) Other air traffic on training, major or minor pilot checks, completing instrument approaches with and against the normal flow pattern of the air traffic, with practise emergency procedures for the pilot which cannot be pre-warned to the Air Traffic Control Officer.

With air traffic under IFR, as distinct from aircraft flying under VFR, the Air Traffic Control Officer must consider additional factors such as: (a) Estimated and actual departures times; (b) Estimated and actual arrival times; (c) Time spent on let-downs; (d) Keeping the overshoot area clear; (e) Clearances to departing aircraft; (f) Phasing of arriving and departing aircraft; (g) Weather variations; (h) Diversions, including briefing pilot on flight information; (i) Liaison between operating company and pilot; (j) Radar "on" or "off", or on slow revolutions; (k) Work-in-progress on the airfield affecting taxying times; (I) Failure of navigational and approach aids without warning; and other factors too numerous to mention here.

All air traffic overflying an Air Traffic Services unit is normally under the control of that unit and must be phased in with other air traffic. Using the Air Traffic Control unit at Ohakea as an example, it will be necessary for the Controllers to consider all IFR flights transitting the centre of the North Island with their own local flights and includes aircraft proceeding to Gisborne, Napier, Hastings, Tauranga, Rotorua, Taupo, Whakatane, New Plymouth, Hamilton, Auckland and Whenuapai.

Using the principle of Form MOT 1536 the numbers of aircraft controlled by the unit at Ohakea should include the majority of scheduled flights to these airports and be allocated to this unit.

Conflicting Definitions of Aircraft Operations.

The Manual of Air Traffic Control details the method of compilation of the Form MOT 1536, and defines the headings of the relevant columns indicating the column to be used for each specific aircraft operation, these are: (a) Scheduled; (b) Non-Scheduled; (c) Freight; (d) Overseas Scheduled; (e) Overseas Non-Scheduled; (f) State, Private and Club; (g) Aerial Work; (h) Military; (i) Local; (j) Company Name.

These detailed instructions would seem to clarify the method of recording air movements and ensure uniformity of records; however, there are conflicting opinions which confuse the Air Traffic Services personnel in the field.

Some of the more obvious anomalies are the problem of an aircraft on training completing full circuits and approaches but not actually landing or just running his wheels along the runway or the aircraft has been instructed to overshoot and go round again and does not touch the runway. Is this one or two air movements or no air movement at all?

If companies are charged on the number of landings for landing fees is it because the aircraft actually touches the runway each time or what if he just skims across the surface without touching the ground on an overshoot? How does the duty Tower Controller count these movements for recording on Form MOT 1536? It is known that some Controllers do not count an overshoot as a movement yet the air traffic work load is just as important if not more so for an overshoot than an aircraft completing a normal landing where the runway and overshoot area must be kept clear.

Emergency Situation.

The type of emergency that may occur in Air Traffic Control is completely unpredictable on time or type and varies from hijacking of aircraft, the thread of a bomb-onboard an aircraft in flight, aircraft having navigational difficulties or lost, a minor occurence such as a fourengined aircraft losing one engine to a crash in the sea or on land. Some types of emergencies have specific instructions as to the actions the Duty Air Traffic Control Officer must take; however, whether precise instructions are available or not, the operational Controller knows the problems of being on duty when an emergency occurs; the need to make instant split-second decisions of a serious nature under conditions of extreme mental stress knowing full well that every word spoken is being accurately recorded on a tape machine eventually to be analysed, dissected and thrashed over by management or even legal authority in the cold calm atmosphere of an office, or possibly a courtroom with the Controller trying desperately to analyse and justify his own actions of hours, days or possibly weeks ago.

A more frequent type of emergency, incorrectly called a minor emergency, is an occurrence. This is the assistance given by a Radar Controller to aircraft lost or in distress.

To assist a pilot who is lost and possibly approaching a state of panic puts considerable stress on to the Radar Controller and requires not only professional expertise of the highest order and constant vigilance of the radar screen but also a psychological ability to assess the problem coupled with the need to maintain a completely calm voice and unruffled or unhurried speech to the distressed pilot over quite long periods of time.

This assistance in Auckland alone is given some ten times per year, adding up to some ten pilots' lives and an unknown number of passengers lives saved and ten aircraft saved from crashing possibly into a built-up area.

There is no official record whereby this air traffic work load can be assessed.

Capability, Adaptlbllity and Temperament of the Air Traffic Control Officer.

The capability of individual Air Traffic Control Officers is an indeterminate factor and yet it must be considered at all operational positions in the Air Traffic Control system. The Air Traffic Control Officer's adaptability is an important facet in Air Traffic Control as the pattern of air traffic is a constantly changing picture of ever moving aircraft which must be kept separated from each other.

Temperament is described as " ... disposition: high excitability and sensitiveness ... " and the ability of the Controller to maintain calm in movements of stress is all important.

To observe a quiet talking, experienced, calm and capable Controller handle tense complicated Air Traffic Control problems, to the untrained observers and to some extent the pilots themselves, makes it seem deceptively simple; the same situation handled by a comparatively inexperienced, excitable, loud voiced and unadaptable Controller, to the untrained observers it appears that the amount of air traffic is so heavy that the Controller is overworked. An untrained observer can be even a Senior Air Traffic Control Officer who has done little or no regular operational controlling in the past few years, consequently the need for an accurate record of air traffic becomes of paramount importance for statistical analyses.

Lack of Records There are a number of airfields which operate without the assistance of any Air Traffic Services personnel. It will be appreciated that these airfields maintain a variety of aircraft, which are increasing in number, which in their turn generate further air traffic to be handled by the Air Traffic Services personnel and so increasing the work load on the Air Traffic Control Officer.

Hastings is an example of a busy airfield, where there is established an active flying school, an aerial mapping company, a number of top-dressing firms and a glider club.

No official record of air movements is kept at Hastings, but there are considerable aircraft and glider activities throughout the year. A conservative estimate of air movements as for Form MOT 1536 would be 40,000 per annum.

During the hours of watch, the Air Traffic Services personnel at Napier airport handle the considerable requirement for a variety of Air Traffic Services by the pilots at Hastings airfield, but no record is made of this air traffic work load.

Extraneous Duties The Air Traffic Control Officer has numerous miscellaneous extraneous duties to perform other than the control of aircraft whilst he is carrying out watch-keeping duties, therefore they should be considered as part of his work load and be called "non air traffic work load". The requirements for these duties vary from unit to unit and from day to day; however, to give an indication of the work involved, here are some examples: 1. Auckland Air Traffic Control Centre: in addition to the great variety of Air Traffic Services provided, the Air Traffic Control Officers in turn provide: a) the need for 100 percent accuracy as the New Zealand International Notam Office and the Notam Office for the Northern Region; b) the redistribution within New Zealand of Notams received from overseas and the onward transmission of internal Notams to interested organisations abroad; c) the preparation and issuing complete briefing booklets for each overseas flight departing from Auckland airport; d) the responsibility for initiating search and rescue action for overdue aircraft both on internal and overseas flights; e) the responsibility for alerting the search and rescue organisations; f) the provision of a telephone operator's service between units in the Northern Region, Regional Office and Head Office; g) the necessary public relations function to the many visitors to the Control Tower and operations buildings; these visitors especially pilots, being encouraged to visit the nerve centre of the operational Air Traffic Control system of the northern area.

It would appear to be almost impossible to assess this work load on the operational Air Traffic Control Officer; however, it is essential that this non-air traffic work load be considered particularly as it is on the increase.

2. Napier Air Traffic Control Unit: this is a category 2 unit and is typical of a number of units in New Zealand. The miscellaneous duties carried out by Controllers while simultaneously controlling air traffic are of great variety.

Pilots telephone to file flight plans, request weather information; the Controllers brief pilots on Notams, special

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weathers and other pertinent information; they check flight plans and prepare them for despatch; answer telephone queries from the general public, etc. The list would be too long to reproduce here.

Military Airfields It has been found overseas that the divided Air Traffic Control and loyalties between civilian and military Air Traffic control Officers has meant wasteful use of airspace in the shrinking sky with large numbers of near-collisions, estimated at one time to be between 2,500 to 7,500 per year in America, and greater demands on the individual Controller. The New Zealand system of all Air Traffic Control Officers being trained in the same aeronautical college in Christchurch and working as civilian employees of the Ministry has been a major factor in the continuing safety of the New Zealand skies and ensures that the possibility of a mid-air collision, as happened in France when all civilian Air Traffic Control Officers were on strike and the control of all aircraft was undertaken by military Controllers, is as remote as ever.

Air Traffic How many aircraft a Controller can handle revolves around the combined capabilities of his colleagues, efficiency of communications, his own ability and the problem in amalgamating them into a working system operating in an environment that varies continuously. To organise the flow of air traffic in a smooth, orderly and safe manner the Controller needs information about the identity of the aircraft he must separate and be able to display and process this information. This processing involves the computation of speeds, projection of future positions and determination of potential conflicts - operational terminology for the situation when two aircraft are separated by less airspace than the minimum specified in the Air Traffic Control procedures. The Controller needs to be able to query the pilot about his speed, altitude, heading and intentions and so ensure separation standards are maintained thus preventing near-collisions. One of the major causes of stress to a Controller is his fear of causing a midair disaster.

To a Controller, an aircraft in flight is the cryptic flight progress data on a narrow strip of paper, or a moving spot of light on a radar screen, or a disembodied voice in his headset. While some details are recorded on this strip of paper in advance once an aircraft is airborne its corresponding strip becomes active and it is still updated by hand while the mind continues the process of updating, computing and extrapolation that is an indivisible part of aircraft flight plans and position reports; at the same time information as to details of transfer of control and information to adjacent units is similarly recorded and annotated as to time. To meet these conditions the Air Traffic Control Officer is constantly making critical judgment of dynamic situations relying on powers of memory to correlate and interpret data.

Jet Age Air Traffic The important gateway to New Zealand is Auckland International Airport and with New Zealand trying to boost tourism as a major industry it is essential that the tourist's first impression of New Zealand be of an up-to-date international airport with every facility keeping up with the

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demands of the jet age. But the irony is that airlines, including Air New Zealand, think in terms of spending many millions of dollars when looking to the future, while those responsible for airport and airways development must trim costs in the interest of short term economies that inevitably lead to even greater expenditure than was originally contemplated.

The increasing number of pilots flying the hundreds of thousands of tourists to New Zealand make their first contact with New Zealand Air Traffic Control Services within a thousand miles of New Zealand, and it is of utmost importance that their first impressions are of an Air Traffic Control organisation that is as efficient as any met overseas and meets the stringent requirements of experienced airline captains. The use of Auckland International Airport to give basic training to Air Traffic Control Officers is no longer acceptable, as delays in the controlling of this overseas air traffic, all of a high operational standard, must be kept to an operational minimum due to the increasing escalating costs of operating the large jet aircraft; the conversion of New Zealand pilots to the jumbo jets and the checking out of airline pilots at set periods is an essential part of the training of professional airline pilots and any delay due to an inexperienced Air Traffic Control Officer on basic training is an unacceptable extra cost to the New Zealand tax-payer. To meet these requirements the operational Air Traffic Control Officer at Auckland International Airport must be fully experienced and of highest calibre to ensure that any delays are non-existent or negligible and that air traffic is controlled in a professional manner.

Future Air Traffic As stated in 1969 by the then Assistant Director of Operations and now the Director of Civil Aviation in New Zealand, " ... Air Traffic Control in its current stage of development is a fascinating, challenging and rapidly evolving art. The ergonomic, environmental, medical and tooling problems which have been generated, demand wayout thinking from the specialists in these various fields ... " In the same year an editorial in the New Zealand Air Traffic Control Association's official magazine 'The Clearance' stated: " ... a previous editorial depicted 'Our Shrinking Sky' and stated concern at the ever-increasing air traffic and the need to re-assess our personnel, navigational aids, radar requirements and Air Traffic Control system. The increase in air traffic continues, but has the pre-jet age Air Traffic Control system and existing ground equipment kept pace to permit flexibility of control and keep delays to their present minimum? Will the planned programme of controllers and equipment meet the jet-age air traffic in the 1970-80 era? •.. " and further" ... the present 205 Air Traffic Control Officers scattered throughout twenty airfields control increasing numbers of aircraft ... the need for precise, rapid decision making with no room for error is an ever present and increasing requirement. The existing Air Traffic Control system, to a certain extent, has grown up 'like Topsy' ... the introduction of larger, faster jet aircraft has not meant a decrease in air traffic but a decrease in airspace ... the time to introduce any change is before we reach peak congestion in air traffic. Let us plan the inevitable future inroads on 'Our still Shrinking Sky' ... " The most noticeable change that has taken place in Air Traffic Control in the past five years has been the increase in the numbers of young Controllers who have been trained

at the aeronaut ical college at Christchurch. Lacking the newer mechanical too ls to help the Contro ll er cope w ith the ever increasing air traffic, this inc rease in Cont rollers eases the increased air t raffic wo rk load for the time being bu t there is a limit on improvements made simply by adding more Con trolle rs.

