Aviation Education - Key Terms (Air Traffic Control and ATS)

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms in air traffic control and air traffic services (ATS) drawn from the lecture notes.

Air traffic control (ATC)

A service provided by the appropriate authority to promote the safe, orderly, and expeditious flow of air traffic.

Air Traffic Services (ATS)

A generic term (per ICAO Annex 11) for flight information service, alerting service, air traffic advisory service, air traffic control service, area control service, approach control service, and aerodrome control service.

Air traffic control tower (ATCT)

An air traffic control facility with the primary function of providing runway separation for aircraft landing or departing from the primary airport.

Visual Flight Rules (VFR)

Flight rules requiring pilots to operate with visual reference, originally under conditions of at least 3 miles visibility; these rules evolved into the current VFR framework.

Instrument Flight Rules (IFR)

Flight rules under which navigation and aircraft control are performed primarily by instruments, enabling flight in weather conditions that do not permit visual navigation.

Navigation aids (nav aids)

Ground-based radio navigation aids that permit pilots to navigate without ground reference.

See and be seen principle

Early traffic-avoidance principle requiring pilots to see other traffic and be seen; historically pilots flew with clouds avoided and visibility of at least 3 miles.

Colored flags signaling method

An early method where an airfield controller used green and red flags from a prominent spot to communicate with pilots—green to proceed, red to hold.

Archie W. League

The first air traffic controller (1929), who directed traffic from a wheelbarrow with a beach umbrella and flags at St. Louis Lambert Airport.

Late-1930s improvements in ATC

Improvements in night flying, marginal weather operations, and the introduction of ground-based navigation aids that enabled instrument-based flight when visual reference was not possible.

Annex 11 (ICAO)

The ICAO document that defines Air Traffic Services (ATS).

Approach control service

An ATS service providing control for aircraft approaching to an aerodrome before entering terminal airspace or aerodrome control.

Aerodrome control service

An ATS service responsible for controlling traffic within the aerodrome and final approach to runways.

Flight information service

An ATS service that provides information needed for safe and efficient flight operations (e.g., weather, airspace restrictions).

Alerting service

An ATS service that provides alerts and assistance if an aircraft is in distress or off course.

Objectives of Air Traffic Services (ATS)

Prevent collisions; maintain an orderly and expeditious flow of air traffic; provide advice and information for safe and efficient flights; notify and assist in search and rescue.