Air Traffic Control

Since the last edition of "Abc Air Traffic Control" in 2005 there have been many changes in the air traffic control industry in the UK and UK-related airways. Air traffic has continued to increase rapidly resulting in more complex air traffic control systems which have to meet demand, as well as fulfilling safety and environment regulations. Covering current issues facing the air traffic control industry, the author looks at the establishment of the new London Control Center at Swanwick in the beginning of 2008, and the problematic congestion plaguing the UK skies, particularly in the busy Southeast. As a result, National Air Traffic Services, which took over from the Civil Airliner Authority in 2001 following partial privatization of the industry, is consulting with the CAA about redrawing the aircraft route map over the southeast of England to alleviate this problem. Graham Duke is an authority in the study of Air Traffic Control and has been writing these useful pocket guides since the very first edition in 1984. In this latest volume he covers all the latest developments within the industry, explaining the structure of the system and the regulations controlling it in a straightforward manner, with a window into military air traffic control systems as well. Alongside this wider picture, intimate details are also revealed about the operations of ground control, the communications systems in the aircraft flying, the standard modes of communication, and airport procedures. The North Atlantic system and other aeronautical information such as charts, weather and airfield data are explained, as well as a full assessment of future developments. This is the essential handbook for anyone interested in civil aviation and the operation of modern air traffic control practice.