Ground Control

A. Dialogue

Instructor: Student: Instructor:   Student: Instructor:   Student: Instructor:   ATIS:   Student: Instructor:   Student: Instructor: Student: Instructor: Student: Instructor:

We can observe the activity around the airport from the control tower. The airport is busy. Who keeps the traffic organized and moving? Ground control governs the movement of planes and ground vehicles on the controlled portions of the airport, excluding the active runways. With all these planes, I'm surprised the radio frequencies aren't always congested. The Automatic Terminal Information Service (ATIS) helps reduce clutter on the ground-control frequencies at busy airports. What is ATIS? ATIS is a repetitive broadcast of routine information, such as weather conditions and data regarding the airport. It's updated hourly or as needed. The broadcast is identified by a letter of the phonetic alphabet. This letter is changed every time the report is updated. Let's listen to the current ATIS.   ***   Boston Logan Airport information Zulu. Time 2053Z. Weather: 1,900 scattered, ceiling 2,400 broken, 3,000 overcast, visibility 10 miles. Temperature: 60, dew point 52 degrees. Wind: 290 degrees at 11 miles per hour. Altimeter setting: 29.95. Arriving aircraft expect an approach to Runway 33L. Departures on Runway 27. Notices to airmen (NOTAMs): the inner taxiway is closed between taxiways Mike and Kilo. Advise on initial contact that you have information Zulu.   ***   What's meant by taxiways Mike and Kilo and Runway 33L? At large airports, taxiways are identified by the phonetic alphabet. Runway 33 refers to the parallel runways at a heading of 330 degrees; the L indicates that it is the left runway. Then the plane taxis to the runway following the directions given by ground control. Right. So, ground control handles aircraft from when they taxi for departure until they reach the active runway. And ground control also assists aircraft leaving a runway after landing until their arrival at a gate. It works so smoothly! It must be more complicated in bad weather, or if a plane isn't equipped with a radio. Normally a plane couldn't fly into a controlled airport without a radio. But, in the case of a radio failure, an emergency, or by special arrangement, there are light guns that can be used. Standard light signals are flashed to an aircraft to indicate instructions.

B. Light Signals

Signal   steady green   flashing green   steady red     flashing red     flashing white     alternating red and green

On the Ground cleared for takeoff   cleared to taxi   stop     taxi clear of landing area (runway) in use   return to starting point on airport   general warning signal — exercise extreme caution

In Flight cleared to land   return for landing (to be followed by steady green at proper time)   give way to other aircraft and continue circling   airport unsafe — do not land     not applicable     general warningsignal — exercise extreme caution

C. Terminology Practice

active: in use

The runway being used is the active runway.

Is Runway 33L active?

Ground control doesn't govern active runways.

altimeter: an instrument used to measure altitude

In which unit of measurement does an altimeter read altitude?

The altimeter indicates that we're flying at 12,000 feet.

Set the altimeter using the altimeter setting.

altimeter setting: the atmospheric-pressure reading used to adjust an altimeter

The current altimeter setting is 1,010.2 millibars.

Call ATIS for the altimeter setting.

What's the current altimeter setting?

Automatic Terminal Information Service (ATIS): a continuous recorded broadcast of weather, operational, and noncontrol information

Do you have ATIS information Foxtrot?

The ATIS recording was updated when the weather changed.

The ATIS information indicates that we'll be landing on Runway 33L.

broken: descriptive of clouds that cover more than half the sky

The clouds were broken at 3,000 feet.

The latest weather report at London shows broken clouds at 2,500 feet.

Were the clouds broken or scattered?

ceiling: the height above ground or water where the lowest layer of cloud obscures more than half the sky

The ceiling was 4,000 feet above the airport.

Current weather has 200 scattered, ceiling 800 overcast.

How high is the ceiling over Boston?

control tower: an ATC facility at an airport that controls arrivals and departures

Contact the control tower on frequency 118.3.

Ground control and clearance delivery are located in the control tower.

Do you always contact the control tower before takeoff?

dew point: the temperature at which water vapor condenses

The temperature is 43 degrees and the dew point is 32.

The dew point is two degrees lower than the temperature.

What is the relationship between fog and the dew point?

ground control: an ATC facility, located in the control tower, established to regulate aircraft and other vehicles operating in the airport movement area

Contact ground control for clearance to taxi.

Is ground control responsible for clearance delivery in this airport?

The ground control frequency is 121.9.

notice to airmen (NOTAM): a notice to air personnel concerning changes in conditions, services, procedures, or hazards

The NOTAM says that the inner taxiway is closed today.

Is there a NOTAM regarding this runway?

There's a NOTAM concerning a bump at the intersection of those runways.

overcast: descriptive of clouds or obscuration covering the sky

The sky is overcast with clouds at 1,500 feet.

The cloud layer at 500 feet is broken to overcast.

Will the sky be overcast all day?

runway: a rectangular strip on an airport used by aircraft for takeoff or landing

The plane is ready to taxi to the runway.

What is the length of that airport's main runway?

We couldn't see the runway because the fog was thick.

scattered: descriptive of clouds or obscuration covering less than half the sky

It was a beautiful day with a few scattered clouds.

The Bombay weather shows a layer of scattered clouds at 300 feet.

Are there scattered clouds above 5,000 feet?

taxi: to go at a low speed along the surface of the ground

Are we cleared to taxi?

Our aircraft is ready to taxi.

Taxi behind the large jet.

taxiway: a rectangular strip used for taxiing at an airport

Ground control governs the taxiways.

The inner taxiway is closed.

Which taxiway will we use?

D. Check-Up

Fill in the blanks with the proper terms from the list.

active altimeter control tower ground control NOTAM

overcast runway scattered taxis taxiway

1. ___________ is responsible for taxiing vehicles.

2. A ___________ is used for a takeoff or landing.

3. An ___________ sky is completely covered by clouds.

4. An ___________ runway is in use.

5. Call the ___________ for clearance to land.

6. A ___________ is a notice to air personnel regarding changes in conditions, services, procedures, or hazards.

7. When a plane ___________, it's traveling at a low speed along the surface of the ground.

8. An instrument that measures altitude is an ___________.

9. ___________ clouds cover less than half the sky.

10. A ___________ is the area in an airport designated for taxiing aircraft.

LESSON 5

Дата добавления: 2015-10-31