As long as the requirements that the Ai r Traffic Cont ro l system has to sat isfy are continu ally changing, the solution

wi ll never quite catch up with the problem. There is an urgent need for a means of accurately assessing air traffic to assist the planners in their attempts to resolve this problem of unique complexity. The success or failure in so lvi ng the co mparatively smaller Air Traffic Control problems in New Zealand may have great influence on the way in which similar problems of far greater volumes of air t raffic a re handled overseas.

News from the Federation Activities of the Executive President J.-0. Monin has been particularly busy during the past months, and has done a public relations job for IFATCA with few parallels, ranging from visits to the new Cha rles de Gaull e Ai rport in Paris, to attending th e 1974 Convention of ou r U.S. Member Organisation (PATCO) in Hawaii.

The President was invited to the official opening of Europe's newest ai rport, which was opened on Friday,

March 8, 1974, by M Pierre Messmer, the French Prime Minister. Charles de Gaulle Airport, situated at Roissy-enFrance, 25 k m to the northwest of the centre of Paris, wi ll handle some eight to ten million passengers and 400 OOO tonnes of freig ht a year during the f irst stage of its development. At p resent, the airport has but one runway; in 15 years it is planned that it will have five. In 1973, Paris att racted 17 million passenge rs. In 1980, fuel crisis and large r airc raft not withstanding, it will , says the Paris Airport Autho rity, attract 40 million passengers, and in 1985

Left to right , John A. Leyden. Presid ent of PATCO, Jean-Daniel M onin, President o f IFATCA. Robert E. Meyer. Great Lakes Rlg ional Vice President o f PATCO and Vice President of IFATCA

27

Charles de Gaulle Airport, Satellite and Tower

over 60 million. By 1990 it will be handling some 65 to 68 million passengers a year.

One of the most distinctive features of the new airport is the 80 m (267 ft) high control tower.

Former IFATCA President Maurice Cerf introduced Mr. Manin to officials of the Aeroport de Paris and to officials of the Direction de la Navigation Aerienne, but well before the official opening, our President had already toured the new fac ilities toget her with IFATCA's Exec utive Secretary Tom H arrison, also in the company of Maurice Cerf, in January of this year, when IFATCA commitments called the President an d the Executive Secretary to the French capital.

At PATCO 's 1974 Hawaii Convention, the President met - apart from many PATCO officials - a number of American aviation dignitaries who attended the Convention. Mr. Manin was in Hawaii from May 12 to May 16, 1974, and had to make a dash right across the wo rld to Tel Aviv to be in t ime for IFATCA's 13th Annual Conference, which caused so me problems, but the President made it in time.

As pictures usually portray the scene better than words, a few photographs taken by the photographer of " CONTROL", the French Association's official Journal, depict Mr. Monin's Paris visits, whil e the Hawaiian scene is mirrored by a photograph collected specially for readers of THE CONTROLLER.

J . D. • Monin, President IFATCA, D. Gorin, President APCA, M. Cerf, Past President IFATCA, at the official opening of Charles de Gaulle Airport

·..__ ft

•

in

•

cc . ...... "·· ~

•

Charles de Gaulle Airport, IFR Room

28

IFATCA at the 29th IFALPA Annual Conference Mr. Ch. M. Nicholaas, IFATCA's Regional Liaison Officer, Caribbean and Northern South America, represented the Federation as an Observer at the 29th IFALPA Annual Conference held in the Tamanaco Hotel, Caracas, Venezuela from March 6th to March 13th 1974.

In addition to the different Plenary sessions, there were 6 committees, A to F, dealing with Industrial, Licensing, Medical, Operational and Legal Airworthiness, Aerodrome Ground Aids, All Weather Operations and Supersonic Transport, Regional and Accident Investigation, Rules of the Air/Air Traffic Control, Communications, Meteorology, Search and Rescue, Administration, Constitution and Nominations.

The IFATCA Observer attended the sessions of Committee E, which dealt with Rules of the Air/Air Traffic Control and Communications, and where most of the items, of interest to IFATCA, were discussed.

The presence of the IFATCA Observer was very much appreciated by the delegates who attended the sessions of Committee E and on various occasions the Federation's viewpoint and also the personal opinion of IFATCA's Observer were requested. At the conclusion of the Committee's sessions, Mr. Nicholaas expressed, on behalf of IFATCA, his appreciation to IFALPA for the hospitality shown to him and expressed the Federation's wish to continue the mutual cooperation and interchange of views on future occasions.

A copy of Mr. Nicholaas's report to the Executive Board has been sent to all Member Associations of IFATCA.

8th ICAO Western European Informal Flow Control Meeting The 8th ICAO Informal Flow Control Meeting for Western Europe was held in Paris between 26th February and 1st March 1974.

The following European States were represented: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, Tunisia, United Kingdom and Yugoslavia. International Organisations represented were: Eurocontrol, IATA and IFATCA. The IFATCA delegation was comprised of the following members: Mr. M. G. Mamie, APCA (France); Mr. 0. Riecke, GATCA (Germany), and Mr. M.A. Randell, GATCO (United Kingdom).

A full report on the proceedings has been sent to all Member Associations of the Federation.

ILO Preparatory Meeting for Civil Aviation IFATCA has received an invitation to be represented at the ILO Preparatory Meeting for Civil Aviation, which is to be held at Geneva, 3-10 October 1974. The agenda of the Meeting will be as follows: "Identification of social and labour problems and scope for ILO action in the field of Civil Aviation".

It is the first time that the Federation has the opportunity to attend an ILO Meeting on Civil Aviation. and the Executive Board considers it very important to attend to furtherance the recognition of the profession of Air Traffic Control. The Executive Board believes that, based upon the existing IFATCA policy, the Federation is able to produce a valuable contribution to this Meeting.

In addition to the IFATCA attendance, it is hoped that representatives of the IFATCA Member Associations will be part of the National delegations, this in agreement with the ILO Constitution, Art. 3 para 5: ,,The Members undertake to nominate non-Government delegates and advisers chosen in agreement with the industrial organisations, if such organisations exist, which are most representative of employers or workpeople, as the case may be, in their respective countries."

IFATCA President J.-0. Monin, on 4th April 1974, had a two-hour meeting at the ILO with Mr. Grinewald of the Worker's Relations Branch. The discussion was mainly on the procedure followed by the ILO Meetings and on the possibilities offered to Observers to participate in them.

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29

International Law Territorial Limits In the two previous articles we have seen something of three of the seven principles of International La·w· ~amely sovereignty, recognition and international res~ons1b11t~. We have seen also that International Law .1s .applicable to States and to certain International Organisations endowed with International Personality by the States.

These are the Subjects of International Law and everything else is an Object of International La~. ~o b~fo~e going on to discuss the four remaining principles 1t 1s reasonable at this stage of the present series to look more closely at one of the Objects of International Law namely territory and with that at State jurisdicti~n. .

Territory for the majority of States m the world 1s relatively well known and we can have a good idea of thi~ just by a quick glance at a political map of the world. Territory does not need to be large in area as we can s.ee from such States as Andorra, Liechtenstein or San Marmo. But whatever the area the State may exercise its jurisdiction within that territory and at the same time over its nationals abroad. But the jurisdiction which it has over its nationals abroad must not conflict with the jurisdiction of another State. so it is illegal to send police into another State to apprehend any criminal. States in sue~ case~ must use extradition treaties.It was held to be kidnapping when a United States Marshal arrested a wanted man in Canada.

Although for the most part territories are known, there are still many border disputes in the world and the .reasons for this become slightly clearer when we consider the different ways in which territory can be gained or lost. The fact that a State actually exercises jurisdiction in any particular territory is as it was put in the Palmas Case (see Article 2) "as good as a title".

Territory may of course be acquired by occupati~n. If it is inhabited it must be inhabited by a people without international personality and the occupying State must be it is unin.habicapable of enforcing its jurisdiction there. ted the mere discovery is sufficient to establish sovereignty.

Iceland recently established title to the islands produced by volcanic upheaval. The United Kingdom made a token occupation of Rockall in 1955. France similarly occupied Clipperton Island in 1932. However disputes can arise and the United Kingdom and France appealed to the World Court in 1953 in the Minquiers and Erechos Case where French fishermen had raised the French flag on two of the Channel Islands' group. Although the United Kingdo~ had never actually occupied these islands they were considered to be British as being part of the territory of William of Normandy who became William I of England. Although not necessarily continual, a display of control in a peaceful manner over a continous period gives a prescriptive right to acquisition of territory. This we saw in Article 2 in the Palmas and Eastern Greenland Cases.

I!

• Part 3 In the series by E. McCluskey, Chairman of the ~.K. Sub-Committee of IFATCA's Standing Committee VII (Legal Affairs).

Mr. McCluskey is employed by EUROCONTROL but has no connections with EUROCONTROL's Legal Department.

30

by E. McCluskey *

Territory may be gained by natural accretion or in some cases by man made additions to the coast and as the territory grows in this manner so the territorial waters change accordingly. Man made accretion is only allowable on a coastline and a Sate cannot artificially change the course of a boundary river although if a boundary river gradually changes its course, automatically the boundary follows. If there is a sudden natural change the boundary remains the centre of the old river bed.

If one State cedes territory to another, even under duress, the jurisdiction of the new State applies not only to the territory but also to territorial waters, subsoil and airspace. If a territory is inhabited by people without international personality, a State may occupy or subjugate such territory but in order to acquire jurisdiction over it there must be a period of effective administration. It is illegal to subjugate another State unless there is cession or a State is in complete disintegration owing to total defeat in a war (debellatio). In this latter case the occupying State must make a declaration of annexation. The war must have been legal in the first place. After the Second World War the Occupying Powers chose to treat Germany differently. They established a co-imperium, which still continues in Berlin, in relations between France, the United Kingdom and the United States in their dealings with the Soviet Union.

If a State can increase its territory it can also lose it if part of the coast falls into the sea, through cession, by being subjugated or, as happened not long ago in East Pakistan, by revolt followed by the secession from Pakistan of Bangladesh.

Once the territory is relatively well fixed, land boundaries become a question of agreement between neighbouring States and recognition of frontier posts or natural boundaries. Natural frontiers are often talked of as being important but where they could exist this Is often not the case despite claims of national defences. The Golan Heights only became the "natural 11 boundary of Israel to protect territory occupied after the 1948 War. Both the USSR and Roumania straddle the Carpathian Mountains and Switzerland extends beyond the Alps into Lombardy.

The Rhine would appear a natural boundary yet although 820 miles long it is a frontier for about 120 miles and the Danube 1725 miles long is a frontier for only 540 miles.

Gradually States living in peace with their neighbours come to recognise a frontier and this may be just a line of latitude as in the case of the 49th parallel between the United States and Canada.

Jurisdiction applies equally below the surface of territory as it does on the surface and in the airspace above.

We will deal with airspace more fully in a later article but as this present article is dealing with frontiers and State jurisdiction some problems for the Controller can be alluded to at this time.

We have mentioned the 49th parallel which of course is not the frontier along the full length of the United StatesCanada border. The configuration to the Eastern end allows a salient from the Toronto FIR into the Cleveland FIR. Where airways cross this salient by bi-lateral agreement aircraft can remain under the control of Cleveland

overflying Canadian airspace. Should an accident occur in this airspace, as both countries use an Anglo-Saxon system of law, the case, if heard in the United States, would have to be interpreted by an American judge applying what he presumes to be the law in Canada. A similar anomaly arises with the Donegal salient in Ireland where Scottish Centre has control by bi-lateral agreement in Irish airspace.

These are two examples which are only two of many existing in the world but Controllers in coastal States and Oceanic Controllers have further anomalies to face as they deal with traffic overflying territorial seas and the High Seas.

The question of the High Seas will be left until it is discussed in a separate article and in this present article we will deal with the territorial seas which can be even more complicated than the question of jurisdiction over land.

National waters are all harbours, ports, gulfs, bays, lakes, rivers and estuaries and all these come under the jurisdiction of the State just as land territory. Foreign States have no more rights on national waters than they have on land. Nevertheless there are exceptions. Norway has a very distinctive coastline and has many rocks within her territorial sea which are dry at low tide and the World Court decided in the Anglo-Norwegian Fisheries case in 1951 that this skjaergaard was to be treated as part of the mainland of Norway and base lines drawn accordingly. Strangely perhaps the Court ruled that this was not a precedent so that other States with similar coastlines such as Iceland, United Kingdom (Scotland), Denmark (Greenland) and Chile cannot claim the same rights.

To arrive at territorial waters one measures from the low-water mark at spring tide. The baseline follows the coastline and any islands or shoals not submerged at hightide which fall within the territorial waters extend these waters still further. The generally recognised width of territorial waters is three nautical miles. Here again there are exceptions.

