Air Facts

FEBRUARY 10, 2025

Thats especially true for instrument pilots, where Air Traffic Control sounds like they are running the show, the avionics seem to direct the flight along predefined routes, and the autopilot actually flies the airplane. These categories apply whether youre flying a Cub on a summer evening or a business jet on an RNAV approach.

Pilot in Command

Flying Magazine

JUNE 12, 2025

With a few instrument lessons under my belt, I felt confident to try a relatively straightforward flight under instrument conditions in the simulator using the VATSIM live air traffic control service. Cape Air 73-31, you’re 40 miles south of Portland. Expect the Harbor Visual for Runway 29.” Moments later ATC radioed.

Air Traffic Control

Pilot Institute

JUNE 19, 2025

They serve as visual aids to guide pilots, ground crew, and Air Traffic Control, indicating the boundaries and areas of different spaces of the airfield, such as runways, taxiways, holding positions, and parking areas. Visual Runways Visual runways have no instrument approach procedure available.

Runway

Flying Magazine

JUNE 23, 2025

READ MORE: Air Bosses: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at Airshows’ Vital Contributors You don’t have to be an air traffic controller to figure out the worst. Flying into Sun ’n Fun or AirVenture isn’t something you should approach lightly. At best, that can mean a delay getting in or out.

Runway

Vintage Aviation News

APRIL 24, 2025

He also earned the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal. After the war, Robert Thomas remained in the Naval Reserves until 1966, retiring at the rank of Lieutenant Commander, and worked as an air traffic control supervisor at the New York Air Traffic Control Center for 30 years, and would live to the age of 87.

Cockpit

Flying Magazine

MAY 13, 2025

I wrote out my expected clearance for the outbound leg, briefed every approach, and walked through all the what-ifs I could imagine. I picked up my clearance, flew the plane, shot the approach, and feltbrieflylike I might just be the worlds newest ace. The cadence of air traffic control (ATC) feels relentless.

Clearance

Pilot Institute

JUNE 9, 2025

Traffic Busy airports can only accommodate a certain number of airplanes safely at any one time. The ramp may be busy, or air traffic control may have reached its limit regarding how many airplanes they can safely monitor within their airspace. That way, air traffic control can keep other traffic around the airport clear.

Airplanes

Pilot Institute

MARCH 6, 2025

FAA Federal Aviation Administration The FAA is the US federal government agency in charge of aviation standards, air traffic control, airspace safety, and the certification of personnel and aircraft. In contrast to a control tower, an FSS is not responsible for giving instructions or clearances to aircraft.

Pilot

Pilot Institute

FEBRUARY 1, 2025

In a TRSA, air traffic controllers offer two main services: radar traffic advisories and sequencing. Radar traffic advisories are a type of safety alert. If you choose to use these services, youll need to establish communication with the appropriate ATC facility, usually Approach Control.

Visual Flight Rules

Flying Magazine

MAY 8, 2025

READ MORE: Live Air Traffic Control Services Can Enhance Your Flight Sim Experience I searched for lessons on YouTube, of which there are many, but eventually was led to a group course taught by FlightSimCoach.com that is delivered over Zoom by a CFI.

Cockpit

Air Facts

APRIL 28, 2025

Previously, I had alerted the Atlanta Air Traffic Control facilities that our slow flying airplanes were going to be coming to visit them so they were expecting us, but trying to sequence us into their operation must have caused a lot of clenched jaws and tense moments with Atlanta Approach Control and the Atlanta Hartsfield Tower.

Clearance

Pilot's Life Blog

JANUARY 5, 2025

When learning how to land a Piper Seminole, it is crucial to understand the role of each engine in the approach and landing phases. Pilots must be proficient in managing engine power, especially during the approach, where power settings and speed management are critical to a smooth and safe landing.

Descent

Air Facts

MAY 7, 2025

It was common practice for tower controllers to monitor the area control centre enroute frequency. It was a winter night shift in a Western Ontario air traffic control tower. One controller on duty was the norm on most snowy nights when most of the flying activities had ended for the day.

