An aircraft must be identified before it can receive a radar control or advisory ser-vice: in other words, the controller must be sure that one particular blip on his screen is the aircraft he is directing. This is simple with a radar handover from another ATC unit or by means of SSR.
a) Approach Control Phraseology:
ATC: FGM report heading and flight level (or altitude).
Aircraft: FGM heading 140 at flight level 55. ATC: FGM for identification turn left heading 110.
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The identification turn must be at least 30° different from the original head-ing. When the pilot reports steady on the new heading, and the controller is sure that he has related a specific blip on his screen with the aircraft, he transmits: ‘ FGM identified 12 miles south of the field ’. The service is then added.
ATC: Vectoring for an ILS approach runway (designation).
The weather and pressure settings are then passed as a separate transmission.
If in the initial call the aircraft makes the turn requested and is still not observed on radar, perhaps because it is out of range, in weather clutter, or below cover, the controller will say: ‘ FGM not identified. Resume (or continue) own navigation ’. D / F will be used to home the aircraft towards the airfield for radar pick-up. When identified, the aircraft will be vec-tored, i.e. given headings to steer to fit it into the approach sequence or, if the traf-fic is light, direct to final approach. Posi-tion checks are given at intervals (‘ Five miles north of the airport downwind’) so that the pilot can maintain a mental picture of his geographical position and carry out the appropriate cockpit checks in good time. Outside controlled airspace the aircraft may be vectored around unidentified traffic. In-formation will be given by use of the 12 hour clock, 12 o’clock being straight ahead, 3 o’clock over the pilot’s right shoulder, and so on. The distance and relative direction of movement is also given, together with any other information on speed, type of aircraft if known, etc. Typical traffic informa-tion is passed in this form: ‘ ABC123 unknown traffic 10 o’clock, five miles crossing left to right, fast moving ’.
If the pilot does not have the traffic in sight he may request avoiding action. Sometimes rapid action is required to avoid risk of collision: ‘ ABC123 avoiding action turn left immediately heading 110 °’. At locations with no radar, procedural me-thods are used. The same applies when radar is normally available but unservicea-ble or seriously affected by weather clutter.
On transfer from the ACC the first call will be something like this:
b) Approach Control Phraseology:
Aircraft: Ostend Approach OTM descending to 3,500 ft, estimating ONO at 42.
ATC: OTM cleared for beacon approach RW 26 descend to altitude 2,500 ft QNH 1021.
Report beacon outbound.
Subsequent reports will be made when ‘ base turn complete ’ and if the beacon is several miles out on final approach, a ‘ beacon inbound call ’ will be made as well. These standard calls help the tower controller to plan his traffic.
Where the airport is equipped with ILS, permission to make a procedural approach is given in the following way: ‘ FGM cleared for ILS approach RW 27, report beacon outbound QNH 1008 ’.
Subsequent exchanges would be:
c) Approach Control Phraseology
Aircraft: FGM beacon outbound.
ATC: FGM report established inbound. Aircraft: FGM established ILS inbound. ATC: FGM report outer marker (or report
4 DME).
Aircraft: FGM outer marker (or 4 DME). ATC: FGM contact Tower 118,1.
In good weather, by day or night, even though nominally flying IFR, a pilot may re-quest permission to make a visual approach. In this case the pilot must have visual refer-ence to the surface, i.e. the ground or water, and the pilot must be sure that he will be able to complete landing visually. Standard separation continues to be applied between this aircraft and other departing and arriving traf-fic unless the pilots reports that he can see an aircraft ahead in the approach sequence and follow it down to the runway. During daylight hours only, IFR flights may be cleared to ap-proach maintaining VMC and their own sepa-ration, if reports indicate that it is possible.
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Busy airports with complex airspace often have a Departure Controller who deals only with departing traffic, separating it from inbounds before handling it over to Area. An Approach unit may also have responsibility for one or more subsidiary airfields whose close proximity makes over-all control desirable. An example is Par-is/Charles de Gaulle Approach which is responsible also for arriving and departing traffic at Le Bourget and Creil.