It was finally a Dutchman, Bynkershoek, in his De Domino Maris who put some order into the free for all of the 17th and 18th centuries by applying the three mile limit as being the maximum range of 18th century cannons. In the Mediterranean and in Scandinavia States at the same period were coming to similar measurements in leagues which set up for them a four nautical mile limit. England had first claimed what she called the King's Chambers which in effect made the Irish Sea territorial waters but eventually by Hovering Acts up to 100 leagues or 400 nautical miles, was claimed by England subsequently Great Britain. Other maritime nations followed suit with Sweden claiming the Baltic, Denmark the northern seas, Spain the West Atlantic and Pacific, Portugal the South Atlantic and the Indian Ocean. One man of war entering these areas could lead to war. By the beginning of the 19th century some sense prevailed and by the 1930 Hague Codification Conference the main groups were: 3 miles the United Kingdom and the then British Dominions (Australia, New Zealand, Union of South Africa, Canada, India, Newfoundland), Irish Free State, USA, France, Germany, Japan, Belgium, Netherlands, China and Poland. France changed in 1973. 6 miles was claimed by Italy, Brazil, Spain, Iran, Roumania, Turkey and Yugoslavia. 4 miles was claimed

by Finland, Norway and Sweden. Iceland also adhered to this group but recently changed to 12 miles. 12 miles was claimed by Bulgaria, Ecuador, Egypt, Guatemala and the

USSR. Many of the States claiming less however claimed a contiguous zone usually up to about 12 miles for customs, fisheries or defence purposes. At the same time the exclusion of the right of cabotage or coasting trade except by treaty for foreign ships was introduced. The same rules were extended to aircraft under the Chicago Convention.

Technically the airspace above the recognised territorial waters is State airspace and under the State's jurisdiction. In theory any airspace outside of this area is over the High Seas and technically subject to freedom of flight for all aircraft both civil and military. When we come to discuss the High Seas and Aviation Law we shall see how this freedom has been limited considerably by the States mainly for military reasons. However for the controller in a coastal State, just as in the case of salients, it is important to know whether the airspace he is controlling over water although it may be in his own State's FIR, is over territorial waters of his own or another State or over the High Seas. The courts must treat territorial waters of his own or another State or over the High Seas. The courts must treat territorial waters of another State as they would its territory but interpretation of the law is different when an incident occurs over the High Seas. English Law in this case has a rather amusing fiction where it declares that the High Seas are in the Borough of Marylebone in London and therefore the judge has jurisdiction over them.

One of the rights jealously guarded in territorial waters is fishing. Many of the disputes which have come before the World Court concern this subject. Generally fishing in Europe is covered by the European Fisheries Convention 1964 which gave a six mile limit exclusive to the State and a six to twelve mile belt to fishermen of other States if they had habitually fished in these waters from 1953-1962. Neither Iceland nor Norway signed the Convention and Denmark did not accept if for the Faroe Islands nor Greenland. This presented problems in Norway's negotiations for membership of the European Economic Community and Iceland's unilateral action led to difficulties now fortunately resolved between Iceland and Germany and the United Kingdom. Although there is a recognised right for foreign merchant ships to pass through territorial waters such vessels come under the jurisdiction of the coastal State. Warships are not normally prevented from innocent passage in peacetime but there is a right to stop them sailing through. For security reasons all passage of ships may be suspended except that straits used for international navigation must be left open.

Straits of less than six miles wide are territorial waters.

The right of innocent passage even to warships need only be granted if there is open sea at both ends. France has now extended her territorial waters to 12 miles and if the United Kingdom acts in the same way the English Channel will come under the law concerning Straits. In the Corfu Channel Case 1949 the World Court had to examine the problem. Mines were laid in the Corfu Channel with Albania's knowledge. Two warships of the United Kingdom passing through the Channel were sunk. The United Kingdom sent minesweepers into the Channel. It was held that whereas Albania had no right to prevent the passage of the warships she had no obligation to notify the minefield and the United Kingdom had no justification for clearing mines in Albanian territorial waters.

It has been found necessary also for international navigation to legislate for canals as well as for Straits and for the benefit of non-coastal States legislation also exists for 31

rivers. Special rules exist for the Oder, the Rhine and the Danube. Certain canals are considered as Straits. These are Suez, Kiel, Panama and Saima. The Suez Canal is now no longer in use but Egypt did accept the Convention of Constantinople when she nationalised the Canal and allowed freedom of navigation to all States except Israel and the ships of Rhodesia (from 1966).

The Kiel Canal under the Treaty of Versailles must remain open to all ships including warships of States at peace with Germany.

Although the Panama Canal was neutralised in 1901, the USA has from time to time treated the Canal as being territorial waters and has closed it to some ships.

The Saima Canal is controlled by the Finnish-Soviet Treaty of 1962. The Canal is usable by all merchant vessels to and from Finland. Military vessels other than Soviet warships are excluded from the area leased by the USSR. The last question on territorial waters to be discussed is that of bays. Bays such as the Bay of Biscay or the Bay of Bengal are left out of the argument as being open sea.

Normally the territorial waters should follow the shape of the coastline but under the Geneva Convention on the Territorial Sea 1958 if two headlands are less than 24 miles apart the bay may become territorial waters. Some historic bays are exceptions to this rule. The Bay of Cancale is French; the Bays of Conception, Chaleurs and Miramichi and the Hudson Bay with an area of 580,000 square miles are Canadian; Varanger Fjord is Norwegian; Chesapeke and Delaware Bays are the territorial waters of the USA; the Zuider Zee is Dutch; the Bay of Stettin and Jade Bay are German.

Territorial waters are sometimes forgotten in boundary treaties as was the case of Grisbadarna when Norway and Sweden had to go to arbitration on this problem. As the Courts like to change as little as possible, this case was decided on the provision of services such as buoys and light ships which in this case had been provided by Sweden.

Light houses and man-made islands do not accrue territorial waters to them.

The question of landlocked seas came into the field of International Law when Russian conquests at the expense of Turkey meant that the Black Sea was not completely surrounded by Turkish territory. Special rules now govern the use by ships of the Dardanelles.

The above summary of how territorial limits are decided, with the future article on the High Seas together give the basis on which Aviation Law developed. In the next article it is proposed to continue the discussion on objects of International Law dealing with persons, companies and ships. We will be able to see a little more of our own legal position as a Federation and as individuals working for it before returning to the other remaining principles of International Law which will throw some light on Conventions, Treaties, Bi-lateral agreements and letters of agreement which are part of our tools of trade.

For further study: International Law Chambers Sweet and Maxwell Chap. 3 and 4 International Law Schwarzenberger Stevens Chap 17, 18, 19 and 11 Oppenheim's International Law Lauterpacht Longman's Part.II Chap. 1 Law of Nations Brierly Oxford U. p. Chaps. V and VI.

News from Members Associations Canada PAR for the Course?

Canada's Ministry of Transport (MOT) is mulling over the continued requirement for precision approach radar and has been for some time. A survey of opinion has been carried out among the aircraft operators and such organisations as CATCA and it resulted in a decision that more information is required before a decision is made. Interestingly, the subject is of more than national concern, IFATCA having included the matter in the agenda of its 1974 Annual Conference and asked all Member Associations to come prepared to state their views.

CATCA's views are on record with the Ministry of Transport as a result of the survey mentioned above and have been registered with IFATCA in Tel Aviv last May. They were prepared in relation to the Canadian scene specifically but may well be relevant to other nations.

The crux of MOT's argument was that the introduction of CAT II ILS will obviate the need for PAR. CATCA was concerned that PAR be retained where it is now installed until CAT II ILS has been installed and is functioning according to specifications. CATCA are also concerned that, even though the major airports which are to be equip-

32

ped with ILS may no longer need PAR, there are others which at present lack any kind of precision approach system and which may not be considered for a CAT 11 ILS installation, where PAR would be a valuable addition to the control system.

The latter consideration leads to a more basic one, which has to do with the reasoning behind MOT's survey.

They seem to think that the decision on retention should be based on the user demand. CATCA thinks it should be based on the requirements of flight safety and that accident statistics indicate that the final approach and departure phases are the most potentially hazardous portions of a flight. It would follow that radar monitoring of arrivals, particularly where there is no other precision approach aid, is justified.

In the past, MOT has apparently felt that they could not justify the establishment of precision approach controller positions because insufficient use was made of the facility that is, that it was not being requested by pilots. The same line of reasoning has resulted in inadequate maintenance and replacement of the equipment. However, if a safety requirement were recognised, the justification for the required manpower and for planned procurement and maintenance of equipment could not be questioned.

--

-

In CATCA·, View. "'•'demand;, no1 a log/ea/ ba,,, /o, P<ob/em With judging the ' •qufrement fo, PAR. A It, from it• de,e/opmen/ du<1ng Wo,/d Wa, //, ha, been that Pltot• a<e '•luctant to "'• It except in an •me,gency but then expect the equipment and the ope<ato,. to be at P•ak •ffic/ency, Recognition of a '•qu/,ement fo, // In the lnte. ' ••t• of flight •afety would go fa, tow.,d ' ••ol,ing bo/h the,e diff/cu/t1e, In jU•tlfying adequate P'ocu,ement and 'laff/ng ac11on,readiness. and en,u,/ng that both "•ff and equipment are in constant

•••le

To CATCA, the dec/•ion Whelhe, the,e '' a '""""•ment '' one to, the Min/"'Y to make, • ••ed on flight •afely con"d•<ation,, ft may be Worth •ugge"/ng that a decfa/on be delayed until It can be dete'mlned whethe, the con1,01le,, of the wo,/d "'"'e at a con,en,u, on the que•tlon. at A Peri/. con,en,u, of a body like IFATCA could only be igno'ed

Fa/IJilfansarion Flights With

u.s. Airlines

Some U.s. Ai,tlne, ha.e '•fu•ed to aocept Canadian con1,ot1e,, on fam111a,1,at1on flight, on the 9<ound, lhat <egu/at1on, to,b/d the P'••ence of to,e/gn nat1ona1, on /he;, fllght deef<,, Th,ough PATco·, good Office,, the CAB '•gu/ation, on th/, Poin/ we,e '"'•"lgated, and CA TCA

Was advised that no such regulation exists.

The P'ocedu,. to obtain autho<11y, acconi/ng to the FAA inte'P'etat1on of CAB ' •gu/atlon,, ;, /hat the '•que" '' •ubm//ted by the Unit Chief to the •frllne who WI// ob/ain app,o,_, approve from FAAthe Fligh/ approval, trip. Standa,d, •nd on '•ce/pt of that

EiCFREAVIA

uts avia tio'! finto the service of the . community

the CATcA situation.

1, 9<atetu/ to PATco to, the;, help in c /a,ifying

France Turkish Airlines Dc10 Crash near Paris F,ench confro//e" we,e cont<o///ng th1, al'""" du,/ng "' la" momen1,, and // '' the,eto,e unde"t• ndab/e that the fol/ow/ng "•t•ment wa, made by the F,eneh A.,o_ ciallon (APCA) the :form of a teleg,.m to IFATCA'• P,esident, Mr. J.-D. In Monin " W//h , • • .,d, d'••dfu/ t<agedy Tu,.,, , Ai'""•• De 10 •nd lack of •••le lnto,ma11on du<1ng •me,gency Pha•e.

A.P.C.A. - france ca11, IFATCA action In app'O•Ching ICAo '••king adoption of afr; g,ound automatic/con11nuou, commun1cat1on de,/ca on •PPn>p<1a1e frequency to be cu1t;es."

•Wilehed on Immediately by e<ew In ca•e of se,lou, difll-

'°'

W e cantrastudy ffIC and the optimal use of • forecast your fleet . procedures and • feas1.hie air traffic equipment

We can arrang.e Government.

• financing of th3 ~~~Jre~;al estate studies agreement, an .

We can either d rtake the technical . the works, un e h complete • supervise even youcutttfng ceremony acceptance orfor the give ribbon system ready rovide

Signed: President APCA, Paris.

United Kingdom Withdrawal of PAR GATco wa, lnto,med '•cent1y by "' Na/Iona/ Autho,;1y lhat. following ca,etu/ con• ide<at1on ot al/ facto,., It ;, P<opo•ed to W//hd<aw PAR from bo/h Manehe"e' and Heaoh,ow Al'Port, during 1974. Financial con"de"tlons, coupled With ao •b•ence of •Vidence to '"PPort /he '•lent/on ot PAR lhi• pu,po,e When ""ng Cat // and /// equ1pmen1, led lo th/, decfa/on. The con/eno, of the lette, we,e di•cu"ed by the Gultd's Teehnica/ Comm/llee and a <ep/y •entWithdrawal. indicating that lhe,e wa, no Objection to /h e Proposed

And we can p ical assistance organisati~n • for operations,andtrati~~~~ of personnel, and maintenance.

'°'

~EAVI~ ~c F ~ 75, rue La Boet1e- 75008 Paris

iimil ' " -·

33

Human Factors in ATC The Guild believes that there seems to be a greater awareness by World Aviation Administrations of the inputs which can be made by practising controllers in the solution of many problems.