Weight-Shift-Control

Aerotime

APRIL 2, 2025

On November 25, 2024, a Swiftair Boeing 737-400 tragically crashed during its approach to Vilnius Airport (VNO) in the early hours of the morning. Moreover, the situation was worsened by communication issues between the crew and air traffic control. At 03:26:15, the aircraft entered the final approach phase.

Cargo

Pilot Institute

NOVEMBER 5, 2024

The flight plan informs the Air Traffic Control (ATC) of your planned course, aircraft capability, and contingency plan. Your alternate airport must have a working instrument approach procedure available. At least 1 instrument approach procedure. Within the Past 6 Months, You Must Log: 6 instrument approaches.

Flight Plan

Airspeed Junkie

NOVEMBER 9, 2024

By replacing letters with distinct words like ‘Alpha’ for ‘A’ and ‘Bravo’ for ‘B,’ it ensures clear communication between pilots and air traffic controllers. This clarity is vital not only for pilots and air traffic controllers but also for ground staff, who rely on accurate communication to perform their duties safely.

Air Traffic Control

Aerotime

MARCH 20, 2025

As the aircraft approached Nome, air traffic controllers informed the pilot of flight 445 that Nomes runway was being de-iced and was temporarily closed, and that flight 445 could expect a 10 to 15 minute delay in landing clearance to be given. At about 15:15, the airplane leveled at 6,000 ft.

Knot

Fear of Landing

NOVEMBER 29, 2024

The controller anticipated a late landing clearance due to this aircraft in front. At night the relationship between airliner and air traffic control changes because less can be seen in the dark, rather like low cloud or fog, but not as serious. We watched it land and trundle, and continued our approach.

Runway

Flying Magazine

MAY 9, 2025

For the second time in as many weeks, air traffic controllers (ATC) handling flights into and out of Newark Liberty International Airport (KEWR) were met with black screens, unable to see or talk to the aircraft under their watch. The incident is the latest in a worrying trend. Sean Duffy unveils ATC modernization effort at D.C.

Air Traffic Control

Flying Magazine

JULY 25, 2025

They need to not only understand things like airspace boundaries, cloud clearance requirements, and surface visibility minimums, but must also be able to coordinate their turns, manage their altitudes and headings, and work the radios while putting that knowledge to use. The goal is to train for real-world decisions, not video game shortcuts.

Cockpit

Aerotime

JULY 15, 2025

Reports showed that at around 21:39 GMT, the Air China A350-900 made an unauthorized climb from its designated altitude of 34,100 feet to 36,000 feet. Two Chinese aircraft nearly collided over Siberia after an Air China passenger jet climbed without air traffic control (ATC) clearance, possibly due to a misheard instruction.

Air Traffic Control

Aerotime

JUNE 10, 2024

[link] pic.twitter.com/O1ccRpJn39 — Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) June 9, 2024 An IndiGo spokesperson told the Times of India that the IndiGo flight from Indore was given a landing clearance by the air traffic control tower.

Air Traffic Control

Aerotime

JUNE 7, 2024

NTSB releases abstract of final report on 2023 JFK airport runway near-collision: [link] pic.twitter.com/zQnFYLSxBw — NTSB Newsroom (@NTSB_Newsroom) June 4, 2024 According to the report, air traffic controllers cleared a Delta Air Lines B-737, with 159 passengers and crew, for takeoff on Runway 4L at JFK in the evening of January 13, 2023.

Air Traffic Control

Aerotime

JULY 9, 2024

With clearance given by air traffic controllers, the flight left its assigned altitude of 34,000ft, descending at around 3,000ft per minute according to data obtained from Flightradar24.

