SWATC Unit 8

A service which seeks missing aircraft and assist those found to be in need of assistance. It is a cooperative effort using the facilities and services of available Federal, State, and local agencies.

Search and Rescue (SAR)

A search and rescue facility equipped and manned to coordinate and control SAR operations in an area designated by the SAR plan.

Rescue Coordination Center (RCC)

Responsible for SAR in the Maritime Region.

U.S. Coast Guard

Responsible for SAR in the Inland Region.

U.S. Air Force

Serve as the central point for collecting information.

ARTCCs

Provide the ____________________ possible to law enforcement aircraft when requested.

maximum assistance

Only intended for those missions of an urgent medical nature and is to be utilized only for that portion of the flight requiring priority handling.

MEDEVAC

If requested by MEDEVAC pilot, ATC will provide additional assistance to expedite ground handling of

patients, vital organs, or urgently needed medical materials

ATC will provide priority handling to AIR EVAC and HOSP flights when ____________________ by the pilot.

verbally requested

____________________ must be used in each situation to facilitate the most expeditious movement of MEDEVAC, AIREVAC, and HOSP aircraft.

good judgement

Device used or intended to be used for flight that has no onboard pilot. Can be an airplane, helicopter, air ship, on powered-lift aircraft.

Unmanned Aircraft

Unmanned free balloons, moored balloons, tethered aircraft, gliders, and unmanned rockets.

Not Unmanned Aircraft

What elements do UAS consists of?

• Unmanned Aircraft

• Control Station

• Data Link

USAF UAS Missions

• Global Hawk

• Predator

• Reaper

For the purpose of ATC separation and sequencing, classify UAS as __________

Category III

Controllers shall update the __________ to reflect when UAS operations are conducted in the terminal area and when they terminate.

ATIS

During UAS lost link, the control tower may activate the

PCAS

A condition of being concerned about safety and of requiring timely but not immediate assistance.

Urgency

How will a pilot declare an emergency to report a distress condition?

Mayday

How will a pilot declare an urgency condition?

Pan-Pan

If the words Mayday or Pan-Pan are not used and you’re in doubt whether a situation is an emergency, what should a controller do?

Treat that situation as though it was an emergency

Who will controllers notify about all emergency conditions?

ARTCC

Who may declare an Emergency?

Pilot, Facility Personnel (ATC), or Officials responsible for the operation of the aircraft

What is the emergency beacon code?

7700

When should you transfer control responsibility of an emergency aircraft?

Only when you feel better handling of the emergency will result

Provide emergency assistance to:

• VFR aircraft in weather difficulty

• Aircraft bomb threat or Hijack

• MANPADs Alert (SAM)

• Unauthorized laser illumination of aircraft

• Recommendation and guidance to emergency airport

__________ ensures an LOP defines the base response to a hijack or aircraft theft attempt and coordinates with the AFSOC to identify a single base agency to receive ATC notification.

CCTLRs

Hijack attempts or actual events are a matter of ____________________ and require special handling.

National Security

What is the hijack beacon code?

7500

When a pilot notifies ATC of a hijacking situation by squawking 7500, verify that the aircrew __________ selected code 7500.

intentionally

(T/F) No references to the hijacking must be made in subsequent communications unless initiated by the pilot.

True

If a NORDO aircraft has not reestablished radio communications after 5 minutes, consider the pilot activity to be __________.

suspicious

How often will controllers receive Hijack/unlawful Seizure of aircraft training?

Bi-annually

Indicates recognition by pilots that their fuel supply has reached a state where, upon reaching destination, they cannot accept any undue delay.

Minimum Fuel

Minimum Fuel is merely an advisory that states

an emergency situation is possible should any undue delay occur.

(T/F) Minimum Fuel is an emergency and requires traffic priority.

False

Used to inform ATC facilities that he/she may land at the intended destination with less than emergency fuel reserves.

Emergency Fuel

Additional information included by the ATCT when activating the PCAS for an aircraft that declares Emergency Fuel.

Fuel remaining in time

What will the pilot do once declaring Emergency Fuel?

Proceed directly to the airport of intended landing

Declaration of Emergency Fuel is an explicit statement that ____________________ by ATC is both required and expected.

priority handling

During two-way radio communications failure, when confronted by a situation not covered in the regulation, pilots are expected to exercise ____________________ in whatever action they elect to take.

good judgement

What is the lost communication or NORDO beacon code?

7600

NORDO is an __________ and the aircraft has the right of way over all other traffic.

emergency

Define NORDO

The loss of the ability to communicate

If radio failure occurs in VFR weather, the pilot shall continue the flight under VFR and ____________________.

land as soon as practical

When an IFR aircraft experiences two-way radio failure; air traffic control is based on ____________________.

anticipated pilot actions

If the failure occurs in IFR weather conditions, the pilot shall continue the flight on the ____________________ last assigned by ATC, or by the ____________________.

route/heading, route filed in the flight plan

Available means to reestablish radio communications?

• Emergency Frequencies

• NAVAIDs

• FSS

How may you have a radar-identified aircraft reestablish communications or acknowledge transmissions?

• Use transponder

• Make identifying turns

When using a transponder to reestablish communications what methods may be used?

• IDENT

• Squawk Standby

• Squawk 7600

How may a Tower controller reestablish communications with a fixed wing aircraft between sunrise and sunset?

Move Ailerons or Rock Wings

How may a Tower controller reestablish communications with a fixed wing aircraft between sunset and sunrise?

Flash Navigation or Landing Lights

How may a Tower controller reestablish communications with a helicopter aircraft between sunrise and sunset?

Turn the aircraft toward the facility and flash the landing light or rock the tip path plane

How may a Tower controller reestablish communications with a helicopter aircraft between sunset and sunrise?

Flash the landing light or search light

What will the ATCT use to control and provide instructions to NORDO aircraft?

Light Gun

In-flight equipment malfunctions include ______________________________ failure of equipment which may affect either safety, separation standards, and/or the ability to proceed under IFT in the ATC system.

partial or complete

Controllers shall relay all pertinent details concerning an aircraft with an in-flight equipment malfunction to other ______________________________ that will subsequently handle the aircraft.

controllers or facilities

ATC will provide the ____________________ possible consistent with equipment, workload, and any special handling required.

maximum assistance

What is a Standard Rate Turn?

Three degrees per second

When are controllers required to inform an aircraft of any observed abnormal aircraft conditions?

When requested by the pilot or when you deem it necessary.

What phraseology must be used when describing an abnormal aircraft condition?

(Item) APPEAR/s (observed condition)

Provides proximity warnings and resolution advisories to assist the pilot in avoiding vertical resolutions.

Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS)

TCAS I provides

visual and audible proximity warning

TCAS II provides

traffic advisories (TA) and resolution advisories (RA)

Provide recommended maneuvers in a __________ direction to avoid conflicting traffic.

vertical

What is the pilot’s responsibility concerning ATC clearance and response to a TCAS advisory?

Must notify ATC of that deviation as soon as practical and notify ATC when clear of conflict and returning to their previously assigned clearance.

(T/F) When an aircraft under your control jurisdiction is responding to an TCAS, issue control instructions that are contrary to the TCAS resolution advisory as necessary.

False

Once the responding aircraft has begun maneuver in response to an RA, when does the controller resume responsibility for approved separation?

• The responding aircraft has returned to its assigned altitude

• The responding aircraft has executed an alternate clearance and you observe that approved separation has been reestablished

• A crew member informed you the TCAS maneuver is completed, and you observe that approved separation has been reestablished