Further evidence of this awareness comes with the news that the Guild has been invited to be represented on a Human Factor (ATC) Steering Group, to advise the National Civil Aviation Authority's Chief Scientist on the desired objectives and priorities for research in this field.

The invitation came from the Senior Medical Officer (Research) to the Master of the Guild. The Senior Medical Officer pointed out that the technical side of this Group is already well represented and suggested that the Guild should nominate somebody perhaps more interested in the job satisfaction and management side.

The undertaking is quite considerable as CAA have decided to form three Groups, a Biological Group, a Human Engineering Group, and an ATC Group. The Biological and Human Engineering Groups are already working, and although there may be some overlapping of the fields between the Groups, it has been decided to cover this point by having the same central cell in each Group. There will be an exchange of information in the form of Papers or combined meetings where it is thought necessary.

IFATCA Questionnaire IFATCA Standing Committee IV's 29-page questionnaire on "Human and Environmental Factors in ATC" with a supplement produced by the Swiss Sub-Committee and entitled "Medical", has been dealt with, but the closing date gave GATCO barely a month to complete this task though it has been done, but only on a broad basis. Because, believe it or not, there are some 46 different employers of ATCOs within the U. K.

United States Discounts on Commuter Airline Fares In the development of discount arrangements for controllers on scheduled airlines, PATCO has found that the Air Transport Association would not cooperate (as outlined in our February 1974 issue). Commuter companies, however, have proved more responsive. Allegheny Airlines is the latest commuter company to offer controllers airfare discounts, based on seat availability, following a special mutual effort between PATCO and the National Air Transport Conference. "The joint effort is a major breakthrough in pursuit of the objective to provide controllers equal benefits to those enjoyed by other employees in the aviation and airline fields," reported PATCO President John Leyden.

Leyden had coordinated with NATC President Thomas Miles on the project. "Mr. Miles is to be commended for assisting PATCO in the presentation of Its proposal for commuter airlines to grant free and reduced rate travel privileges to PATCO members and their families." "It must be clearly understood", continued Leyden, "that commuter airlines affording discount plans do not expect, nor will receive preferential treatment in ATC. Every controller realises this would be unethical and illegal. Companies arranging such fare structures merely recognise the importance of the controller to the total system, and afford him a consideration equal to that given to other employee groups in aviation."

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Individual letters to the presidents of commuter airlines around the nation were sent out last February. In his letter to the operators, Leyden had said: "I am certain all commuter operators recognise the importance of the air traffic controller to the industry, Though a vital component of aviation, he has not, however, enjoyed the fringe benefits associated with being an employee in the field. Most specifically, he has not normally been able to obtain reduced rate or free air transportation. If you have already instituted such a program in your operation, I would like to extend my appreciation, as President of PATCO. If you have not, I would like you to consider the possibility. Such transportation would be free on a space available basis or at a reduced rate on a space positive basis."

First response offering a special arrangement for PATCO members came from International Air Cargo Limited.

Controller Liability PATCO wholeheartedly endorses a pair of proposed bills introduced in the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives which would severely limit the liability of a controller because of actions he undertakes on behalf of FAA. At present, a controller can technically be sued for such actions, and in at least one instance, suit against an individual controller for millions of dollars has been instituted. Both bills were originally tabled to aid law enforcement officials, but the legislation applies equally for controllers as well as other categories of federal employees.

Attorney J. B. Hill, in a recent letter to the Federal Bar Assoc., outlined the importance of this legislation to ATC. "I would like to point out," said Hill, "that there is a group of federal employees whose exposure to tort liability is far greater than law enforcement agents, and the possibility of personal litigation has - in at least one instance in my personal experience - resulted in a near collapse of an individual's personal, financial and psychological life."

"In 1969, an airliner crashed in the Midwest, killing over 80 passengers and crew," said Hill. "Suit was instituted against the United States and litigation proceeded on its normal course. When settlement prospects seemed to dwindle, and due to the failure of certain of plaintiffs' attorneys to file timely suits in accordance with the Federal Torts Claim Act, several suits were filed against the individual air traffic controller, exposing him to millions of dollars of personal liability."

Center Automation Problems Center controllers have experienced serious problems with narrowband radar and new automated radar equipment, and meetings have taken place between PATCO representatives and FAA officials on the problems encountered. A comprehensive report on the automation problems found was handed over. This report was drawn up at a Conference of PATCO controller technical experts in Chicago last February from the eight Centers which have been using narrowband experimentally.

Following reports of serious problems encountered in FAA's first steps into automated Center operations, President Leyden had called the Chicago meeting.

PATCO's Safety Liaison Vice President David Siegel hailed the expertise of the participants who were able to present a very precise and overall picture of controller operational experience with the new proposed narrowband system. Details of the report are not available yet, but the

Indianapo lis Center, Indiana, USA

group was reported to have pinpointed a large number of problems and deficiencies.

ASI Receives 50 Reports Daily As reported in our Februa ry 1974 issue, the first step to d evelop a vitally needed air safety analysis based o n the totality of actual air in cidents in c ludi ng those usually unreported, was launched last October by PATCO and A.S.I., an ind ependent aviation organisation. The Aviation Safety Institute reports that it is receiving an average of 50 safety report forms a day from controllers. " The response has been fantastic, " reports AS I's President John Galipault, "and your members are to be commended for the professional way in which they have handled these instances of safety hazards. " The ultimate success of ASl 's wo rk wi ll continue to depend upon the timely o bjective reporting of both situations and discrepancies by the PATCO membership.

News from Other Scources Controller Flight Training as a Tax Deductible Educational Expense In the U.S., the Internal Revenue Service recognizes the expenses incurred by a controller in obtaining an Instrument Rating as a tax-deductible educational expense.

Since many controllers are pilots, and the FAA encourages them to participate in pilot training and flying, this decision is regarded as a matter of direct interest and benefit to all controllers.

In ternal Revenue Service regulations provide that the expenses of a taxpayer for education are deductible if they are incurred p rimari ly for the purpose of: (1) Maintaining o r improvin g skill s requ ired by the taxpayer in his employment or other t rade or bus iness, or (2) Meeting the express requirements of a taxpayer's employer, or the requi rements of applicable law o r regulations, imposed as a condition of the retention by the taxpayer of his sala ry, status or employment.

Controlle rs would not qualify under paragraph (2), as the FAA does not expressly req uire pilot training as a condition for job retention. However, the agency does encourage controllers to obtain f light training and does recognize that it improves the overall aviation knowledge and ski ll s of a controller. A prior ruling of the Internal Revenue Service interpreted the word " requi re" in paragraph (1) as meaning " appropriate, helpful, or needed."

We believe that pilot train ing is appropriate, helpful and needed in terms of improving a contro ller's sk ills, and th at the expense of such t rai ning should be deductible under the provisions of paragraph (1 ).

T he deductible expense decision related to a controller's tax return in which an educational expense deduction was claimed for obtaining an Instrument Rating. This c laim was initially dissallowed by his District IRS Office. We pu rsued the matter on behalf of the controller involved, since it concerned an issue of importance and significance to all controllers. Afte r additional supporting eviden ce was submitted and a formal conference was held w ith an IRS c laims examiner, the Dist rict Di rector's office reversed its original decision and allowed the deduction. T his establi shes an important precedent for similar cases in the future.

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Not all flying expenses are deductible. We have taken the position that the expense of obtaining a Private Pilot's Licence and/or an Instrument Rating are properly deductible as a business educational expense. It can be established that this flight training is reasonably related to the performance of a controller's duties. A deduction probably would not be allowable for expenses related to obtaining a Commercial Pilot's Licence, Flight Instructor's Rating, an ATR, glider or lighter-than-air pilot certificates, type ratings on different aircraft, or for personal pleasure flying. IRS regulations expressly do not allow deductions for education to qualify for a job, or for obtaining a promotion. Further, the IRS regulations do not recognize an educational expense if it also qualified the taxpayer for another business or profession. This would preclude a deduction for obtaining a Commercial Pilot's Licence, an ATR or a Flight

Instructor's Certificate. However, we believe that a deduction may properly be claimed by a controller who obtains a Private Pilot's Licence and/or an Instrument Rating for the purpose of improving his skills and o i1erall aviation knowledge in performing his present controller job.

FAA Honours 1973¡ Life Saving Specialists.

At a recent ceremony, six FAA air traffic control specialists were honoured for having rendered life saving assistance in 1973 to pilots in distress, and were presented with FAA Life Saving Awards. Among them were two female specialists, who were the first female employees to receive the Awards. The Life Saving Awards are presented annually by the FAA to air traffic control specialists who have performed outstanding assistance to pilots which (ATCA Newsletter) resulted in saving their lives.

The Pilot's Point of View Linear Holding The coming of the SST aircraft has focussed international attention on a number of operational requirements which, while essential for the SST, are highly desirable tor subsonic aircraft as well. One of these requirements is the need to conserve fuel by means of absorbing known terminal delays en-route at cruising altitudes and at reduced speed. This technique is now generally referred to as "Linear Holding".

There appears to be general agreement within IFALPA that Linear Holding indeed offers fuel saving advantages over conventional (orbital) holding in terminal stacks, certainly for the SST, but also for subsonic aircraft {some, like the DC 8, more than others). However, three basic conditions must be applied: 1) Linear Holding should be carried out at the pilot's request, not at the direction of ATC; 2) Linear Holding should not be used as a basis for flight plan fuel calculation; 3) A pilot electing to absorb a terminal delay en-route

by Linear Holding should be assured that his position in the approach sequence would be retained.

Condition 3) poses major problems to ATC and it might be well to consider just what this implies.

Firstly, ATC must be able to predict terminal capacities, several hours in advance. This prediction will need to take account of meteorological factors that are notoriously difficult to forecast accurately, such as surface wind, visibility and cloud base, which dictate the operating conditions and limitations of the airport.

Secondly, ATC must be able to predict terminal demand, several hours in advance, with an accuracy of minutes. This must include information on flights which may not yet have departed, flights for which flight plans may not yet have been filed and unknown VFR traffic which has not reached the terminal area. In fact, a significant proportion of flights today are unknown to the destination ATC Centre sufficiently in advance to be "fed in" to the sequencing process.

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Thirdly, ATC must be able to calculate total delay time expected, average delay per flight, and the allocation of specific delay values to individual flights. This implies the determination of a landing sequence several hours in advance, based on ETAs. In addition to the difficulty that such delay assignments can be seriously affected by any changes in schedules or flight plans, the ground communications facilities necessary to enable ATC to integrate the movements of all flights, irrespective of the remoteness of their departure points, and to update the delay and sequencing data in accordance with the progress of individual flights, simply does not exist in some areas.

These are formidable problems. If ATC should, nevertheless, attempt to apply this type of "predicted sequencing" in spite of insufficient or inadequate data, the pilot who elects to absorb a notified delay by Linear Holding en-route might still be subjected to a need for further holding at destination or, alternatively, he might find on arrival that there is no delay at all and that his Linear Holding time was excessive (this could easily happen anyway in radiation fog delay situations).

It is true that a coarse form of this "predicted sequencing", permitting limited Linear Holding, can be and, indeed, is used occasionally at some ATC units but this is normally carried out by individual controllers on the basis of traffic known to them in their own area of jurisdiction.

All in all, then, we have a long way to go yet before Linear Holding can be regarded as a systematic procedure.

In fact, until the ATC system can be geared up internationally to enable it to be used routinely (which is a longstanding IFALPA goal anyway), the above essential safeguards seem likely to imply that the operational penalties will negative the theoretical economic advantages.

(Based on views expressed by Mr.

w.

B. Cotton of US ALPA)

H. F. Communications Jam An area of immediate concern is the HF communications jam which will overload the present four frequency families by 1979 necessitating the introduction of a fifth family prior to that time. Meanwhile, it would be helpful if

SELCAL checks could be kept to an absolute minimum as this now consumes almost 8 per cent of total communications time available. Additionally MET reports should be made only by aircraft specifically requested, as presently an average of eight aircraft per day are broadcasting unsolicited (and unnecessary) MET information.

(IFALPA Bulletin, March, 1974)

Comment on Plans for the Upgraded Third Generation ATC System in the U.S.,

by Captain R. C. Gerber, US ALPA. We have recently heard reports of the current status and future plans for the third generation system. It is the day of the planners and dreamers. I believe that it should also be the day of the pragmatist. Not that we object to progress or new ideas or new equipment. The U.S. 10-year National Aviation System Plan (reported on extensively in our May 1974 issue - Ed.), is almost above reproach when it offers such "goodies" as more control towers, more ILS, expanded radar coverage, RNAV routes, DABS, data link, etc. These are "motherhood" items; no one is against them, but what is needed in the next ten years primarily is an increase in ATC system capacity and this is a direct function of the acceptance rate of the destination airport.