Descent

One Mile at a Time

JULY 20, 2024

We can now add yet another near catastrophe to the list, and this might just be the scariest one we’ve seen so far… Southwest 737 MAX has near disaster on approach to Tampa This incident happened on Sunday, July 14, 2024, and involves Southwest Airlines flight WN425 , scheduled to fly from Columbus (CMH) to Tampa (TPA).

Air Traffic Control

Aerotime

NOVEMBER 22, 2024

At this point, the pilots will contact ATC for push and start clearance , allowing the plane to be pushed back from its parking position (if applicable, depending on the airport) and to start its engines in sequence. One of the first items on before taxi checklists is to set the take-off flaps well before the aircraft approaches the runway.

Cabin Crew

Flight Training Central

MAY 28, 2024

But as the destination traffic pattern approaches, workload increases dramatically. A firm understanding of the proper terminal area procedures is essential for staying safe as you depart or approach the airport. a long straight in final approach to the active runway. Safe obstruction clearance in the approach area.

Crosswind

Pilot Institute

DECEMBER 12, 2024

Talking to air traffic control (ATC) while flying IFR is challenging in the beginning, but with time and practice, you can master it! Use the CRAFT acronym to note down departure clearances quickly. You cant rely on visual cues to avoid other traffic – or even navigate accurately. What are your intentions?

Approach

Flight Training Central

OCTOBER 28, 2024

The Terminal Arrival Area (TAA) approach is designed to provide a transition from the IFR enroute segment to the approach environment with little required interaction between the pilot and air traffic control (ATC). Some areas of the Basic T may be eliminated, while other areas are expanded.

Approach

Flight Training Central

FEBRUARY 23, 2024

For an instrument pilot, though, there is one key difference between a smaller, non-towered airport and a larger one with an air traffic control tower: obtaining an IFR clearance. Call for your IFR clearance, including route, altitude, and transponder code. Call on the phone In ancient times (i.e.,

Clearance

AV Web

MAY 30, 2025

According to statement by one of the air traffic controllers working that afternoon that was sent to VASAviation, the United plane, which was taking off from Runway 1R, was supposed to turn right and the CRJ was supposed to turn left.

Air Traffic Control

Northstar VFR

MAY 9, 2024

It was for me, especially when I had to fly to a towered field and talk to Air Traffic Control (ATC). We had to quickly learn the cadence of communicating with Clearance Delivery, Ground, Tower, Approach and Departure controllers. Air traffic controllers are generally very patient with student pilots.

Pilot

AV Web

FEBRUARY 12, 2025

The Unicorn Clearance It was a quiet morningthe pondering kind. Im controlling the airspace southeast of KSEA and its a Cleared direct destination kind of day. And there it is, the unicorn, the never-used clearance. I can count on one hand, with half my fingers, rounded down, how many times Ive issued this clearance.

VFR On Top

Flight Training Central

FEBRUARY 29, 2024

When used strategically you can use this information to gain additional insight into what’s going on in the airspace around you and make more informed decisions on each flight, giving you an edge when dealing with air traffic control. Call the controller or a flight service specialist. Where is the traffic?

Clearance

Plane and Pilot

JULY 3, 2024

Setting up for an approach, taxiing at a busy airfield with complicated diagrams, during the actual takeoff and landing, or receiving an updated weather briefing in flight are a few examples of this. Traffic information systems in our panels—or fed to our EFB—help us predict other traffic that may be nearby through awareness of its position.

Weather

Ask Captain Lim

AUGUST 18, 2024

The DC-8 captain, flying a non-precision approach in bad weather, descended below the decision height of 750 feet and crashed into a hillside. The cause was a miscommunication between the crew and air traffic control. These examples demonstrate the value of air crash investigations.

Air Traffic Control

Pilot Institute

DECEMBER 6, 2024

CRAFT is a simple way pilots remember their IFR clearance. It helps break down the instructions from air traffic control into clear, easy-to-follow steps. Key Takeaways Use the acronym CRAFT as a helpful guide to break down your IFR clearance. Heres a better way to keep track of your clearances.

Clearance