The third generation equipment will increase en-route capacity and probably reduce the workload of the controllers (and this may be necessary) but the only way to truly increase the system capacity is more airports and/or more runways. We have seen very little reference to increasing destination airport capacity, except perhaps the suggestion for reducing parallel runway separation to 2,500' for simultaneous approaches. To put it mildly, pilots are less than enthusiastic, as we think present parallel approach criteria and operations are less than ideal.

What problems are DABS and data link going to solve?

They really may be only unnecessary, complicating devices, an engineering challenge met and conquered, a new toy, a new feat - but will they really solve any of our current pressing problems? They may be okay for routine nonvital messages, but they are suspect as replacement for the present ATC VHF communications system. Why? Because the present cockpit visual workload is already at or slightly past the maximum, while the audio workload has not reached that saturation at present. Data link proposes another visual display with ATC clearances printed out. This will require complete visual attention (alerting, reading, and acknowledging) probably of both pilots. At present I already have my hand on the control wheel and under one finger is the microphone button. The controller's clearance comes by voice; I press the button to speak my acknowledgment and the complete task takes only a few seconds, and I have been visually accomplishing several other tasks on a split time basis!

I recently had an opportunity to participate at NAFEC in a simulator evaluation of four data link visual read-out cockpit displays. I was greatly impressed by the tremendous engineering accomplishment apparent in these four different systems, but I am not too certain any will greatly improve the ATC system or increase its capacity. One facet I have already touched on - the visual overload.

Another is the time lag in response. I know it takes me longer to read a ten word message, digest it, and physically select and press the proper button to acknowledge receipt

than it does to hear the same message, press a "mic" button already at my fingertip, and speak an acknowledgment. The discrete selectivity of DABS and data link also creates a "cocoon of isolation" effect in the cockpit, which is strange and disconcerting to the pilot and eliminates an essential safety feature of our present voice system.

We are used to hearing the clearances and "chatter'' of other aircraft. There are innumerable cases of conflicting clearances being detected on this "open circuit". I don't think there is a pilot who cannot recount a personal experience where he was cleared, or thought he was cleared, to the same checkpoint or same altitude in the holding pattern as some other aircraft. There is no question that many accidents and/or near misses have been prevented by this open interchange of clearances. It is with some misgiving we contemplate being completely unaware of all other traffic. Another extremely valuable safety tool will have been lost.

I suspect also that some procedures which go without a hitch in these simulations may bog down in the real world. One example might be the deliverance of the taxi clearance by data link visual display and subsequent execution. In the NAFEC test, the clearance flashed on the screen (cleared to taxi to runway 13 R". Press the "Wilco" button and off you go to the end of runway 13 R. But what actually happens at JFK? (Kennedy International Airport, New York - Ed.). In the first place, you sometimes get a twenty or more word clearance routing you completely around the airport. Next, to execute it (particularly at night) is a challenge which many veterans of JFK can find difficult and which "sometimes" visitors find impossible without several assists along the way from ground control.

If you have difficulty with your data link clearance, you revert to voice as a back up. I believe in the example above it will be the exception not to have to resort to voice most nights at poorly marked JFK. My point is that this sophisticated system of communications may be completely incompatible with the present physical inadequacies and idiosyncrasies of our airports.

The international aspects of the implementation of the third generation system and other U.S. plans may be overwhelming in several ways - not only to the individual pilot, but also to his airline and his country. We have already heard of proposals for DABS, data link, satellite communications, new transponders, new comms/nav receivers with 50 MHZ and 25 MHZ spacing, new microwave landing systems and collision avoidance systems. On top of all this we contemplate the news that Loran A will soon be discontinued, which will necessitate retrofit of many fleets with either INS, Omega, Loran c. satellite navigation or some other alternative navigation system. That is an astounding array of new concepts and new equipment and, to borrow a beloved phrase from my ATA/IATA friends: "What are the cost/benefits?" Can we really seriously contemplate requiring every one to spend vast sums on this equipment for the privilege of using our airspace?

To attempt to introduce a little perspective, I find it hard to get overly excited with these super-sophisticated "piein-the-sky" innovations when just last month I found myself in one of our largest most modern aircraft, a B-747, with every known exotic piece of equipment available, making an ADF approach, in a violent unforecast thunderstorm, on an NOB at an airport that had no approach lights, no VASI, no TDZ lights, and no centreline lights. Pardon, 37

if I don't break out in cheers at the prospect of having DABS bz 1980.

We talk of international standards being set by ICAO and international acceptance of these new innovations and requirements. Believe me, increased automation of an ATC system will have a very low priority in a country which has NDBs instead of VORs, HF comms instead of VHF, and in fact may not have even a rudimentary ATC system. There are vast areas of this globe presently being traversed by commercial airlines in considerable number that have absolutely no control system or at best a "paper" one that fails completely due to lack of basic ground/ground and ground/air communications. we may have our priorities askew! We need the BASICS first and not just internationally. For example, in the U.S. we urgently need the capability for emergency vehicles to operate in the same low weather minima (1200' RVR) that aircraft are authorized to use. This has been an urgent item for ten years. It's a prosaic, tough problem and unsolved. DABS and data link are a new exciting challenge and we can't spend enough money fast enough but - for WHAT? I haven't heard a good answer to that yet.

The question is: How does the international pilot view the U.S. plans for the upgraded third generation ATC system? The answer: At the present, with almost complete indifference - he will trade the whole program for some good taxiway lighting systems, emergency equipment capable of operating in 1200' visibilities, more ILSs (any kind) and about 100 miles of good solid concrete strategically scattered in 10,000 parcels across the landscape.

(IFALPA Bulletin, April 1974)

The North Atlantic Scene The Loran Story Two and a half years ago, the United States dropped a bombshell when they stated that the USA would have no requirement for Loran A, anywhere in the world, after mid 1974. The Loran A ground facilities had been established by the USA shortly after World War II, as the major part of a global network for use by their own military aircraft.

From mid 1974, the military aircraft of the USA would no longer need Loran A ground facilities. With the same pronouncement, the USA pointed out that they intend to provide continuous support for the Omega system.

One and a half years ago, France stated that it could no longer continue to provide the French element of the Loran A coverage, unless it was financed by any State or body requiring its continued use. It will be noted that all Air France aircraft likely to fly in the region have INS installations.

Six months ago, Portugal stated that it wished to discontinue financial responsibility for the Portuguese chain on 31st December, 1974.

Thus a situation exists in which these stark statements, no longer thought to be political tactics, have to be digested by IATA, the non-IATA airlines, IFALPA, shipping companies, and States having on their register large numbers of trans-oceanic aircraft without INS equipment.

It is known that there are some 350 trans-oceanic aircraft without INS equipment, of which 200 are owned by three airlines, PAN AM, TWA and BOAC. It may be assumed that some larger airlines will dispose of (by sale) some of 38

their non-INS aircraft to smaller - less financially sound airlines.

Whereas the cost of INS equipment may be only one percent of the total cost of a Boeing 747, the cost of retrofitting INS to a written down Boeing 707 may be as high as one hundred per cent.

There is likely to be pressure from smaller operators to be "allowed" to fit single or dual INS with or without the support of single or dual doppler.

The questions arise - "Which is cheaper - to pay for the ground stations or to retrofit INS in all trans-oceanic aircraft? If we pay for the ground stations, how will we apportion the cost? The Provider States are saying "Who wants these Loran A chains? We don't. If somebody wants them, will somebody pay for them?" It is believed that IATA has concluded that any method of recovering the cost of the stations from both IATA and non-IATA airlines is impractical, and further, that IATA has concluded that the retrofit of INS is the inevitable solution.

IFALPA should ask - Will all aircraft be retrofitted with INS? What is an acceptable INS Installation? Will non-INS aircraft be handled In the NAT Region?

What is an INS Equipped Aircraft?

Presently it varies from part of one complete installation to three complete INS systems with auto coupling. The need for a definition becomes apparent when it is realised that separation standars are under review on the basis of improved navigation performance with INS. If INS equipped aircraft were segregated, there is no question some reduced lateral separation is justified. How much must be proven but first we must determine the criteria for "an INS equipped aircraft". Certainly just a piece of an INS system would not entitle an aircraft to reduced separation. But are three complete systems necessary? Probably not, somewhere in-between is likely, the definition of "INS capability" sufficient for the needs of the Air Traffic Control system depending on the separation standards envisioned. IFALPA should give serious consideration to both defining an INS equipped aircraft and prescribing what separation standards this aircraft can safely accomodate. (IFALPA Bulletin)

Private Pilot on a Collision Course with ATC A flight from Barton airfield in the Manchester Control Zone to Waddington in Lincolnshire led to a private pilot being fined a total of ÂŁ 1,400 on four summonses. He is alleged to have failed to advise Manchester ATC of his flight details, failed to give position reports or obtain clearance before take-off, and using R/T without a licence.

He left Barton at 0730 on a June morning and three minutes later made contact with Preston FIR giving his destination, then believing all was in order, flew out over the Pennines.

He was detected on Manchester radar as an unidentified aircraft, and seen at a range of about a mile by a BAC OneEleven captain.

There was no collision risk and it can be seen that a direct course from Barton to Waddington passes more than six miles north of Manchester Airport. The pilot, however, admitted that he should have notified Manchester. An appeal is being lodged.

(FLIGHT International)

Ard more Airfield, New Zealand's Busiest Aerodrome Ardmore Airfield is situated six miles from the Auckland International Airport as the crow flies, and its circuit joins one of the two instrument approaches at Auckland International. At Ardmore, the country's busiest traffic officials work indoors; they are pilots with their feet nailed to the grou nd and men who have to know when to keep thei r mouths s hut. They also d efy the ulcers and j angled nerves normally associated with their profession.

the controllers to have tabs o n 50 aircraft in the ai r. These ai rcraft are controlled by two ai r traffic controllers and one assistant. They work 7 'h -hour shifts but the man in the "hot seat" - controlling airc raft on the airfield circuit is relieved every 90 minutes because the pressure becomes too great.

"They" are the men responsible for the control of air t raffic at New Zealand's busiest airfield : Ardmore in South Auckland. By March 1974, the air t raffic controllers at Ardmore had handled approximately 250,000 movements in twelve months - easily the largest number for any airport in the country.

The airfield superintendent, Vic Roberts, and his second- in-co mm and Howard Monk, have been at Ardmore since it was recommissioned as a civil aerodrome in 1960.

It had been little used si nce the Royal New Zealand Air Force abandoned it after the Second World War. The few aviation organisations originally based at old Mangere Aerodrome moved to Ardmore airfield when Mangere was c losed to permit the construction of the new Auckfand Inte rn ational Airport. Ardmore now accomodates 6 aero c lubs, 3 top-d ressing firms, 48 private aircraft and 46 gliders, a total of 121 aircraft, a major increase from the one aero club and handful of small unsophisticated aircraft which commenced operations in the early days. The air movements accordingly have increased considerably with daily totals o f 540 plus being the norm.

The air traffic control facilities consist of three radiotelephone frequencies, two banks of telephones, a teleprinter and Xerox rep rint machine and Aldis lamp, there being no radar, no navigational aids, limited range on the two very high radio freq uency chan nels with briefing facilit ies for the pilots being completed in the control tower cab during actual controlling of aircraft and supplying of a modified type of crash-fire service. The advent of faster, more sophisticated aircraft based at and using Ardmore have the facility to fly IFR, thus increasing the air traffic workload by requiring th e Ardmore controllers to file IFR flight plans, obtain an IFR c learance from Auckland Air T raffic Control Centre with or without a radar restriction and requiring the actual take-off time to be passed to the radar controlle r at Auck land International for identification.

There are aviation firms based on Ardmore operating scheduled services; a variety of flights are recorded as ae rial work, and the glider and towing aircraft manoeuvres are c lassed as local !lights ; these air movements are approximately 25 D/o of the total air movements reco rded.

Modest Vic Roberts and Howard Monk have guided hundreds of trainee pi lots into the air and managed to get them back on to the ground again - safely. But they are modest about their j obs, "Let's just say we earn our keep," says Mr. Roberts.

At Ardmore, 20 full-time instructors and 12 part-timers are teaching people to fly. At week-ends it is common for

Vic Roberts and Howard Monk each take their turn in the " hot seat" along with the four other controllers who work at Ardmore. The establishment of air traffic control officers is o ne grade IV as the Aerodrome Superintendent, senior ai r traffic control officer and senior meteorological observer; there are five grade Ill controllers who also do meteorological observing duties, and f inally three girl assistants. With such a small team, the controllers manage to get only one week-end off in five. Saturday and Sunday are the busiest with scores of week-end pilots taking to the air.

Build-up "A few years ago we were wo rking 9 'h to 10-hour shifts," Mr. Monk said. "With the build-up in traffic we couldn't work those shifts today." The hours of work are strictly controlled by the men's union and the Civil Aviation Division of the Ministry of Transport. The hours of attendance of the air traffic control staff on duty in the control tower do not always cover complete daylight hours ; consequently there is air traffic operating both by day and night when the control tower is not manned. This air traffic is clearly visible on the radar screen to the radar controller at Auckland Air Traffic Control Centre, where a 24-hou r

39

watch is worked, and on occasions it becomes necessary for him to guide aircraft around this air traffic from Ardmore.

Mr. Roberts said the Ardmore work, in spite of the volume of movements, is "not quite as concentrated" as the work of radar controllers at airports such as Auckland International. But it is not without its tensions and pro'.:>lems. Like: - The aircraft that hit the roof of the Ardmore Training College next to the airfield; - Or the DC 3 topdresser that inadvertently dropped tons of superphosphate at the start of the runway; - Or the pilots used to flying planes with tricycle undercarriages, forgetting they are flying an aircraft with a tailwheel instead of a nosewheel.

"The majority of the pilots coming under our control are novices," Mr. Roberts explained. "They are very much non-professionals."

Careful

over the radio to new pilots. We could completely destroy their confidence. There are times, looking out of the window of the control tower when we see things that make us want to scream at the pilot over the radio. But we can't.

We can't tell a pilot how to fly his aircraft. We have to learn to keep our mouths shut."

The controllers are emphatic that they will not tell even a novice how to fly. "We are not desk pilots," Mr. Roberts said. "We are here to control aircraft movements. But this is certain: people who learn to fly at this airfield can fly anywhere."

All controllers must be trained pilots. Vic Roberts was a wartime bomber pilot and later an Air Force instructor.

Howard Monk was a wartime Corsair fighter pilot. They have little time for flying these days - "our feet are nailed to the ground."

In spite of 250,000 movements a year including 20,000 glider movements and up to 240 night flights a day, mishaps at Ardmore are few. There has not been a crash on the airfield in more than two years or a fatality since the airfield was recommissioned in 1960.

"We look on ourselves as instructors of a sort," said Mr. Monk. "And we have to be really careful in what ¡we say

(adapted from an article In the N. Z. Herald & Weekly News, Auckland, New Zealand)

Letters from Readers "Aviation on Stamps"

A Correction

I would like to support Ted McCluskey's suggestion of a philatelist's column in THE CONTROLLER. I started collecting on an "Aviation on Stamps" theme a few years ago and I'm sure there must be others among our members.

I am prepared to submit the odd contribution for such a column and to this end I will write off to various Postal Administrations in an effort to get some "inside information", including photographs, if possible.

THE CONTROLLER, Volume 13 No. 2, page 16, Book Review, "Jonathan Livingston Seagull". a) Wordsworth was not a 17th Century poet; he was born in 1770 and died in 1850. b) The quotation should read: "Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp, Or what's a heaven for?" c) These lines were written by Robert Browning (1812 1889) not by Wordsworth.

I hope you will forgive this comment; even electronic engineers with aviation interests may also be devoted readers of poetry! However, I am still a keen reader of "THE CONTROLLER". - G. A. Bartley-Dennies CEng FIERE. One thing I have learned in my controller's career Is never to argue with electronic engineers on specialised subjects, and this now includes poetry. Many thanks for your correction which is gratefully received, and for your continued interest in our publication. - Ed.

In the meantime, I have enclosed a few lines about a recent Jersey issue featuring aircraft, together with a set of photographs I obtained from the local Post Office. I also received their permission for all or part of the information they supplied to be re-produced in our Journal.

Perhaps an exchange system between members might become possible in the future. - G. M. Sinclair.

If at all possible, black and white photographs of stamps, or of any other subject for that matter, are required for a really good reproduction, and our Publisher, Dr. W. Kramer, frowns on coloured photos, or cuttings from newspapers, or drawings which are not the original. - Ed.

Air Line Pilot Magazine Your interest in reprinting articles from Air Line Pilot (the Monthly U.S. Magazine of Professional Flight Crews) is appreciated. We commend your efforts to invite comment and debate on subjects of mutual interest. The end product will undoubtedly be improved air safety which is the desire of all of us. - C.V. Glines, Manager of Publications.

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Your Chance to try for our 1974/1975 Journal Writing Award. Entries must be received by the Editor of THE CONTROLLER, or by any of the Officers of the Executive Board of IFATCA, not later than 31st March, 1975.

Scope: all original contributions, essays or stories which are related to any of the many facets of Air Traffic Control.

The competition is open to any Air Traffic Controller who is an individual member of our Federation.

There is no well-defined limit, but single articles should preferably carry not more than 4000 words.

Do not delay! Start writing your story now!

Aviation History on Stamps

Jersey, the largest of the Channel Islands, can trace its aviation history back just over 100 years to the siege of Paris during the Franco-Prussian War. A "Balloon Post" was established and some 2,500,000 letters were carried out of the encircled city by balloons. One of these letters (now in a Jersey museum) left Paris on 29th. December, 1870 on a balloon nam ed " L'Armee de la Loire" and arrived in Jersey on 4th. January, 1871 . This event is commemorated on the 3p stamp of a set issued in May, 1973.

The 5p stamp shows an "Astra" biplane. This was a "Type C" seapl ane which took part in a seaplane " rally" at St. Malo, France in 1912, just a few months after the world's first such " rally" held in Monaco. Among the races th e one across the sea to Jersey (some 38 miles) involved the first endurance test of its kind . Only five of the twelve entrants finished the series and the Astra was the winner.

The biplane used the wing-warping principle for control, had a wingspan of 40 feet, powered by a 100 h. p. Renault engine, and had a maximum speed of 56 m.p.h.

In 1923 the first flying boat on a trial se rvice between the South of England and Jersey anchored in one of the island 's bays. This aircraft was the Supermarine Sea Eag le depi cted on th e 7 ' h p stamp and was a single-engined wooden hull machine capable of carrying six passenge rs at a cruising s peed of 84 m.p.h. The Sea Eagle was design ed by R. J. Mitchell who was later responsible for the Spitfire. In 1924, just after Imperial Airways bought the Sea Eagles, one of them crashed, and the other co llided w ith a ship off Guernsey and sank.

From 1934 De Haviland Dragons operated to Jersey with Jersey Airways and used the only flat surface avail able for a landing strip - the beach! This proved successful for several years w ith flight schedules arranged to suit the tides. However, when the terminal build ing (a motorbus!) was swept out to sea by a particularly high tid e, it was dec ided to build the present airport. The Dragons were replaced by the De Havi land OH. 86 Ex press which is

shown on the 9p stamp. This aircraft was powered by four Gipsy 6 engines (200 h.p.) and carried 14 passengers. It was originally designed for an A ustralian Gove rnment requirement for an aircraft capable of flying over the Java and Timor Seas. The first OH. 86 of Jersey Airways (G-ACYF) which the stamp features , subseq uently served as an air ambulance w ith the Royal A ust ral ian A ir Force in the Western Dese rt during the Second World War.

Featured on a 20p. stamp (one of a set of 4), issued

by Jersey in June 1974, is a BAC 1-11 aircraft in the colours of British Airways. Guernsey, the second largest of th e Chan nel Islands, also issued an aviation set of stamps in 1973 (July) showing ai rcraft wh ich operated services to the Ch annel Island s up to the present. The aircraft depicted were : Supermarine Sea Eagle (on land), Westland Wessex (tri-motor), De Havil and Rapide, Douglas DC. 3, and Vickers Viscount.

(G . M. Sinclair. Channel Islands Air Traffic Controller's Association) Note: Mr. G. M. Sinclair will be the offici al philatelic correspondent for THE CONTROLLER and will co-ordinate contributions received from readers. His address is : 1 Maison St. Louis, St. Saviour, Jersey, C. I. - All correspondence regarding this column should be sent directly to Mr. Sinclair.

41

Flexibility or Optimality in Design?* A Human Factors Dilemma

by Dr. R. A. Edenborough, Royal Air Force, Institute of Aviation Medicine, Farnborough, Hants, England

Introduction The design of many ATC equipments and facilities currently in use has been influenced, to some extent, by the human factors specialist, and in the future his involvement seems likely to increase. As part of this involvement he may be called upon to make specific recommendations with regard to lighting levels, tube size or orientation, for example. The question that arises is, should a specific optimal value in fact be recommended or should the human factors specialist endeavour to indicate a range of acceptable values? In other words, should the aim be to provide unique, optimal, settings and sizes or to build flexibility into design? These and related questions are the concern of this paper.

In certain cases the issue of optimality or flexibility may be very much a dilemma for the human factors specialist.

He is, understandably, under some pressure from engineers and planning staff to be precise, but his training will warn him of the differing needs of different individuals and different circumstances, together with the wide discrepancies between average values and those suitable for particular individuals.

In ATC there are some aspects of equipment and facilities where the operator does, at the moment, select and set up the conditions to suit himself. For instance, the arrangement of a flight progress board may be modified to some extent by the members of a watch. Choice will be more commonly and more obviously exerted in setting the volume for an R/T headset.

The reasons why flexibility of adjustment or arrangement arises at the present time are probably two-fold: the use of traditional expedients and system evolution. Traditional ways of working, arising with relatively simple systems, necessarily imply some flexibility. Thus a degree of flexibility in the arrangement of strips can be seen to be associated with the simple strip board - a blank frame on which variable items of information can be temporarily mounted. Similarly, the need to give a controller a pencil to record information ensures that he is allowed considerable freedom in what he records and how he records it.

The second reason for existing flexibility, that ATC systems have evolved through time, is related to the first.

Evolution means generally that inadequate equipment will have tended to be replaced and particularly that flexibility will have been introduced where it was required. Thus, radar displays have developed with variable off-centreing â&#x20AC;˘ Editor's (V. D. Hopkln's) Note: Dr. Edenborough's paper is based on several years' practical experience in applying human factors knowledge to the design and evaluation of ATC systems, especially of proposed new ATC facilities and equipment. The questions which evaluation trials seek to answer are normally posed In a way which implies that an optimum answer exists and is being sought. He argues that there are considerable advantages in Incorporating greater flexibility at the design stage and that the existence of a unique answer should not be presumed.

42

and scaling. The former enables particular parts of the airspace to be examined, while the latter permits selection of a general view or a more intense examination of a particular area. Together, expediency and an incomplete evolutionary process will produce too much flexibility in some cases and too little in others.

Scope and Advantages of Flexibility In what aspects of the controller's equipment and environment could or does flexibility exist and what are the associated benefits?

With regard to major parts of furniture and primary pieces of equipment such as radar displays, these tend to be designed and arranged to some extent on a modular pattern, thereby facilitating change and adjustment. This state of affairs is perhaps as much due to maintenance requirements as to a conscious attempt towards flexibility for operators. Apart from replacing unservicable items of equipment during operation the role for flexibility here is in terms of relative ease of redesign over a longer period rather than for day to day or minute to minute adjustment.

Flexibility may be introduced in principle into aspects of sector suite design, such as the viewing distance for radar displays, without implying that the adjustment is easy enough to be made frequently, for instance at each watch hand over.

Perhaps the main role for flexibility currently and in future developments is in relation to controls. The controller does not function merely as a mechanical link, making a unique response to each of a number of clearly defined situations. Rather he interprets each situation according to written and unwritten rules about separation and expedition, but largely using his own judgement to choose an appropriate course of action. He uses controls primarily in selecting the information that he requires, so that flexibility here is bound up with flexibility in exerting judgement. For example a change in display scale may permit the controller to make a more accurate assessment of the separation between two aircraft. If no such change can be made he may be forced to adopt a more crude evalution of the situation, since the only safe solution with information of poor quality is to assume that the aircraft are Inadequately separated.

Some existing controls are entirely concerned with providing flexibility; perhaps the knob for adjusting screen brightness is the most obvious case. The need for this sort of adjustment is rarely questioned. Controllers make use of such controls and appear to prefer to have them available. They certainly make sense where conditions of lighting or signal strength may change but their value is less clear under relatively constant conditions, especially if the ambient lighting has been chosen with a particular screen brightness in mind.

Another area of great flexibility, at least in principle, is that of the software involved in a computer-based system.

This can be regarded as essentially a flexible component and, as with the design and layout of suites, has much scope for flexibility over the long term. Perhaps more important are the opportunities that the use of computers gives the operator to change the display of information in front of him. Sometimes this may be done in quite minor ways, for example if a computer input is used to separate two overlapping identity labels on a labelled plan display, perhaps by rotating one of them through 180° degrees. More generally the ability to influence his displays means that the controller can choose what information he wants and how he wants it displayed. There are indications that this aspect is one that is liked by controllers. Flexibility is perhaps only bounded here by the need to display information about traffic offering. Even this is manipulated to some degree as control is exerted; the controller may directly or indirectly speed up or slow down the passage of traffic through his sector.

The controller tends to have rather little influence over his physical environment with possibly the exception of localised sources of lighting. He may have some indirect influence, for example several complaints from controllers t:ead to an adjustment in lighting levels or temperature.

Similarly it is generally not the practice, nor can one see how it could be, to adjust the traffic to fit in with the daily variations in performance of controllers as a whole or in respect of individuals. In some cases amount of traffic and degree of wakefulness will coincide, as when there is relatively less traffic at night, but such agreement will by no means always arise.

The main advantage of flexible design is, then, that it permits the various features of the operating system to be geared better to the needs of the moment and particularly to the requirements of the controller operating that system.

A major form of flexibility is where the adjustment for the individual is made by the controller himself as and when required, particularly using controls to produce effects on displays. Apart from the advantages of day to day or minute to minute adjustment that flexible design brings, there is the scope for making changes in the face of steadily or even drastically changing circumstances outside.

Problems of Flexibility One problem with the approach of designing for flexibility is that the controller may not be able to report what he needs. Perhaps more likely, he may wish some local adjustment that is undesirable on other grounds, for example a choice of brightness level that will, in fact, lead to visual fatigue. In such a case the dilemma facing the human factors specialist is very real. Should he abandon his general principles in favour of another one of pleasing the operator by giving him what he requests? Note that it would be expected that the operator would select particular levels on the basis of his familiarity and experience with them. He will be familiar with existing equipment which, as suggested earlier, may incorporate traditional expedients. Another problem is that for many ATC tasks there is some measure of joint operation between two or more controllers so that the question arises of who should choose what setting of the flexible system is to be used.

A different sort of issue concerns the workload of the controller. There are some indications that when workload is relatively light, possibly making the task temporarily boring, the controller takes steps to increase it. He may engage in additional cross-checking of information or in planning his traffic further ahead than in high workload conditions. Thus as well as increasing a currently low level of work these efforts may have the effect of reducing his future work to a more acceptable level. He might also tend to vary aspects of his display where possible, for example looking at different formats available on an electronic data display. In this sort of situation it would be difficult to say how much flexibility was really required. The use of flexibility to spread work evenly would be desirable, but its use to relieve boredom might not be justifiable.

On taking over a watch there may be a tendency to leave equipment at whatever levels it is found to be set.

This seems particularly likely if the watch handover occurs during a busy period. In this case the way in which the out-going controller has made use of the flexibility may prove a nuisance to the in-coming controller who now works with a system which is poorly adjusted for his needs. A related problem is that the human operator may not realise when a display or other facility has been set poorly for him. In the immediate situation this is likely to result in a minor degree of interference with his performance. Thus there is evidence from other situations that when operators are not comfortably accommodated they make more pauses in their work than otherwise, and they find more occasions to be momentarily absent from the task at hand. In the ATC context these pauses might take the form of fidgeting or leaning over in the seat to cross-check a piece of information with a colleague. This action could almost certainly be rationalised by the controller and the real reason, discomfort, might be as obscure to him as to a casual observer. In the longer term, with poorly set equipment, generalised dissatisfaction and symptoms of physical ailment could be expected in some cases.

Again a wide range of flexibility may be confusing to the controller. In using an electronic data display as a supplementary display it may be possible to arrange traffic by cleared flight levels, destination or aircraft type and, for each of these, according to entry point and time. Further alternatives might provide for the display of the flight plans of individual aircraft or for a 'look ahead' picture showing details of traffic due in ten minutes time. The need to select amongst such a flexible array of alternatives could impose so high a workload on the controller that he would opt out of making a choice, merely taking settings that he found or making some arbitrary selection.

Problems of Optimality The alternative to providing flexibility is to make recom¡ mendations of 'optimal' values. This is a philosophy commonly pursued at present, as outlined at the beginning of this paper, and, as implied there, it has its own problems.

The main difficulty with attempting to design for the optimal setting is that in many applications there is no such value. If the spread of conditions to be accommodated and values to be required is very large, then the compromise offered by a single 'optimum' may be a very poor one in many cases. Secondly, assuming that some optimal arrangement can be found, the time scale for finding it

43

may be rather long. In the shorter term, in introducing one of two alternative pieces of equipment we may have to base the choice on which is more acceptable at the present time. If all the physical characteristics of this particular design then become enshrined and immutable there may never be a progression beyond the merely acceptable. On the other hand, if some measure of flexibility is retained then it is easier to determine and choose the truly optimal settings eventually. Another point to be borne in mind here is that circumstances do change over time so that an arrangement that is optimal at one stage may be inappropriate at a later date.

One precondition for determining optimality is that the criterion be known. Global criteria such as safety are unhelpful; settings or designs that are to be considered at all are unlikely to be distinguishable in terms of safety. At the other extreme, emphasis on very specific criteria of design or setting such as gaining maximum clarity for a particular display may fail to take account of other aspects in the total system which would otherwise constrain the display format. For instance a labelled plan display in which labels comprise an identity code plus a flight level indication may look cluttered, especially if the labels overlap. However, the single expedient of uncluttering the display by deleting one type of information, say the flight level, only shifts the problem of deriving flight level information back to the controller-pilot voice channel. As the reason for displaying flight levels visually in the first place would have been to relieve busy R/T communications, this solution is unhelpful to say the least. The human factor specialist and others must be aware of offering equally naive solutions to other problems and the only way to ensure against this is to have a clear picture of the whole system and of the various criteria to be considered.

Criterion problems in general provide another reason why a human factors specialist is often reluctant to give statements of optimal setting and why his approach may seem vague to others concerned.

Comments by Air Traffic Control Spokesmen across the World Mr. A. D. Stark, Chairman, Institute of Professional Civil Servants (U. K.), Air Traffic Control Branch, also on the subject of 'Stress': Many frustrations in the controllers' specialist world are brought about by the feeling that he is no more than a pliable tool of the trade of the policy makers. We hear much about the generation gap but equally frustrating can be the technical gap which seems to be slowly widening to the controller's bewilderment. He does not expect to dictate global strategy but he is somewhat surprised to find himself being led from behind without having been consulted in any way about the tactics of the operation.

With his level of specialist qualifications and professionalism he feels it essential to be a participant in the choice or alteration of operating procedures, types of equipment, operation room furniture, etc. In industry there is the development of progressive move towards what is known as worker participation. In the scientific, professional and technical organisations the progress towards this type of co-operation is inevitably slower, but in the interests of a more efficient air traffic control service we should use 44

Is there a Solution?

An ideal precept is, be flexible with respect to optimality and optimal with respect to flexibility. In other words it must be acknowledged that there is not necessarily a single optimum for all conditions, so that a range of values may have to be available. Similarly the range of flexibility must be sufficiently large to include all optimal values but not so large that it includes values that are known to be inefficient. This again raises the question of criteria and assumes that there is a single criterion scale or at least that all aspects can be reduced to one. A practical interpretation of this rule is that one should endeavour to identify those areas where each approach is most suitable.

For example brightness controls may have to be regarded as being too flexible in situations where there are largely clutterfree displays working in conditions of controlled or at least controllable lighting and used by a number of operators. For the provision of software the interpretation might be that the inherent flexibility is desirable but we must aim to stop well short of confusing the controller.

Knowledge of the constraints of the system is always essential in design. There is no point in suggesting, for instance, that the controller could work best if he were given complete flexibility to introduce speed control when it is known that this would be quite unacceptable to many users of ATC services. Constraints must be fully taken into account when deciding the degree of flexibility to introduce.

Some account must also be taken of developments that will remove constraints. Those concerned in design must be careful not to use constraints as an excuse for excessive compromise in their recommendations.

The issue of flexibility or optimality is not really a debate between opposing viewpoints. It is rather an area for discussion and, hopefully, stimulus to thought in the particular cases that face the human factors specialist and others concerned with designing for controllers.

the experience gained over the years in the operational environment.

The comment is occasionally heard that if you ask twenty controllers for their opinion on a particular subject, you will get twenty different answers. An example of an embarassing situation of this sort was when a sudden decision was imposed on air traffic controllers operating in a radar environment withdrawing from them the most used method of establishing the identification of individual aircraft which had been a time honoured method in post war aviation. After protests, this embargo was temporarily suspended and we are locked together in combat with the operational management side. This is a difference of operational opinion but this is how the controllersâ&#x20AC;˘ frustrations are brought about. Once the controller experiences this sort of surprise decision he does not know if and when it may be reimposed due to the lack of prior consultation, and his frustration will manifest itself at the most sensitive time.

If you put a controversial issue to an off-duty controller, you will get a balanced, reasoned agreement, but put that same point when he has just completed a two hour session in a hot control room when the pressure of air traffic and the level of the radio facilities have nearly reached satu-

ration point, then in many cases the reaction would be much more violent. He may have a tendency to verbally hit out in any suitable dil'ection. This is an inevitable sign of stress, and attempts must be made to reduce the impact.

A spin off from this is not only the reaction against those in authority but also against the controller's staff side representatives on the basis of their not doing enough for him.

A fresh approach should be made to personnel relationships and colleague co-operation. This does not only embrace the central personnel organisations, it embraces personnel and operation management at all levels down to unit watch supervisors and the medical authorities. An essential ingredient would be the contribution made by the individual controller's attitudes. An honest personnel and management decision becomes useless if part of the way down the line it is ignored, misunderstood or deliberately not affected. This neglect has built up a gap which takes a lot of effort, not only to close but to stop it widening rapidly. It has been said that people carrying out staff mangement tasks have to be born to it while others can be trained, but whether we breed or just rear them, it is not the easiest of tasks because there is a danger of moving away from the desired middle path which is so essential in personnel and management. In most businesses there are already disciplinary and welfare sections so that the manager who diverges from the middle path becomes a failure but in the ATC world, or in any stressful occupation, the task becomes even more difficult.

There is also the need to use more of the 'benefit of the doubt' technique in personnel and mangement, whereby

a request made by an employee in a stressful occupation may be deemed reasonable, while a similar request in a non-stressful one might not. It is simply a question of the assessment of decisions being made in the light of circumstances.

In the stress environment there is no room for the attitude of let's giev them nothing, they are always complaining. Perhaps we could follow the example of the Greater London Council and their top executives who are allowed three months leave and ÂŁ 250 at any particular given moment and sent off on holiday. These Greater London Council executives deserve this because by their decisions they are responsible for the lives of hundreds and thousands of people but an air traffic controller is also responsible for the lives of hundreds and thousands of people.

Finally I would like to mention the thorny problem of colleague co-operation. Effective personnel and management will not be seen to work if parochial attitudes cause barriers to be built up between the various disciplines and there are many signs that these barriers do exist. To make a colleague's job more difficult through neglect or hostility is to start the whole retrograde progression towards the stress situation. The controller has an obligation to ease the burden of another colleague by the use of his experience when by doing that little bit extra which is not specifically required the pressure is relaxed. This build-up of rapport between the various disciplines with its feedback will reduce stress. We will never completely eliminate stress as long as human beings are able to register emotions but any such method of alleviating stress is to be recommended.

News from Corporation Members International Air Carrier Association A spokesman for the world's international air charter carriers has called for governments and the entire airline industry to work together in developing a single air transport system which would protect and promote both individually-ticketed and charter services in the best interest of the consumer. through a balanced system of regulation.

Speaking before the Financial Times World Air Transport Conference, which was held in London during May 1974, Mr. Anders Helgstrand, President of the International Air Carrier Association (IACA) and Sterling Airways, Denmark, focussed attention on the two different air transport systems that currently exist - the scheduled carrier system, controlled and regulated by the industry under government sponsorship and approval, and, the independent airline system which is under practically complete government control.

"The scheduled carrier industry benefits from its ability to regulate itself and the capacity it can apply to both charter and scheduled services," said Helgstrand. "Over and above this it develops a myriad of promotional fares to compete with both types of service. The scheduled carriers are expanding their charter operations quite considerably,

but their efforts are defensive since their principial interest is toward the retention of a scheduled service as "the one system" acceptable to them.

"Government regulatory bodies," continued the IACA President, "aid and encourage scheduled carriers in their endeavours through restricting the availablity of charter services, resulting in the limitation of dependable low-cost air transport to the consumer."

Is it really necessary to embrace one system like this to the detriment of the other?

"Since charter traffic accounted for 32 O/o of the total intra-European market and 27 % of the trans-Atlantic market in 1973, its operations within these areas is highly significant. The traveller obviously requires both individually-ticketed and charter services. I believe therefore that if governments developed a single air transport system approach, one that is properly balanced, the consumer would be provided with what he needs and wants."

"After all, what are the real differences between the two carrier system now in existence. Aircraft, flight crews and ground personnel are the same. It is only the treatment of the independent charter carriers by regulators and regulations that is different. Since both systems serve the fundamental need of air transport, surely the regulators

45

should be more disposed than anyone to produce one system properly? One that is adapted to the needs of the public," said Helgstrand.

He noted that instead of this, regulations today give almost carte blanche treatment to the scheduled carriers, whereas the independent charter airlines are subjected to such a hodgepodge of unilateral restrictions that it is almost impossible to comply with all and run an effective service. There are thus in essence two distinct systems: one, the individually ticketed that is fostered and promoted; the other the charter service which is permitted but highly restricted.

Helgstrand acknowledged that it would not be easy to develop a single air transport system, but proposed the following as a start towards formulating its establishment.

European governments at ministerial level, together with IATA carriers, IACA carriers and tour operators, should meet to draft a multilateral policy to uniformly govern the conduct of individually-ticketed and charter services within Europe.

European, American, Canadian and other governments where appropriate, again at ministerial level, should agree upon a policy framework within which both types of service can be provided and encouraged between Europe and North America.

Directors General of Civil Aviation should develop uniform rules and regulations to the maximum extent possible in order that the operation of both the individually ticketed and charter services is facilitated without unnecessarily restricting either service. Restrictions on either would only be the product of experience and would be imposed to preclude undue competition which produces an adverse effect on the public need.

Said Helgstrand: "The benefits which would flow from such an undertaking would at least focus the attention of the appropriate leaders on the differences that now exist and which impair the development of a single air transport system. Once this system is developed, I am convinced that scheduled and charter companies would then both work towards broadening the total market rather than pulling at each other in opposite directions. A common effort will provide a single economically sound system directed towards serving the public."

"Since air transport is now at a crossroad," concluded the IACA President, "such redefinition, restructuring and application of effort would add impetus to the desire on the part of governments, operators and regulators to look to the future consumer needs and airline economics rather than to past restrictive rules and regulations."

The solid state RN 100 VOR System is available in 25 W, 50 W and 100 W versions and as a single type or a dual type (hot standby). The equipment can be supplied for mounting in a pre-fabricated, robust cabin, complete with aerial system, air conditioning and mains/battery supply unit. By combining advanced design techniques with the latest technology, Philips have produced an extremely accurate and stable navigational aid. Receiver equipment on-board of an aircraft is able to take bearings on the ground station to an accuracy better than ± 1,5° for all elevation angles between O and 40 degrees. Comprehensive telesupervision facilities permit full monitoring of performance and remote control. Many functions including switching over to standby in case of unit malfunction, are automatic.

Except for the power amplifier stage which uses four ceramic planar triodes, the PHL 731 DME Ground Transponder employs solid state circuitry throughout. Both 100 W and 1OOO W transmitter output power versions are available and they can be supplied as single or dual units with monitoring facilities to match. In order to satisfy specific requirements even further, there is a choice of aerial system: omnidirectional, unidirectional and bidirectional aerials are available. Like the VOR equipment, the Ground Transponder is built to the highest standards of reliability and stability; special circuitry is incorporated to enable the transponder to handle severe short distance echoes, greatly simplifying the task of installing stations at different locations. The operational frequency can be tuned with an accuracy of ± 0,002 O/o and it is possible to handle up to 100 aircraft with one equipment. Full telesupervision facilities are incorporated.

With both the VOR and the DME equipment special attention was paid to possible operation under adverse environmental conditions.

The RN 100 and PHL 731 complement a large existing range of civil aviation ground equipment from Philips which is used extensively throughout the world both as individual equipments and complete turn-key projects.

The Modern Air Age The Heathrow RVR indicators at London ATCC recently recorded, on an apparently clear day, an RVR several variations around 500 mtrs. We were assured it was incorrect and someone would investigate.

An London Airport-based seagull had inconsiderately left its visiting card over the transmissometer screen ... the RVR rapidly soared above 1200 after a swift wipe.

Maplin might produce some lousy RVRs on a clear day!

(GATCO Bulletin)

Phillps extend Range of Navigational Aids

Fuel Problem

Philips Telecommunications, widely known in the world of civil aviation for its ground equipment, and of which our Netherlands Corporation Member Hollandse Signaalapparaten N. V. forms an important part, has recently added two more advanced navigational aid systems to its existing radar systems and the successful PHL 7002 Instrument Landing System. These are the RN 100 V. H.F. Omni Range (VOR) System and the PHL 731 Distance Measuring Equipment (DME) Ground Transponder; both of which more than meet the latest ICAO recommendations. They can be installed either at the same location, in which case some facilities are shared, or entirely independently.

No praise to an airline which perhaps had better be nameless but whose stewardesses are advertised occasionally as being in love with us all ... or similar words. One of their aircraft tanked itself up to the gills recently for the eastbound turnround at Heathrow. Then somebody found they were only going to Amsterdam ... but, of course, fuel was tight there, anyway ... the fuel company could not in any event decant it there and then, so off they went.

Shortly after transfer to Amsterdam, the Dutch asked the CLN sector to block off FL 190 for 20 minutes to an aircraft dumping fuel as it was too heavy for landing . . . guess (GATCO Bulletin) who · · ·

46

Programme:

I FATCA '75

Monday 14 April:

Official Opening and First Plenary Session

Tuesday 15 April:

Committee Sessions

Wednesday 16 April:

Committee Sessions

Thursday 17 April :

Committee Sessions

Friday 18 April :

Final Plenary Session and Closing Ceremony

14th Annual Conference of the International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers' Associations

Pre and Post Tours: A comprehensive range of pre and post tours will be planned to enable delegates to see the major attractions of Australia.

Social Programme: An extensive social programme is being organised for Delegates and Associates. An interesting and comprehensive programme is also being planned for ladies. This will include some of the historical, geographical and cultural features of the city of Melbourne and its environments.

Registration: A final announcement brochure detailing registration fees, programme, accomodation forms, post-Congress tours, etc., will be circulated in October 1974.

Photo by Courtesy - The Herald and Weekly Times Ltd., Melbourne

Melbourne/Australia:

IFATCA '75, Melbourne, Australia, 14-18 April 1975, Hilton Hotel.

Host Association: Civil Air Operations Officers' Associatio n of Austra li a; Box 789 F, GPO Melbourne, 3001, Australia.

Phone: 67 56 61.

Melbourne (population 2,5 million) is the capital city of the State of Victoria and is Australia's second largest c ity. It is renowned for its dignified charm, parks, gardens und treelined streets, art galleries, small boutiques, and also has the largest department store in the southern hemisphere.

Australia's major finan cial centre, Melbourne has a concentration of industry on its outskirts, a major seaport and international air terminal and has been described as a cosmopo litan city with international standard hotels and restaurants.

Venue: The Congress wi ll be held at the Melbourne Hilton Hotel Melbourne's newest International hotel, overlooking the famous and historic Fitzroy Gardens. The Hilton Hotel is located 5 minutes from the city centre.

Official International Carrier for Conference participants: QANTAS. Attractive air fare discounts will be available to all delegates. Further details will be supplied in the final brochure.

Weather: The average April temperature in Melbourne is 20 C maximum and 10 C minimum. It is Autumn and the days are usually sunny.

Australia is an continent of contrasts. One third is tropical . but then it also has a vast inland desert. The more fertile country is either side of a mountain range which is snow capped for almost half of the year and runs the length of the eastern seaboard. Australia is the land of sophisticated cities , large grazing and small farming properties and a unique flora and fauna in its seven States.

47

Unmasking the Secrets of the Ancient and Honorable Art of Air Traffic Control

by Greg Mellen *

In official histories, the FAA chooses to overlook much evidence showing that air traffic control has been around for hundreds of years. Behind this bureaucratic oversight may be a desire to prove that ATC is an invention of the United States. Admirable a motive as this is from a U.S. point of view, the historian, to be true to his calling, must let the ATC professional judge the evidence for himself.

We don't intend here to dig up old skeletons. To his own private hell we'll leave the poor devil of a sector controller who vectored Daedalus and Icarus so close to the sun as to melt the aircraft.

Instead, we'll pick just one writer (Shakespeare will do as well as any) to show how ATC procedures didn't suddenly appear after World War I, but have been with us for centuries.

The language is a bit different, of course, but the meaning is plain. When Lucullus, the departure controller at Athens International says: I'll look you out a good turn, Servilius1. ... we know Servilius isn't going to have to mess with SIDs or complicated Qlearances. And when Cressida, the local controller at Troy Municipal, asks:

Juliet: By whose direction found'st thou out this place?

Romeo: By Love ... He lent me counsel and I lent him eyes. I am no pilot'.

(In Jerry's defense, it should be said he didn't know Romeo wasn't licensed.)

It might seem things were less tense in those days. Certainly, pilots were more polite. Listen to Ophelia's request for pre-flight briefing and the reply of John of Gaunt FSS: Ophelia: Show me the steep and thorny way to heaven.s John: Devouring pestilence hangs in our air and thou art flying to a fresher clime.'

More polite, may be, but the problems were still the same.

Controllers aged early in those days as well, even if they didn't want to admit it. See how Polixenes reacts when Camillo, the facility chief at Sicily Center, tells him he better take it easy: Camillo: There is a sickness which puts some of us in distemper, but I cannot name the disease; and it is caught of you that are yet well.

What sneaking fellow comes yonder2 ? ... it should be clear some wise-ass has had enough of landing sequences and has decided to try a very short final.

Pollxenes: Howl Caught of me! ... I have look'd on thousands, who have sped the better by my regard, but kill'd none so. 7

One could argue these words are taken out of context.

What is needed is something unambiguous. How about Hamlet's attempt to get take-off clearance from Marcellus in Elsinor Tower, and the comments of Horatio, the assistant tower chief:

What sort of problems could there have been in those calm and placid times? Well, just about the same ones that are around now. Like Othello, the VFR hot-shot with 80 hours, who didn't really need weather briefings any more, until one day:

Marcellus: You shall not go, my lord.

Hamlet: Hold off your hands.

Horatio: Be ruled; you shall not go.

Hamlet: ... Unhand me, gentlemen ... I says, away!

Horatio: He waxes c1esperate 3 â&#x20AC;˘ Little room for argument about that.

Air traffic controllers have also been responsible for some of the great romances of history. One, Jerry Love, gave Romeo a OF steer so he could meet Juliet:

* About the Author: Greg Mellen has worked for Univac since 1958.

His ATC assignments have included project engineer for a 4th-generation ATC study, system engineer for the Knoxville automatic VFR advisory service test, and member of the Metroplex study committee.

He is currently working on company-sponsored methods of improving the distribution of aviation weather.

1 Timon of Athens, 111 :3:67.

2 Troilus and Cressida, 1.2:246.

3 Hamlet, 1 :4:80-87.

4 Romeo and Juliet, II :2:79-82.

5 Hamlet, 1 :3:47.

6 King Richard II, 1 :3:238-284.

48

7 8 9 10 11

The Winter's Tale, 1 :2:85-90.

Othello, V:2:276-280.

King Richard II, 1 :3:170-173.

Othello, V:2:207.

Coriolanus. V:3:182-185.

0 cursed slave! (See, now it's ATC's fault he got into this.) Whip me, ye devils, from the possession of this heavenly sight! Blow me about in winds! Roast me in sulphur! Wash me in steep-down gulfs of liquid firela Or like Tom Mowbray, the grizzled 4-million-mile fourstriper with Pan Norfolk Airways, who isn't about to take any "orders" from a green kid just out of the Academy.

I am too old to fawn upon a nurse, too far in years to be a p.upil now: What is thy sentence then but speechless death, which robs my tongue from breathing native breath.9 You must admit, though, in those days they had a little style.

Then, as now, fortunately, the pilot didn't have the whole traffic picture, nor could he hear, for example, Gratiano at Venice Oceanic Center mutter: This sight would make him do a desperate turn.10 Unfortunately for Gratiano, though, Coriolanus, the watch supervisor did hear him, took one look at the scope, held his head in his hands, and moaned:

0 mother, mother! What have you done? Behold the heavens do ope, the gods look down, and this unnatural scene they laugh at. 0 my mother, mother! o ! 11 Heard any watch supervisor talk like that lately? (from the Journal of ATC)

Corporation Members of the International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers' Associations AEG-Telefunken, Ulm/Donau, Germany Air Vision Industries, Inc., Montreal, Canada The Air Transport Association, Washington D. C., U.S.A. Wolfgang Assmann GmbH., Bad Homburg v. d. H., Germany Cossor Radar and Electronics Limited, Harlow, England Dansk lmpulsfysik A. S., Holte, Denmark The Decca Navigator Company Limited, London, England Ferranti Limited, Bracknell, Berks., England Glen A. Gilbert & Associates, Washington D. C., U.S.A. Ground Aid Group, Esbjerg, Denmark International Air Carrier Association Geneva, Switzerland International Aeradio Limited, Southall, Middlesex, England Jeppesen & Co. GmbH., Frankfurt, Germany The Marconi Radar Systems Limited, Chelmsford, Essex, England N. V. Hollandse Signaalapparaten, Hengelo, Netherlands The Plessey Company Limited, Weybridge, Surrey, England Racal-Thermionic Limited, Southampton, England Selenia - lndustrie Elettroniche Associate S. p. A. Rome, Italy Software Sciences Ltd., Farnborough, Hampshire, England Space Research Corporation, Inc. Quebec, Canada The Solartron Electronic Group Limited, Farnborough, Hants., England Stansaab Elektronik AB, Jarfalla, Sweden Thomson - CSF, Paris, France The International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers' Associations would like to invite all corporations, organizations, and institutions interested in and concerned with the maintenance and promotion of safety in air traffic to join their organization as Corporation Members.

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